BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER FIVE-3

John Roster was a tall, angular individual with thick, untamed hair and even thicker lenses in his horn rimmed glasses. He shook the senator's hand and sat down. Chris was impressed by the way his guest managed to appear comfortable in a chair that was ill suited for his awkward physique.
Most people who met Chris Cane for the first time were impressed by his eyes, which some had described as two deep brown wells of knowledge. Roster, however, seemed not to notice this, or any other, of his host's features.
"Well, what can I do for you today? Is it all right if I call you John?"
Roster nodded with little enthusiasm.
"Senator," he began in a halting voice that made each word sound as though it would be his last.
"With all due respect, do you think you're accomplishing anything here?"
Chris was somewhat taken aback. He understood that criticism came with the job, yet to have a
stranger attack him so bluntly was unexpected. Roger stifled a laugh as he observed the senator's reaction. "Certainly. I've been involved with legislation that will provide thousands of jobs, and also result
in a major improvement in the Illinois infrastructure."
"I didn't mean that as a personal attack, senator. I just meant that congress, as a governing body,
is inefficient. The current form of government encourages endless debates that accomplish nothing. I'm sure you've become aware of that in the six months you've been here."
"I've been frustrated at times, yes. Democracy is the worst system of government, until you consider the alternatives. Winston Churchill said that."
"But he'd never seen the Roster Plan," the visitor said, with no change in his blank expression. "And what might that be?"
"I believe that having hundreds of representatives, and a hundred senators, allows the members of
congress to hide from their responsibilities. Oh, there are some who are well known, like I'm sure you'd like to be."
Roger again hid a smile.

"Their actions are fairly well scrutinized," Roster continued. "But, for the most part, the people don't even know who their own representatives in Washington are. And I'm sure the relatively small numbers of people who do know their names don't keep track of their voting records. The electorate only becomes aware of what they've done at election time, though even then the people only hear about their votes on a few major issues. Congress is not being held accountable."
"And this Roster Plan will correct that?"
"I propose breaking the United States into seven self-sufficient territories, so that economic problems in one won't create difficulties in another. A senator will be elected to govern each territory for a six-year term, and they'll form a committee to deal with international affairs. The people in each territory will live in one of several large cities. That aspect of the plan seems to be happening as we speak, since America's population is currently gravitating toward the big cities. You've heard about the doughnut hole, haven't you?"
"It sounds familiar."
"With the small farm becoming a thing of the past, and manufacturing all but gone, the young people in the rural areas are flocking to urban centers. And that's a good thing. Cities are far more energy efficient than suburbs or rural communities. Most of the people there live in small apartments instead of large homes and use mass transit instead of private automobiles. All the jobs in the service sector can be done in the city. That means their employees aren't traveling as far to work, which saves energy and helps the environment. The food consumed by the people in each city will be grown nearby. When you think about it, even citrus fruits can be grown anywhere, given our technological ability. Manufactured items will also be produced in the territory, just outside the cities. The energy that is used now to ship food and other items from hundreds, perhaps even thousands of miles away will be conserved. That would benefit the country immensely. We have to start using less energy instead of always trying to produce more."
Chris shot a where did you find this guy glance at Roger before responding.
"I certainly see the benefit in terms of saving energy," the senator told him. "But I doubt that the citizens of this country would tolerate such a restriction on the goods and services available to them.

There are things produced in California that can't be produced in New York, no matter how sophisticated the technology is."
"If the people don't change," Roster countered, "then we are truly doomed, and no reform will accomplish anything. But I believe that the American people will be willing to do without, if things get bad enough."
"There is also the matter of restructuring the government. The founding fathers came up with a system that has withstood the test of time. You won't find many who'll be agreeable to changing it."
"But it's not working. The polarized positions of those in the government make it impossible to have a constructive debate. And the political deals that are made in order to get legislation passed result in the real cost of government programs being three times as high as they should be. This system produces politicians. The nation needs leaders."
"Under your system, the people will get to vote for their dictator," the senator said. "That doesn't sound quite right to me."
"Instead of lawmakers, there will be a lawmaker. One person with the authority to determine the fate of millions of people will have the incentive to act like a true leader, instead of just another member of the herd. Think of what a senator with even more authority than the president could accomplish."
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Roster ignored the remark. "My plan calls for some common sense approaches to the other problems that plague this country. For instance, we all know that the rising cost of health care is going to destroy not only the people's well being, but also bankrupt this country. Under the Roster Plan, there will be programs that encourage the people to have a sensible diet. And since the food is produced nearby, there won't be any need for unhealthy preservatives. Also, people who live in cities tend to do more walking. People who eat right and exercise spend less time at the doctor's office. A single individual could rally the people of his or her territory around that truism."