Let the people vote on how our money is spent, yes OUR money

[rgarrettr]

Elected officials do not speak for me or you. Their votes are compromised by greed and influence. Establish an online forum for individuals to vote on laws by electronic referendum. One citizen, one vote. Let the people vote on how our money is spent, yes OUR money. I wouldn't have voted for a bailout, would anyone in their right taxpaying mind? The time is now. Create a site showing us the congressional issues up for vote and get the people's vote. Now that would be fair and democratic! My vote would then be MY vote.

[Billy]

     When the first round of bailouts was passed 77% of Americans were against the bailouts. People were calling the offices of their representatives in record numbers. If I remember correctly the vote was slipped in at the last second just before midnight on the last day before a holiday break and most of the legislators had gone home for the holidays. I think they passed it with something ridiculous like 12 people left around or something like that. Does anyone recall the real numbers?

 

    Anyway my point is that you are correct that we are no longer represented. I had posted what I thought to be a better idea than this though. I suggested that government be strictly voluntary. That means that you pay however much in taxes that you want and therefore decide where it goes. So an example would be that local government could issue requests for taxes from local citizens. They would give breakdowns on how much to give to police, fire, roads, parks, etc.... They would post results online so people could see what was running short of requested amounts. So if you don't like police or bailouts then you give no money to either. If you think schools and parks are more important you could give more money than requested to those.

 

     This would completely circumvent the concept of government forcibly taking money from you literally at gunpoint and then you having to beg to not be abused by the money that was stolen from you. I see no way that we can give anyone the power to take money from us and not have that eventually become corrupt. It seems counter-intuitive to me.