INCUMBENTS: Key to nation's woes

Good Grief! Here we go again. Another tirade in The Press about our dysfunctional political system. Former President Reagan was only half right when he said that "Government is the problem." Here is a news flash, folks. We the people (the first three words in our Federal Constitution) are the government, so we are the problem.

We (you and me or the 50 percent or so who bother to vote) keep electing incumbents. What if the XXII amendment to our Federal Constitution, limiting the president to two terms, included term limits for U.S. Senators and Representatives? Then incumbency and seniority for politicians would not be so important that Job 1 is to get themselves reelected every two or six years.

A recent Newsweek article "The Hypocrites" disclosed a foot tall stack of letters from GOP members requesting federal funds for their districts. That is about 3,000 requests. If the Republicans were serious about taxes, they would work to repeal the XVI income tax amendment to our Federal Constitution. Instead, they are busy bringing home the pork just like politicians have always done since the income tax amendment was passed in 1913.

EDWARD HULL

Post Falls