If you are, you are not alone. And, since this is a presidential election year, it is a most appropriate time for the American public to NOT only make known its demands to its elected officials, but also, demand that its demands be taken care of in a thoroughly professional, efficient manner.

This year, l996, is the year the public should force desired changes be made in government rather than just talking about changes being necessary and how the public would like for it to be. It is the year that a major, attitude adjustment concerning 'government' be made.

In regards to being professional and changes being needed in political representation and politics, think about the following. ABC World News, January 23rd, this year, reported that Republican freshman congressmen had to be lectured on proper behavior during President Clinton's annual State of the Union Address scheduled for that evening. Apparently, freshman congressmen had expected, planned, and were looking forward to do a lot of booing and heckling and had to be headed off by old timers teaching proper decorum.

Isn't it rather sad that any adult, especially a so-called professional, has to be lectured concerning proper behavior during any person's speech, let alone a speech given by the President of the United States. Immature children need to be lectured and guided towards proper behavior; MATURE adults do not.

Based on the above, one might ask if people who are immature enough to boo and heckle the individual holding the highest office in the land are the quality of people we want representing our best interests in Washington, D.C. The answer for this writer is a simple, but resounding, "Absolutely Not!"

The above situation, plus other behaviors and actions reported by the media, causes it to be very easy to wonder just what the people we have representing us as elected officials consider their jobs to be. It is common knowledge that the Republicans are at war with the Democrats. And, it seems that the war is planned for and anticipated, rather than the desire to run the country smoothly having priority.

One might recall a few of Bob Dole's first words after it was determined that Bill Clinton would be the next president [Defeated Bush, 1992]. This writer was appalled when he heard the words uttered by "The" leader of his party.

Mr. Dole stated basically that he and his split party (remember the Busch-Dole battle that Dole lost?) would get re-united and do everything possible to stop the Clinton Administration from accomplishing anything. Although not his exact words, this was his exact meaning.

Is it really a function of Congress's political party factions to battle each other for the most personal and party power in regards to the issues that are troubling our nation? Is it the parties' functions to gain in political power so that the power may be used to manipulate decisions, especially if the decisions are less than beneficial to the public?

Is it proper to use political power to stop the other party simply because ideas of improvement came from the other party? Indeed, is personal and/or party power the answer to solving our country's problems? Exactly what should the focus be?

Is it not true that the purpose of representatives and senators is to represent their costituencies in making governmental decisions? Unless the teachings in junior high civics and high school/college American government and history were wrong, then the first objective of a congressman must be to determine what the majority of his constituency thinks, wants and/or feels is needed.

The congressman should then use his 'logical' reasoning abilities to negotiate the most good for the majority of the people he represents. Isn't this serving the best interests of the people? And, remember, the key word in this analysis is REPRESENT. How about the phrase, 'The Government'? Isn't it true that by using or hearing the phrase as we so often do, that both the user and the listener are agreeing the the government is a separate entity in and of itself, that it operates independently of the people?

Is that what our forefathers intended? If so, why the phrasing, OF the People, BY the people, and, FOR the People?

Granted, these phrases are not from the Constitution of the United States but from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. However, the people of this nation have accepted these phrases as being at the very core of our union and the philosophy underlying our nation of unified states as a Republic.

Isn't it more logical our forefathers intended that politicians, once elected to office, should work together in reaching a common end, the most good for the majority people in this nation? Needless to say, this end requires negotiating; it requires compromising.

What it does not require is bickering and negative comments directed at the members of the other party or comments directed at individual in the person's own party. Personalities and emotions should never enter into the process of governing and government just as the two should never enter into any business or operation decision.

So, American Public, start demanding that your elected officials do the jobs they were elected to do. If any can't seem to get the job done, then get rid of them. Afterall, if any other service people didn't do a job you hired them to do, you would replace them.

If you were an employer with an employee that constantly interrupted or interfered with common business goals, you would literally be forced to fire them. You would not have any choice in the matter if you wished to reach your own goals.

The operation of this country has many of the same dynamics as the operation of any successful business. Although politicians might not like it, they are nothing more than our employees and should be treated as such.

Remember, in this union of states, We, the People, are the bosses; we are the government - IT MUST NOT BE TREATED AS A SEPARATE ENTITY!

Let's get the reins back into our hands and stop all the constant, senseless bickering and power struggles of our representative people in Congress.

If any elected individuals feel they can no longer sit in on governmental negotiations for any reason, imagined or real, then of what use are they?

Remember the Republicans refusing to sit in on budget balancing discussions and the resultant government shut-down? Without working together, how in the world did they expect to get the job done?

One last thought, Ladies and Gentlemen. Professional politicians seem overly concerned with who has what power, who has the most power, what party is in power, etcetera.

Have they forgotten that WE, the American People, have ALL the Power, that without the people, a professional politician is about as useless as a tit on a boar?