Representing the Great State of Exxon...

I'm sure people have made this suggestion jokingly before, but I'm beginning to think that we would be better off if corporations were given their own Congressmen. The idea would be to allow corporations to just purchase a Congressman of their choice, for oh, maybe $10 million, or whatever the market would bear. The money raised through sale of Congressional seats would be used to provide public campaign financing for the remaining seats. Corporations would then be banned from contributing any money to the campaign of any candidate.

Personally, I think that this would be an improvement for honest government. Corporations currently spend approximately $200 billion a year on Congressional campaigns. Under my plan, that amount of money will buy them 10 Congressmen. These Congressmen would openly be advocates for their corporate sponsors.

Of course, corporations would balk at this change, because it would greatly decrease their influence in Congress.