A novel idea for election reform

A novel idea for election reform

Abe Lincoln said that gov- ernment is for the people and by the people. That Abe was one smart guy and today would certainly agree with me in that our elections should be conducted by way of a country wide lottery.

All Americans of legal voting age would have their Social Security numbers entered into a drawing with a nominal $100 entry fee. On election day, a computer would randomly pick out the winning numbers. The United States would benefit greatly in two ways. The large amount of money that would be generated would greatly assist in balancing the budget and we would see a lot of fresh faces with novel ideas in Congress. Forget campaign finance reform. The lobbyists would be totally confused because how do you influence (bribe) an entire country?

People in prison, especially former congressmen, would definitely be included in the lottery because of their vast knowledge of criminal law and would serve as mentors for the newly elected members of that prestigious body. Unemployed people would have a much better chance of being elected than they presently have scouring the help wanted ads. There would be no limit as to how many family members and friends you could add to your staff. Our economy would certainly be stimulated.

I can hardly wait to send in my $100 entrance fee. If my number is selected, I plan to go on as many junkets as possible and have no intention of working for my constituents. I want to be just like a lot of today’s officeholders — in it for myself.

Gerald Heitkamp, Youngstown