May 6, 2008
This is the scenario. You have all three candidates in the room at the same time. You may ask only a single question. It must be the same question to each.
My question would be:
Each of you is a multimillionaire several times over. Some more so. Each of you has expressed concern over the Federal Budget deficit. Each of you has brought up the subject of the "rich" benefitting from our tax structure. Each of you has talked of the tax burden on the middle class taxpayer. If asked, I am sure that you would describe yourself as against welfare cheats and some of you have railed against Halliburton. The current rage is against excess profits by oil companies, i.e. windfall profits that are not really earned .
Then, why do each of you continue to draw your full Senate salaries which are in excess of $160,000 a year plus other Senatorial perks when in reality you have not done much to earn it over the last eighteen months? ( The usual boilerplate answer of "qualified staff back in Washington serving your constituents" is not an acceptable answer) You were elected to serve (not run). In addition, I know (suspect) that each of you continues to be covered by the Federal Government's Health Care Program for you and your family which is subsidized by taxpayer dollars while at the same time complaining about those who do not have any health care coverage. You continue to accrue time toward an already generous retirement plan. Why? Why?
I would ask this question in order to identify some of the underlining motives of each candidate which have not come to the forefront in the campaign. Is it a feeling of Entitlement? Superiority? Worth? Elitism? Or a "voter be damned attitude" that says that I am a US Senator and once elected I, unilaterally, am free to make any decision even those which apply to myself.
I warn each of you to dig deeply before you reply.
End of Question.
You are invited to challenge my question or you are welcome to submit your own.