Editor,

Do you ever wonder why so many of our elected officials have become “professional politicians,” serving decades in office?

It has become a permanent career for them because they can legislate their own interests and ambitions by rewarding themselves excessive pay, perks and pensions with little concern for our current economic state or the approval of the American people.

Every day, the career politicians are lining their pockets at our expense at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to keep the mortgage paid and the family fed, when the U.S. economy is facing its biggest crisis since the Great Depression…

Congress has decided to reward themselves with what they think is “fair”:

• $174,000 annual salaries

• Three-day work weeks and 18 weeks of paid vacation — this equals they’re actually “at work” only 28 percent of the time.

• Benefit allowances and earlier retirement qualifications (after only five years in office) with excessive pension plans (80 percent of their salary upon reaching retirement age).

Yet Congressional members are failing to perform even their most rudimentary responsibilities:

• Passing an annual budget — which they haven’t done since 2009.

• Congressional oversight in curtailing executive overreach — balance of powers issues. There are several current issues of such executive overreach left unaddressed.

These egregious actions by our professional politicians beg for implementation of term limits for all elected officials.

But do you honestly think Congress has the moral integrity or will to address this issue? It will never happen.

How can the voting public hope to regain citizen representation in government and stop the corrupt careers of these professional politicians?

Become familiar with Article V of our Constitution, which permits the states to call for a Convention of the States. Such action would permit the States to recommend amendments to our Constitution … such as term limits for senators and representatives, just as has been enacted to limit presidential terms. Congress would never task itself to do this.

Talk to your state governor, senators and representatives about endorsing the movement calling for an Article V Convention of the States.

It’s the only way to make this happen.

While they’re at it, perhaps repealing the 16th and 17th Amendments should be considered.

Roger Case

Oak Harbor