You know that feeling? You hit a pothole on a county road—thump—that rattles your whole car, and you just think, “Where are my tax dollars going?” Later that night, you see another pointless argument on cable news and feel a sense of frustration, a feeling that the whole system is disconnected from your daily life.
We all have that feeling. Our government—from our County Courthouse and City Hall to the Statehouse to the Capitol—often seems broken.
This isn’t a Republican or a Democrat problem. It’s a process problem. If a business kept delivering a faulty product, we’d demand a change in how it’s run. If our favorite sports team kept running the same failed plays, we’d demand a new playbook.
This document is a proposal for that new playbook. It’s a simple, common-sense game plan for fixing the basics of how our government operates. It’s not about big, flashy promises. It’s about fixing the machine of government first, so it can actually start solving real problems. It’s a proposal called The Bedrock Compact.
This feeling isn’t just about potholes. We see it in our sky-high healthcare costs, which are a direct result of a system that allows for massive administrative waste and price gouging. We see it in a tax code that feels like it was written by lobbyists for the powerful, becoming more of an extractive tool than a fair way to fund our communities. These aren’t separate issues; they are symptoms of the same core problem: a broken process run by people who are not always held accountable to us.
The Four Principles
1. Earn the Right to Lead.
The most important positions in our society should be held by people who are demonstrably fit for the job. We have basic requirements for a pilot or a surgeon; it’s time we treated public service with the same seriousness.
A Proposed “Certificate of Fitness”:
Before anyone can hold a significant public office, they must first earn a “Certificate of Fitness.” This is a job interview on behalf of the people, with standards tailored to the role.
- Professional Competence & Proven Leadership.
- Ethical Grounding: Passing an exam on the Constitution and relevant ethics laws.
- Psychological Fitness: Passing a confidential psychological evaluation.
- Financial Integrity: A realistic standard for financial transparency and preventing conflicts of interest.
Ensuring Fairness and Accessibility (ADA Safeguards):
A system designed to be fair must be accessible to all. All certification processes will be designed in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure we are testing for competence, not a narrow definition of “normalcy.” This includes providing accommodations like Extended Time, Oral Examinations, and full support for Assistive Technology. The psychological evaluation will be narrowly focused to screen only for severe pathologies inconsistent with public office, not for general neurodiversity.
A Realistic Standard for Financial Integrity:
At the Federal Level, for high-paid, full-time positions, the standard is strict: release tax returns and place all conflicting assets into a Qualified Blind Trust. At the Local & State Level, for often part-time roles, the standard is different but equally strong: Radical Transparency (releasing tax returns and business interests) combined with a Strict and Enforceable Recusal Mandate from any vote that impacts personal finances.
2. Use Facts, Not Just Politics, to Solve Problems.
Our communities have brilliant minds and great research institutions. We should be using them to find smart solutions to our toughest problems.
At the Local & State Level:
Our Mayors, County Executives, and Governors should create formal partnerships with local and state universities. These ”[Our State/Community] Policy Labs” would be non-partisan resources to give our leaders clear, data-driven reports on what actually works. Imagine if, before arguing about public health, our County Commission had a report detailing the three most effective, evidence-based strategies other communities like ours have used. That’s just smart government.
At the Federal Level:
Congress must create a new, fiercely non-partisan office, a ”National Scouting Report” unit called the Joint Office for National Strategy (JONS). This office’s only job would be to give our leaders clear, data-driven reports on national challenges, forcing debates to start with a shared set of facts.
3. Restore Institutional Integrity and the Rule of Law.
Trust is impossible when government feels like a black box, when rules seem to apply to everyone except the powerful, and when federal power is misused. This principle is about rebuilding the guardrails of our republic.
Part A: A Fair Playing Field for Elections
To ensure our government is accountable to the people, not just wealthy donors, we must pass a Fair Elections and Disclosure Act.
- Ironclad Ban on Foreign Money: Strengthens the absolute prohibition on foreign influence in U.S. elections.
- End “Dark Money”: Requires all organizations that spend money on political advertising to disclose their major donors.
- Strict, Clear Contribution Limits: Establish reasonable limits on donations from individuals and groups to prevent the appearance of corruption.
Part B: Executive Accountability
To prevent any single leader from ruling by impulse, we must restore the constitutional balance of power.
- Curbing Impulse Power: An Automatic Legislative Review Trigger will require a mandatory, up-or-down vote in Congress for any presidential emergency declaration that spends significant funds or lasts longer than 30 days.
- Ending Selective Non-Enforcement: The Implementation Integrity Act will grant Congress automatic, fast-tracked legal standing to sue the executive branch for failing to faithfully implement laws as passed.
Part C: Community Trust and the Proper Use of Federal Power
The misuse of federal agents or the military for domestic law enforcement erodes community trust and violates sacred American principles.
- The Trust Solution: End the practice of using federal immigration agents (ICE) for interior enforcement in our cities. Studies show this makes communities *less* safe. Those funds should be rerouted to local police for Cooperative Public Safety Teams to rebuild trust and focus on actual criminals.
- Reinforce the Posse Comitatus Act: Strengthen the strict prohibition against using the U.S. military for domestic policing.
4. Use All Our Talent to Win.
A smart community, just like a winning sports team, doesn’t see our differences as a threat—it sees them as an opportunity to get stronger. The most successful teams find the best talent, wherever it comes from, and put it to work.
Think about the U.S. military. It is the most powerful and diverse fighting force in the world. It pulls talent from every corner of the country, every race, and every background, uniting them under one flag with one mission. That diversity is a source of its incredible strength, not a weakness.
This is not a political idea; it’s a practical, winning strategy. People who believe in hard work, family, community, and the rule of law are on the same team. A team that uses all of its talent will always be stronger, more prosperous, and harder to beat than a team that leaves some of its best players on the sidelines.
Putting the Game Plan into Action
This isn’t a political platform to be accepted. It’s a starting point for a conversation, but a conversation is not enough. Real change requires action. This game plan is a call for citizens to start demanding a more functional and trustworthy government.
Phase 1: Start with Yourself – Educate and Share
- Know the Playbook: Understand these ideas and think about how they apply to your own community.
- Be the Spark: Start a one-on-one conversation. Talk to neighbors and family. Ask questions: “Do you ever feel like our City Council just argues instead of solving problems?”
Phase 2: Engage Your Community – Organize and Amplify
- Form a Huddle: Find a few like-minded neighbors and form a small, informal group.
- Host a ‘Common-Sense Conversation’: Use a neutral space like a public library to discuss these principles.
- Amplify the Message: Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or call in to a local talk radio show.
Phase 3: Confront the System – Question and Demand
- Ask the Hard Questions at Public Forums: Go to candidate forums and ask them about their *process*, not just their policies.
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Example Question:
“Will you pledge, right now, to a ‘Standard of Fitness’ and commit to hiring only the most qualified, vetted individuals to run our government departments, free from political patronage?” - Demand a Pledge: Create a simple, one-page pledge based on these principles. Present it to every candidate and publish the list of who signs.
This is a game plan offered as a starting point. We encourage citizens and leaders to adopt it in whole, adapt it in part, or use it as a spark to develop an even better approach for their own community. The work is up to all of us.