Do you trust your politicians?

[Moby]

I grew up inside the beltway and spent my entire childhood and most of my adult life there. I was brought up knowing politicians not from watching someone talk about them on TV but from meeting them, their families and people that worked for them and with them.

I learned never to trust them.

Sure, your local city council may have gotten elected without lying but at the national or state level, there's not a chance. No one is that clean.

Besides, if they really wanted to protect us then why aren't they fireman, paramedics or cops?

[moonman]

I figure everybody, including myself, is 20% bs. Forgiving 20% for human nature I voted 1 or a few. Then we have to consider it's Washington.

Is dealmaking, I'll vote for yours if you vote for mine dishonest? Naw, that's just getting things done. So, dishonesty then in Washington terms, would be someone who's vote or influence or favor couldn't be bought. So yeah, there might be 1 or a handfull of those in Congress.

[Smurf-Herder]

Aren't most of them lawyers in D.C.?

Every lawyer I've had, and every lawyer everyone I know has had, has ripped them off in some way, as a client.

[Kinky Jones]

i actually trust Ron Paul and Mike gravel, poor Gravel has been made into the new howard dean, my personal belief is it's because of his wanting to bring the national initiative into the spectrum, which someday will be the first step in taking back our country for the people when enough people finally start waking up to the teeter totter politics we currently live with

(i'm coining the term "teeter totter politics, you heard it here first!) :D

[CarolinaHound]

I grew up inside the beltway and spent my entire childhood and most of my adult life there. I was brought up knowing politicians not from watching someone talk about them on TV but from meeting them, their families and people that worked for them and with them.

I learned never to trust them.

Sure, your local city council may have gotten elected without lying but at the national or state level, there's not a chance. No one is that clean.

Besides, if they really wanted to protect us then why aren't they fireman, paramedics or cops?

I know some of the local politicians here, went to school with some. Not a one I'd trust any further that I could throw them.

[moonman]

Aren't most of them lawyers in D.C.?

Every lawyer I've had, and every lawyer everyone I know has had, has ripped them off in some way, as a client.

Many people feel this way and believe it to be true. The vast majority of them have no idea what they were buying. The most common lawyer ripoffs are double triple quadruple and greater billng practices.

For example, an attorney travels from Los Angeles to Sacramento on behalf of 3-4 clients. The vast majority of attorneys charge their full hourly rate for travel time. He/she bills each client for the travel time. Or an attorney has 6 clients with matters before the court at the same courthouse, which is very common. Each of the clients is billed for the travel time absent apportioning it among the clients.

The other all to common ripoff is billing as attorney time, paralegal and secretarial time.

Aside: I currently have 3 complaints before the State Bar about ripoff attorneys. Each involves abandonning the client and a failure to advocate as promised. These are difficult because the strategy a lawyer outlines to 'sell' the client is never written into the fee agreement. That is something I highly suggest anyone hiring an attorney do. Read the fee agreement and if the reason you're hiring the attorney isn't spelled out to your satisfaction, demand that the attorney do so. IF he or she won't, thank him or her for their time and continue shopping.

I am very skeptical that Smurf and his friends know enough about the practice of law to know if they have been ripped off or not. Smurf, YOU are welcome to PM me and if I can help, even by referring you, I will be glad to do so. I don't need to your name or any personal info other than the County annd state where the alleged ripoff occurred. Unfortunately I don't have the time to review the circumstances of "everyone you have ever known who claims to have been ripped off by an attorney." But I will hear yours, no charge.

If you find my counsel is of value you can make a modest donation to this site in appreciation.

[Kinky Jones]

Aren't most of them lawyers in D.C.?

Every lawyer I've had, and every lawyer everyone I know has had, has ripped them off in some way, as a client.

most are lawyers, but different types of lawyers with different aspirations, all of which sux balls, and lawyers rip people off at tthe same rate as landlords, car dealerships, propert management companies, cable and phone companies, banks or credit unions (atm fees alone reange in the milions a year in the US i would think) etc. in my expereience, i'm tired of people taking my hard earned money when they dont desererve it, and the only recousre is to higher a lawyer and the honest ones are few and far between it seems

[CarolinaHound]

Out of the four lawyers I've had experiances with, there was only one that had a problem with the final fee he charged me. But then I was only 18 and didn't know that I could of walked in to court and pleaded guilty to the speeding ticket and asked for a cinderella license for the extent of the revokation. The rest did a fine job for a resonable price. Especialy the last one I used. He was great.

[Smurf-Herder]

Many people feel this way and believe it to be true. The vast majority of them have no idea what they were buying. The most common lawyer ripoffs are double triple quadruple and greater billng practices.

For example, an attorney travels from Los Angeles to Sacramento on behalf of 3-4 clients. The vast majority of attorneys charge their full hourly rate for travel time. He/she bills each client for the travel time. Or an attorney has 6 clients with matters before the court at the same courthouse, which is very common. Each of the clients is billed for the travel time absent apportioning it among the clients.

The other all to common ripoff is billing as attorney time, paralegal and secretarial time.

Aside: I currently have 3 complaints before the State Bar about ripoff attorneys. Each involves abandonning the client and a failure to advocate as promised. These are difficult because the strategy a lawyer outlines to 'sell' the client is never written into the fee agreement. That is something I highly suggest anyone hiring an attorney do. Read the fee agreement and if the reason you're hiring the attorney isn't spelled out to your satisfaction, demand that the attorney do so. IF he or she won't, thank him or her for their time and continue shopping.

I am very skeptical that Smurf and his friends know enough about the practice of law to know if they have been ripped off or not. Smurf, YOU are welcome to PM me and if I can help, even by referring you, I will be glad to do so. I don't need to your name or any personal info other than the County annd state where the alleged ripoff occurred. Unfortunately I don't have the time to review the circumstances of "everyone you have ever known who claims to have been ripped off by an attorney." But I will hear yours, no charge.

If you find my counsel is of value you can make a modest donation to this site in appreciation.

Mine was years ago, double-billing on my divorce - which my first wife and I had gone around the lawyers to settle ... and not representing me in the way he led me to believe, in workman's comp case. I had to speak up for myself out of turn to win on the workman's comp case, for a temporary settlement; because he did shit on his part - the District Attorney's brother. I needed my medical records. The lawyer said I had to ask the doctor for them. The Doctor said my lawyer has to request them; and my lawyer said no, only I could request them - so I never saw the medical records - until after I settled ... showing the doctor was hiding important information. But it that was the final settlement, that my lazy lawyer told me to accept.

My neighbor went to jail for a year and lost her house, after giving her lawyer everything she had, while another lawyer told her that the lawyer she had hadn't been representing her correctly; giving specific instances - then refused to work for her, not wanting to go against another lawyer. It involved trying to prove police complicity in drug dealing; but the bar that contained the evidence mysteriously burnt down.

It's not anything that can be fixed in either case. It's just a lesson to be learned the hard way about lawyers.

[disrupter]

When they first get to Washington they are usually idealistic,
But swamped with all the trappings of power & wealth they quickly lose their way. Cynicism, overwhelming difficulties accomplishing goals, haranguing lobbyists & corruption wear down any existing ideals.

Instead of retaining their tight skeptical sensibilities they get sucked into grandiose notions & rhetoric. They lose whatever grounding humility they ever had.

Most of the Democrats & many Republicans are more incompetent [sloppy?] than crooked, but a good proportion of them rationalize it when they have gone crooked.

I think no candidate should get any campaign contributions except from registered voters in their district.

Other twisters of the campaign can have independent ads but the direct ties to candidates will be clipped, except for district voters. Perhaps a dollar cap from voters should be considered, but i leave that detail to others.

Let them know their bread is buttered by the voters alone.

[CarolinaHound]

I think no candidate should get any campaign contributions except from registered voters in their district.

Other twisters of the campaign can have independent ads but the direct ties to candidates will be clipped, except for district voters. Perhaps a dollar cap from voters should be considered, but i leave that detail to others.

Let them know their bread is buttered by the voters alone.

That I totally agree with.
But I think a major portion of them are corrupt long before they get to Washington, or in the local seats for that matter.

[LadyMod at scam.com]

LOL, well you can tell the Neocons haven't voted yet. The first option is still at zero.


:D

[Moby]

When they first get to Washington they are usually idealistic,
But swamped with all the trappings of power & wealth they quickly lose their way. Cynicism, overwhelming difficulties accomplishing goals, haranguing lobbyists & corruption wear down any existing ideals.
You could be right.

I always felt the people that wanted to make a difference stayed in their own communities where they could actually make a difference. Some want to live in Washington and work on a campaign but someone who wants the power of DC?

Why would a politician want to spend so much time away from their families and put their children under the spotlight?