Run for Public Office. If you are fed up with the political system, it's time to get involved. A growing number of our state and federal government representatives are "professional politicians" -- people whose careers managed to bypass the private sector entirely. Not only do they not "get" business, they look at it as a "necessary evil" -- an activity whose primary purpose is to create jobs and tax revenue (not necessarily in that order) that needs to be regulated heavily in order to protect the public. They look upon businesspeople as incompetent if they fail, corrupt if they succeed and would agree with the 19th century French novelist Honore de Balzac that "behind every great fortune lies a great crime." The bottom line: We need more entrepreneurs and self-employed people in government. Make this year the year you decide to run for local, state or federal office. Even if you don't win, you will send strong messages that government needs to be more responsive to the business community, that successful businesspeople are indeed good citizens and that free enterprise is essential to a democratic society (to say nothing of the free publicity your campaign will generate). As they said back in the 1960s, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Cliff Ennico (crennico@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com.
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