What’s up with clean elections and term limits?

Lane: When I first heard about Maine’s clean election law I truly thought, though mislead, that this would end the influence of corporate and lobbyists influence over decisions made by our state legislators. Now it is apparent that this was nothing but another revenue stream for candidates to obtain funding. I must add this goes hand in hand with the Legislature attempting to entice us into changing the present limit on term limits. I have to believe that these two sinister misdoings by our elected officials are nothing less than another power grab that alienates voters and enhances the power of incumbents in office.

First, I must explain my amazement about the number of lobbyists and lawyers in Augusta. There are so many of them that they have their hands in each other’s pockets. I am a common-sense person who believes that the powers of our Constitution have held our nation together and I thank our Founding Fathers for that. Unfortunately they did not foresee the power of money and corporations. Or did they? I will place sandbags around my home before saying this but who were the most powerful during the Revolutionary War? Who were in the seats of power? The answer is rich, white men. Power begets more power and the rest of us don’t matter. However, we must all remember that power corrupts and that is why we, as citizens, must always be vigilant.

As far as term limits go, we have heard that the biggest excuse to do away with term limits is that it takes a long time in order for members of the Legislature to understand their duties and the so-called political system. Don’t be fooled by that idiotic excuse. If it takes several terms in office for someone to know the system, let me be the first one to tell you we have elected an idiot.

Although members of the Maine Legislature continue to tell us that they suffer poverty because they are underpaid and overworked, please ask your representative questions about their pay, health insurance, retirement (yep, that’s right) and reimbursements for lodging, mileage and meals. Oh, excuse me. I meant free health insurance. It must truly be the best part-time job in Maine although any true politician would lead you to believe just the opposite.

Like I stated, I first thought that Maine’s Clean Election Law would do away with numerous groups paying for political influence. Unfortunately, in true Maine fashion, all that law did was give another source of funding that surely comes from the pockets of taxpayers. You are funding candidates of any political party or persuasion and have absolutely no control over your tax dollars and who gets them.

Of course, Maine still allows contributions to traditional candidates who do not seek public funding. Contributions can also go to political parties and what I call personal slush funds to help other candidates. The old bottomless pit still exists although it sounds like it doesn’t.

It is time to put the legislators under the proverbial microscope. Ethics reform at any level in government is the same as hoping for little green men from Mars to land on Earth. As far as term limits, the citizens of Maine approved a referendum on setting specific term limits and now the Legislature wants to broaden the length of time that they can serve in Augusta. What’s next? I can bet a pay and benefits package increase is next. I am being party neutral here because the smell reeks from both major political parties. It seems like John Martin from Eagle Lake has been in the Legislature since the formation of Maine in 1820. What gives? I will request under applicable statutes what his retirement will be when he, if ever, retires.

My dilemma in writing this column is what direction Maine should go. I do not favor my tax dollars supporting some dimwit from some left-wing wacko party that will attempt to suck every dollar out of my wallet for social services for a lazy person who has never worked in his or her lifetime. I also think that the megabuck contributions of various corporations and unions supporting teachers and other government workers have become so influential that it’s time to ban unions for government workers because all they want is more of our tax dollars. I have no doubt in my mind that government unions are bankrupting our bank accounts and that they are far worse than King George or the Redcoats ever were to the colonists.

Lane Hiltunen and Tommy Gleason are in the process of proposing a triumvirate to sit in place of the governor of Maine which would be elected by the two major political parties and atheists across the State of Maine. Since Maine is so liberal in handing out a driver’s license to anyone who asks, anyone could vote without being a registered voter or citizen of the United States or Maine.