Butch says: Six years and you’re out

OK folks, how would you like to have a great job with stature and influence, a lavish salary, wonderful working conditions, free vacations to anywhere in the world, free airline travel, amazing medical, dental and retirement benefits, free assistants to help you, hundreds of money-making business connections, free legal representation and stock trading benefits . . . while only working just a few days a year? Wouldn’t that be just hunky-dory? Well, you can get a job like that. All you have to do is get elected to our wonderful U.S. Congress!

But I must warn you of one important fact. Members of Congress have a 90 to 95 percent chance of being re-elected. Although their approval rating is only around 15 percent according to recent polls, they have ALL of the advantages that MONEY can buy. And their number one priority is NOT serving the interests of their constituents . . . you guessed correctly . . . it is getting re-elected. Studies indicate they spend from 30 to 70 percent of their time raising money in this regard. Are they calling you for this money? Nope . . . Ninety-seven percent of all corporate PAC money goes to incumbents because of lobbyists and special interest groups, who already have these nincompoops in their back pocket.

Yessiree . . . we need term limits. SIX YEARS MAXIMUM for a member of the House or Senate. An overwhelming number of Americans want term limits, but guess what little buddy? That ain’t gonna happen . . . because Congress must vote for this change or call for a convention of the states. Congressmen aren’t the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree, but they are not dim-witted enough to give up the good life yet. After all, they would be forced to give up all their perks and get a real job.

So who do we need in Congress? We need people from all walks of life . . . teachers, businessmen, nurses, farmers, factory workers, and others . . . people with common sense and real work experience. New people with fresh ideas. Give the voters more choices instead of electing the same incumbents election after election. I guarantee you that I could select members of Congress who could do a better job than the current blockheads . . . from smart and hard-working people right here in our county! No more Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. No more AOC, Ilhan Omar, Ted Cruz and Maxine Waters. Goodbye . . . so long . . . store your pork barrel in the shed. Maybe you could become a soldier or police officer . . . and finally SERVE your country.

And what about the president? Yep, same deal . . . six years, and it’s over. And after you have left office, keep your mouth shut. You had your chance to get things done, so don’t be whining about your successor. In one of my recent columns, I pointed out that, in my opinion, we haven’t had a really outstanding president since Ronald Reagan. Since President Reagan is rated as one of the top 10 presidents of all time, and spent most of his life as an actor before he entered politics, here are my picks for our future leaders, including my choice for Cabinet members:

President and V.P               Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Congressman                       Jimmy Stewart

Speaker of the House         Judy Garland

Secretary of State                Andy Griffith

Secretary of Defense          John Wayne

Attorney General                  Perry Mason

Secretary of Education       Alex Trebek

Homeland Security              The Lone Ranger and Tonto

U.N. Ambassador                 Marilyn Monroe

Yes, I do realize that these actors are deceased. But we can just place their photos in the official chairs, and they would still accomplish more than the current officeholders. And since we are stuck with Joe Biden for three more years . . . assuming he has not been committed to the funny farm, we need to appoint a new Chief of Staff for him . . . someone with the same ideas and intelligence level . . . How about Homer Simpson? Works for me . . .

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 30 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.