mandate financial independence, in fact and appearance, of members of government from the legislation in which they vote

Elected officials have been compromised by private interest groups and have brought the legislative process to a complete gridlock. The debt crisis, annual budget and taxation would not be a tremendous problem if elected officials were passing legislation from an unbiased view. President Obama briefly mentioned during his 2012 State of the Union address that he did not understand how elected officials could vote on bills that directly affect their financial interest and remain unbiased. He said he would take action to stop this. In 2008 President Obama promised us change. Right now that is all we are left with; change jingling in our pockets. Signing this petition is the first step toward a government that does not ignore its fiscal responsibilities to the citizens it exists to serve.