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Citizens Declaration of Rights
and Expectations of our Government
Created 8/3/2002

Finance reform - No business or organization can contribute to the campaign of any elected official.  Nor can they issue statements that would otherwise coerce or promote the support for any elected official.  Nor may they take actions, or purchase advertising or do anything in the area of soft money to effect the outcome of   legislation or elections.  Corporations are not citizens, they are businesses. Fines for entities will be based on total net worth of the corporation, and should be severe. Corporate officers engaged in such activities will be prohibited from holding any position where there is fiduciary responsibility. 

Candidates may use only limited personal funds. TBD. Central party organizations may only grant additonal funding to candidates in order to achieve funding parity  of other candidates. All candidates must report spending and contributions every 2 weeks while engaged in a campaign.

Contributions - No individual running for office may accept contributions in excess of $100 per citizen.  Citizens may not contribute more than $100 per candidate. Candidates found to be in violation of this rule will forfeit their office, and the right to run for office of any kind in the future.  Political operatives setting-up contributions in such a way as to subvert this cleansing or to falsely implicate another candidate  face a minimum penalty of  5 years in prison.   Candidates violating this rule with malice must resign their office, faces penalties which can not be paid by citizen contributions, can not be financed by corporate sponsors, and can not be relieved by bankruptcy. This policy was suggested by a very wealthy person.

Citizens may only give donations to candidates in elections where they are registerd voters.

Implementation of the Digital Interface - This is a suggestion based on knowledge of multiple technologies, and should not be viewed as a criticism of our officials, who are not focused on the possibilities of digital technology.  This, however, is why you will not need all that money anymore.

If Democracy depends on any one thing, it is the ability to express and adequately communicate ideas.  This one is easy. 

Talk to HBO and Direct TV about the software and programming methodologies used to broadcast materials in a manner similar to radio and tv stations, supplying them in an equal and unbiased manner through the day parts. We need 2 national channels that do nothing but broadcast these materials for Federal elections in 2 opposite rotations.

All candidates will be afforded equal times, in presentation blocks (ie) of 5, 10 and 20 minutes. Commercial announcements are not allowed, nor are announcements paid for by candidates or lobbying groups.  Production of materials will be 30% funded by the Federal Government. Production costs must meet standards for open bidding to ensure the lowest cost possible without loss of production quality. This could easily be done, especially in local elections, by employing college production facilities.

A digital interface must be provided so that candidates may update materials at any time of their choosing without interfering with the programmed rotation through the day parts.

2 Local channels, as Direct TV does with local channels, must be provided with the same rules and penalties.

A comprehensive web site will be established giving links to independent web sites, programming information to each locality, and to give candidates places to upload matrerials at will, so long as the opportunity to place materials is equal to all.

Subversion of this process must be prosecuted, and failure to persue and prosecute election fraud, in a transparent process, will be legislated as equivalent to complicity by the Attorney General, President and Vice President of the United States, and the Governors in the states where it occurs.

Operation of this digital interface will be publicly funded, and, like elected officials, should be viewed as an opportunity to serve the country.  Vendors found profiteering at the expense of the government should be prosecuted.

A governing board will be created to provide oversight on materilas aired.   Slander and defamation, the use of half-truths and politics of personal destruction are banned. Any negative messages against other candidates must be matched with corroborated evidence to prove allegations.  Failure to comply with this regulation will result in the assignment of broadcast time availed to that candidate to their opponents at the rate of 3 times that used to express the lie, unfounded inuendo or defamation.  No loopholes.  It may not be as exciting, but it is just.

This is one of those things that is not a matter of whether you can, but whether you will.  And it will flesh out the true intentions of  our legislators.

This is not CSPAN, this is a system dedicated to tranparency in our institutions. When elections are not being conducted, legislation being presented in Congress, as well as discussions of other issues of the day will be put into the system, as with all other materials.

Broadcast stations may not air political commercials of any sort.  They are required, by FCC regulation,  to run psa's that effectively encourage people to use the digital interface. 

Broadcast stations will be monitored, and sanctioned as necessary, to comply with equal time statutes for all candidates who have qualified to be on the ballot.  This monitoring will include metrics for quality and duration of coverage.

I could go on and on.  If you really have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Anyone who claims this is a violation of freedom of speech is simply looking for an unfair advantage.  And elections are not about money, or opportunities for windfall profits.  They are about Democracy.

QUID PRO QUO - This one usually takes 24 hours or so for people to actually assimilate.  Think about it, then form an opinion.

Any sort of quid-pro-quo by any elected official, representative or worker engaged in the service of this country is guilty of treason.

There are certainly various levels and degrees of treason, and penalties and sanctions should be commensurate with the amount of influence purchased, and the effect on our people, economy, environment and relationships with other nations.

The Act of American Integrity -

It's time for the leaders of this nation to act in a manner consistent with the values we say we have as a nation.  We should review our policies and apologize to other nations for our transgressions.   I am not suggesting anything more than an honest dialogue, and a sincere willingness to have things work for all people.  Talk to Dennis Kucinich.

It's time for us to be the nation we say we are, and remove the veil of the facade of righteousness.

Congress will be provided amnesty for reporting, in secret disclosures, their illegal activities leading to the present.  In exchange, they agree to report any misdeeds they witness or are approached to be a party to.  Knowledge of such matters will make any individual a culpable accomplice if not reported.  Use of this statue on unfounded or manufactured grounds will be prosecutable by censure, impeachment, and prohibition from seeking any elected office.

It's time to draw a line, and extract corruption from our government.

Corporate Conduct -

Corporations moving to other locations to avoid taxation should be banned  from marketing products in the United States, it's reservations and territories for a period of no less than 5 years.

Corporations found to be averting embargoes in any way will be held accountable under charges of treason.