Rebuilding Government Trust...

...requires putting the people first.

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Our trust in government has hit rock bottom. Year after year, we've watched elected officials treat public service like their own personal cash machine. They collect oversized paychecks and enjoy perks that the average family will never see. And when they feel the coffers running low, they cash in on their lobbying connections. We've allowed politicians to be more interested in self-preservation than in serving the people who put them there. In order to change that, we have to be firm in holding our government accountable for its responsibilities.

Protecting the working class and ending DC's culture of entitlement go hand in hand. Middle-class households make about thee times less than the political class, yet we've shouldered more than our share of the tax burden. For instance, rank and file Congresspersons currently earn over $170k/yr. Freezing and capping the salaries of elected and appointed officials would be a symbolic measure that sends a strong message: the American government cannot function outside of the American people's reality.

Accountability also requires transparency. An independent commission should be tasked with conducting annual audits of federal agencies (not to be confused with Elon Musk's ridiculous D.O.G.E. freakshow). This faculty would be free of partisan or lobbyist influence, which would allow for credible disclosures to the general public. In a nation where the people employ the government, there’s no justification for our reps to hide behind vague reports and legal filings.

Public office is not a golden ticket. If America is struggling, its government should be responsive to the strain - not oblivious. Our representatives should live under the same set of rules, feel the same scrutiny, and understand the same economic pressures that we do. That's the only way we can start rebuilding the trust that's been lost.