Go outside and take a whiff. Do you smell it? Yes, election time is in the air! Parties are unveiling their candidates, flip- flopping on decisions. We see them calling press conferences for the slightest announcement, which only 12 months ago would have warranted a simple small press release. They are holding public meetings and all in the attempt to fool the populous that they actually care. Well not Harriet’s bye, you ain’t foolin' dis bye no more.Now, before you go jumping up and down and calling me all sorts of names, as some of you like to do, let me make it clear I hold no allegiance to any party. I think most of them deserve a good kick up the rear-end. All parties have been guilty of thinking that the voters are brainless when it comes to running a country. It’s this ego thing that they seem to develop after the bittersweet taste of politics. I call it the “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Theory” once they drink from the trophy of politics; they turn into something that not even their own mother would recognise.I would also like to add that there are a few great politicians on both sides of the house that really do care and do try to make a difference and effect positive change, but I can count them on one hand ... sadly.What amazes me most of all is that the first thing they seem to forget is who voted them into power in the first place and who they should be answering to, not to mention whose money they are spending. Again, let me reiterate that all political parties have been guilty of this in the past. I'm beginning to think they can't help themselves. I was once told, ”Giving money and power to Government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys".Remarks like, "No, we are not going to tell you how much it costs" or "We will decide if we release the report or not". This is the sort of thing that really gets under my skin. I mean, how arrogant is that? Now, if it's not a matter of national security, and the only reason they're not saying is because it's going to make them look bad, well, then I say stick it in ya ear bye! You're telling us, and you better have some damn good answers and if we don’t like what we hear, then take a hike! We will find someone else to do the job.So why do politicians treat us like step children? Because we let them. We make it easy for them; we don't hold them accountable for their decisions or actions. We make it easy for them to think that we are unable to grasp or care about what they do on the top of that hill. In other words, we will just go along with the flow. You know, if people behaved like Governments do, you'd call the cops!Now, with the next election looming on the horizon, I think it’s time that we the people, make it perfectly clear to whoever we elect into power (again, I don’t mind who it is as long as they are honest and can do a better job) that we aren't some blind, clueless mice that will be lead around and dictated to about what they think we should know and what they think is best for us. They need to be reminded that they work for us because from now on they're gonna be held accountable for their actions.With a little bit of tweaking I think we could refer to a well-known quote that I used in last week's column. I think we should put it on very large poster boards and stick them all around the grounds outside the House of Assembly and Cabinet Office, and it should read "We brought you into power, and we can take you out“!Have you got a gripe? What do you think about the issue in this column? E-mail grumpyoldman@royalgazette.bm