[michigan83]

New Hampshire has a part time legislature, they are paid $100 per year. It is also appx. the 3rd largest legislative body in the world. Many many reps, 35 senators I believe. For a population of about 1.3 million.

One of the biggest problems in the US-America today IMHO is the career legislators.
While longer service helps them gain knowledge and develop expertise, they also gain corruption and develop very bad habits, like working for people other than their employers, the US/state taxpaying citizen.

Look at California's Assembly. They make (notice I didn't say "earn") as much as if not more than US members of congress. The idiot California voter keeps returning the same old free money/I'll buy your vote mindset bunch of lunatics to office, then they wonder why their state is at the top of the FUBAR list every year.

Unfortunately it would be largely up to the legislature to reform itself.
UNLESS some worthy citizens come up with a workable plan that limits pay, limits bennies, limits pensions to a miniscule amount, and develops a strong and honest citizen oversight board to root out, reveal, prosecute, and imprison the corrupt who "serve" the people.

Thank you. That was my basic point. Legislating should not be an attractive, full-time career. That's the root of the problem.

[tecpatl]

I think that cookbook appeared on an episode of Twilight Zone

[jfre81]

Wouldn't raising taxes just intensify the exodus out of Michigan? Addition by subtraction.

[malamute]

Well NBC News has declared that the recession is over and look at auto sales with the cash for clunkers program, it's sent auto sales through the roof.

[alliteration]

Originally Posted by malamute

Well NBC News has declared that the recession is over and look at auto sales with the cash for clunkers program, it's sent auto sales through the roof.

Yeah, too bad it didn't do anything for the people who actually needed a new car.

[djacques]

Originally Posted by michigan83

No one is going to do something for the good of the state if it's unpopular. That is what a one-term limit would solve. What if it's a six-year term? They won't be inexperienced for the whole duration, will they? No. It wouldn't be a whole lot different than it is now.

This is exactly right. One piece of the puzzle that doesn't get talked about nearly enough is crime policy. Our corrections budget is incredibly bloated thanks to "tough on crime" policies that are popular with the easily frightened public but which don't make much sense...non-violent offenders ought to be released on tether, not incarcerated. It's common sense, but when people are afraid of some right-wing douchebag, Dirty Harry wannabe claiming they are soft on crime, common sense becomes pretty uncommon.

[Sparrow_temp]

Ideally all laws would expire in 2 years and require our legislature to act in order to prevent them from going off the books. I think we have too many stupid laws and this would be one way to get rid of a few and it would keep the legislature busy so they could do less harm. But since I can't have that -- I'd prefer term limits so our elected officials have less time to become corrupt and learn the system well enough to create law unless it's really needed.

I'm a big fan of gridlock or anything else to prevent these lawyers from making the system more complex, creating new programs, and taking more money from one segment of the population to give it to another. As you can tell, I have little love for the political class. Throw them all out at the end of their terms. I'd be surprised if you could find one even after a single term that wasn't somewhat arrogant or corrupt.

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by djacques

This is exactly right. One piece of the puzzle that doesn't get talked about nearly enough is crime policy. Our corrections budget is incredibly bloated thanks to "tough on crime" policies that are popular with the easily frightened public but which don't make much sense...non-violent offenders ought to be released on tether, not incarcerated. It's common sense, but when people are afraid of some right-wing douchebag, Dirty Harry wannabe claiming they are soft on crime, common sense becomes pretty uncommon.

And cops, corrections officers, et al, are there to lobby for tough sentencing and incarceration for...public safety? Or more jobs for cops and corrections officers...?
This is also a huge reason why a non-issue like pot legalization and drug use decriminalization are fought tooth and nail by the same people. They can easily masquerade as "experts on crime" when very often they're also experts on keeping jobs for all their buddies.
Why non-violent offenders are sent away for long periods of time is a mystery to me...hugely expensive, not only to build the prisons but to staff and operate them. Michigan is finally getting around to realizing how stupid this is,and will be cutting back a lot. It's about time.
Even up in tiny Leelanau County there is a huge jail that's operating at less than 60% capacity, costing the local taxpayers who were suckered into building it a fortune.
There are always consultants who will be happy to say that huge new jails are needed...then be there to bid on design and construction contracts.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by tecpatl

I think that cookbook appeared on an episode of Twilight Zone

Great episode. Great idea.

True story?

[mp9bell]

Nope! No one person can bring the state back. She has completely dismantled the state industry. I new it was going to happen when she said, we have to get away from manufacturing jobs and move toward medical and tourism. Did she forget that Michigan was the pioneer for industry? She has her nose so far up Mr. O's ***, she can't see the problems in our state. Blame it on the former Rebublicans and maybe it will go away. Somehow the trillions of money being spent on the insurancecare bills will get blamed on the republicans too. Even when they are the ones that are not supporting it. Their ideas of insurance accross state lines, tort reform etc. have fallen on deaf ears. So keep on bribing the Dems for their support and they will vote for whatever you want them to. Just like President Reagan cleaned up the President Carter mess, there will be one that rises from the right to clean up this mess too. Of course Ms. Grandholm would support these socialistic programs. It is all she has known from birth in her country.