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"As we have seen, term limits do nothing to improve the quality of our elected representatives."
What term limits are being referred to here? Many believe this is exactly what we need to help fix the problems with our Congress, but term limits don't exist there!
Are we talking strictly about the POTUS perhaps?
Fortunately, GW was forced from office after two terms thanks to the term limit, but I don't think Bush Jr. had much chance for re-election after his second 4 years, and Obama who followed was no "hack" by any means...
"All congressional pay raises will be voted on by the people every 4 years during the general elections."
Given what I have observed the typical American knows about politics, I am very reluctant to believe we should decide such matters by way of popular vote. I always think about how difficult it would be for me to be a politician, straddled with the workings of our Congress, some 535 other elected representatives, somehow collectively brokering the government's business. By what measure do we decide what an elected representative should earn per year? Whether they vote as we wish? Whether the unemployment rate is low? GDP up? Whether they got that public funding for my neighborhood? What?
Again, we may hold our entire government in low esteem, no doubt America's favorite punching bag, but often I truly believe we need to be saved from ourselves!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chadgates
I would like to see representative's pay tied to that of the average pay rate of the people they represent.
In this way they don't get too high and mighty, they aren't tempted to become career politicians because of all the "perks", and they have a much more vested interest in getting the wages of their community up.
I might also include a "bonus program" whereby every time they actually live up to a campaign promise they are entitled to that bonus, and every time they vote the opposite way of their promises they lose that bonus. Bonuses could be paid out semi annually and a permanent tally kept of their promises and voting record.
I just reviewed all the comments/suggestions since this thread started, and the only ones that seemed like good ideas to me without much in the way of problematical or unrealistic issues were #5, 38 and 43. Only three!
Or tell me otherwise.
I don't think we should consider the legislation process easy business by any means...
"As we have seen, term limits do nothing to improve the quality of our elected representatives."
What term limits are being referred to here? Many believe this is exactly what we need to help fix the problems with our Congress, but term limits don't exist there!
Tip O'Neil said "All politics is local" You can't fix it at the top because the ones fixing it are part of the problem. Take a look at people running for congress and you see a bunch of one-trick-ponies coming out of state legislatures because they were term-limited out after only a few years where they accomplished nothing. They got there in the first place by replacing someone who was term-limited out. They only learn how to run for election, pander to voters and suck up to special interests. What goes on at the federal level is organically flawed at the local level.
Defense and security, infrastructure, disaster relief ... s#!t can the rest of big government and start paying off the debt.
Elect people to put this country back to work again and rid ourselves of political potentates with term limits and dissolve lobbyists.
A consumption tax in place of income tax...its your money do what you want to do with it.
Build a true high speed rail network coast to coast...
If we could do away with all the political rhetoric and the two parties, somehow actually have a "government of the people, by the people, for the people," what policy(s) would you make law of the land if it were up to you? I'm guessing the answers will probably prove we need to be saved from ourselves, but let's see how much the Americans who pay a visit and post here might be able to agree upon...
We need a free press to shine the light of day into the backrooms of all elected officials.
Too bad we no longer have a free press. It has been replaced by a government propaganda machine. When that happens we become irrelevant to the political class.
"Too bad we no longer have a free press. It has been replaced by a government propaganda machine"
Sometimes I think the greater propaganda at the country's expense comes from its citizens, not the government.
“The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- JFK
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