John Washington III Asks Why Voters Keep Following Politicians Who Do Not Care About Them

John Washington III is putting a direct question to American voters. "Why do people keep following politicians who don't give a damn about them?" John Washington III wrote. "Why do you continue supporting politicians who talk like they love the people, but their actions tell a completely different story?"

John Washington III argued that the pattern repeats every election season. Politicians tell voters what they want to hear, promise change and claim they are fighting for families, he wrote — and then, when decisions that affect people's lives are made, he asked where that same energy goes. He pointed to politicians who campaign on one thing and then vote for something completely different, and to voters who defend them without checking their voting records. His advice was blunt: "Stop listening to what they say and start paying attention to what they do."

John Washington III then turned to money in office. Most members of Congress receive an annual salary of $174,000, he wrote, and he asked where the additional money comes from when politicians become millionaires while holding public office — investments, businesses, inheritance, or financial relationships the public does not know about. Having millions does not automatically mean a crime was committed, he wrote, but public office should never place anyone above financial scrutiny, and Americans should examine the public financial disclosure records members of Congress already file. Any politician secretly accepting illegal payments in exchange for political favors should be investigated, he wrote, and held accountable if the evidence proves corruption.