Hope our politicians and all people in public life could follow this .
Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He
probably made as many, or more important
decisions regarding his nation's history as
any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him.
However, a measure of his greatness may rest on
what he did after he left the White House.
The only asset he had when he died
was the house he lived in, which was
in Independence Missouri .
His wife had inherited the house from her
mother and father and other than their
years in the White House, they lived their
entire lives there.
When he retired from office in 1952, his income was
a U.S. Army pension reported to have
been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting
that he was paying for his stamps and personally
licking them, granted him an 'allowance'
and, later, a retroactive pension of
$25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower
was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home
to Missouri by themselves. There
was no Secret Service following them.
When offered corporate
positions at large salaries, he declined,
stating, "You don't want me. You want the
office of the President, and that doesn't
belong to me. It belongs to the American
people and it's not for sale."
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was
preparing to award him the Medal of Honor
on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept
it, writing, "I don't consider that I have
done anything which should be the reason
for any award, Congressional or otherwise."
As president he paid for all of his own
travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new
level of success in cashing in on the
Presidency, resulting in untold wealth.
Today, many in Congress also have found a way
to become quite wealthy while enjoying the
fruits of their offices. Political offices
are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct
when he observed, "My choices in life were
either to be a piano player in a whore house
or a politician And to tell the truth,
there's hardly any difference!
Harry & Bess
WE WILL NEVER SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN........
Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He
probably made as many, or more important
decisions regarding his nation's history as
any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him.
However, a measure of his greatness may rest on
what he did after he left the White House.
The only asset he had when he died
was the house he lived in, which was
in Independence Missouri .
His wife had inherited the house from her
mother and father and other than their
years in the White House, they lived their
entire lives there.
When he retired from office in 1952, his income was
a U.S. Army pension reported to have
been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting
that he was paying for his stamps and personally
licking them, granted him an 'allowance'
and, later, a retroactive pension of
$25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower
was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home
to Missouri by themselves. There
was no Secret Service following them.
When offered corporate
positions at large salaries, he declined,
stating, "You don't want me. You want the
office of the President, and that doesn't
belong to me. It belongs to the American
people and it's not for sale."
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was
preparing to award him the Medal of Honor
on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept
it, writing, "I don't consider that I have
done anything which should be the reason
for any award, Congressional or otherwise."
As president he paid for all of his own
travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new
level of success in cashing in on the
Presidency, resulting in untold wealth.
Today, many in Congress also have found a way
to become quite wealthy while enjoying the
fruits of their offices. Political offices
are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct
when he observed, "My choices in life were
either to be a piano player in a whore house
or a politician And to tell the truth,
there's hardly any difference!
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