Does it feel like extortion

Does it feel like extortion yet? �

Well maybe not yet but we are in the beginning stages as we near the presidential elections.

A few years back I received a request for a political donation. It was from a group that I had supported in the past.  As I reviewed the mailing I realized they needed money to solve issues that had been on their list the prior year and the year before that.

Sort of made me stop and think. How long should something stay on the unresolved list?  How long should I continue to donate monies to a group that never solves anything? And finally the critical question, “Why don’t these politicians want to solve anything?”

Seems to me like there is NO incentive for any politician to solve anything.  If they solve an issue they can no longer use that issue to extort money from us to fill their campaign coffers. And yes the politicians do the same to businesses big and small in all industries.

Pick any of these as an example, minimum wages, gun control, income equality, abortion, global warming, or the tax code. There are two sides for the politicians to extort monies for their personal use.  They can use the issue to raise all types of donations that can then be siphoned off to the cause of the day, even if it is a new house, car, bribe, payoff or a staff job for their relative.

Why do you think that most tax exemptions, government subsides etc have time limits? When they are about to expire the politicians can go to the businesses and parties affected and say with a wink, “If you want me to support / not support the renewal of this bill I could use a donation”. Basically it gives the politicians an opportunity to recycle the issue and extort more campaign contributions. If the politician is really good at their game they get monies from both sides.

We are in a presidential election year as well as local state, county elections. Every politician is going to need to fill their coffers therefore you and I are going to be the recipients of all types of requests for monies. I suggest you do what I started several years ago. I open the request to determine if I feel this is a good place for me to donate. If it is not, I write a short note that says, “In the past I have contributed to your requests. I have decided to discontinue my contributions until you actually show me some real progress in solving any issue. Please forward, directly to me, any data that would support your progress.”  I then use their prepaid envelop and return it.

So far no one has responded. A side benefit is the requests have reduced significantly.

I wish I had a solution.  How do I stop the politicians from extorting money from individuals and get them to actually do their job and solve issues? I can only hope that someone has an answer.

Lesson learn – stop sending money to politicians as you get nothing in return.