As a matter of fact, they even accused the Democrats of being for big government, that the democrats intended on expanding governmental control.

Also, the primary plank in the Dole-Kemp campaign was to lower taxes by 15 percent. That was the goal by the year 2002. They never explained how but insisted it could be done without affecting any programs, such as education, welfare, and other publically funded programs.

The writer is now wondering where the push is now? The campaign is over, the president has been elected, and it is time for Congress to get to work earning their pay. But, are they?

What bill directed at lowering taxes 15 percent across the board has been introduced by the Republican Party, the party controlling Congress? Or, has the media missed picking up on it?

Exactly what is being done to get control of the government back into the hands of the people? What bill has been introduced that in any way affects the system as it now is? After all, increasing the power of the people in governmental proceedings will take a major governmental overhaul.

Speaking of `the government', why is it that people who are elected as governing bodies call themselves `the government' when they are merely elected officials serving in capacities of insuring that the people's needs are met.

Contrary to what they believe and have fooled the public on for decades now, politicians are not the government, the people are the government. Or, are we no longer a democratic Republic?

If one examines it closely, however, we are not a democracy regardless of the right to vote. What say so have the people had in the relentless eating away of our constitutional rights by the people we have put in Washington, Republican and Democratic alike?

How many of you voted for air bags, required seat belt wearing, child seats, driving with a drink while well below the minimum level of blood alcohol, the right of law enforcement to do spot checks while interrupting the flow of traffic, the requirement for motorcycle helmets in most states, the oftimes ridiculous requirements and conducting of vehicular safety inspections, and the loss of the right to defend your own home, just to name a few? (Yes, you can be sued should you injure a burglar who has invaded your home.)

None of these has been voted on by the voting public. Granted, these are minor in nature if taken individually, excluding the right to use whatever means necessary to defend one's home, but they have not been determined by the people but by legislators. And, as a total, these minor removals of individual freedoms adds up to a major problem for a nation founded on individual liberty.

How about a politician being forced to tell the truth? Or, simply requiring they observe the same laws, legal, ethical, and moral, that the rest of us are subjected to. Wouldn't that put more control into the people's hands?

When is the last time you heard a politician present a bill that made it illegal for a politician to lie, which could very well be fraud depending on the financial results of the lie. When is the last time you heard any politician insisting, under penalty of law, that campaign promises must be kept?

The problem here is that it would mean that politicians must have an exceptionally high degree of integrity. Hell, however, is likely to freeze over before that happens.

How about campaign funding? What politician is now pushing for changing the system totally and removing any potential of contributors affecting a politican's voting on beneficial bills to the contributor?

The Republicans also got on that band wagon during the past campaign. What, did they fall off when the one-sided results came in or were they simply excercising their perceived right to state things they don't really believe in?

So, where are the Republicans in putting even minor control back into the people's hands?

Why, the election if over and continued rhetoric is not needed, nor is the necessity to present any bill concerning lowering taxes and decreasing the control of Congress.

We are not likely to hear of either one from the majoral Republican Party until the next election. Then, we will once more be bombarded with all sorts of rash promises which will not, of course, be met, even if the candidates are elected.

You see, Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the way it is with politics and politicians. During elections, politicians say what people want to hear and, once the election if over, forget it until the next go around against the opposing party.