Senator Begich's vote on executive amnesty (how much, costs, legally)

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Who said anything about dissolving government? Government is inherently corrupt. It always has been, and it always will be, and there is nothing that can be done to change that.

The founding fathers wrote the US Constitution with the idea that at least the federal government should be limited in its power, and that the bulk of the power should reside with the States and/or the people. However, Lincoln changed all that with the Civil War and Congress has compounded the problem by removing the limitations the US Constitution placed on the federal government and usurping powers that are exclusively the province of the States.

Which is why the aphorism "that government is best which governs least" is the goal of most conservatives.

"Government is a necessary evil." Although I do not like using that phrase because it has religious connotations. I am not an anarchist by any means. Government is essential, it just should never ever be trusted with even the simplest tasks, and should be kept as small as possible.

Just making sure I understand where you are coming from... Sounded like you were upset about the way our government is run in total. Are you a Tea party person? That party tends to believe in the government that governs the least is most effective down to cutting basic services. I don't know if that is the case here or not. Seems like here in AK "services" are already stretched pretty thin.

And your last post about, "Go out and vote" I also agree with. The way our system is setup, popular vote rules the day and you pick the person that believes in the same things you do as close as possible. For me, it used to be there was hardly a "bad" candidate and nowadays (or at leas the past 15 years) it has been which candidate do I hate the least, with a rare exception. And I have been disappointed with that exception a few times as well.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by JoDan

Term limits might help.

So the US government can be filled with the same upstanding politicians that California is

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014.../lyee-a04.html (3 California State Senators were suspended from the Senate this year for unrelated crimes)


(California has term limits)


Edit: Among the 3, Senator Yee takes the prize. He ran on a platform of very strict gun control. This is what he's charged with:

"Yee discussed helping the agent get weapons worth $500,000 to $2.5 million, including shoulder-fired missiles, and explained the entire process of acquiring them from a Muslim separatist group in the Philippines and bringing them to the US. "

Though to be fair to the Senator, I suppose shoulder-fired missiles aren't technically guns...

[RayinAK]

Well, I don't now about our Government in general, but there are some deadweights in the EPA that should be fired, and new blood hired. The specific area I am referring to deals with "gasoline can safety," and those of us who have no choice but to use the EPA-approved new gasoline and diesel fuel cans understand what I am referring to.

[Dakster]

Ray - The EPA gets an EPIC FAIL with 'L' to the forehead for that design... I don't think they could make one that doesn't make me spill more fuel if they tried.

I am keeping my old jugs as long as I can... And there are ways to make them better, even though it probably isn't technically legal to do so.

[Metlakatla]

Term limits are unconstitutional imo. We (should) have a right to vote for the candidates of our choice no matter how long they've been in office. The incumbent is often the better choice.

[Dakster]

Met - more of a devil you know is better than the one you don't?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Met - more of a devil you know is better than the one you don't?

No, it's more of I don't want limits placed on who I do or don't vote for. The thought behind term limits may be well-intentioned -- or not -- but to me it's just more nanny bs.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Term limits are unconstitutional imo. We (should) have a right to vote for the candidates of our choice no matter how long they've been in office. The incumbent is often the better choice.

Obviously when referring to congressional term limits it implies that there is an amendment to the US Constitution already ratified by the States. It would only be unconstitutional if States enacted laws, and not an amendment, that limits congressional terms. There are several proposed amendments limiting congressional terms currently pending in Congress as we speak, but do not hold your breath on getting any passed with the required two-thirds majority.

I agree that everyone eligible should be able to vote for whomever they want, as many times (in subsequent elections obviously) as they want. I am not a supporter of term limits, at any level. I consider it a voter cop-out, shirking one's civic duty in favor of apathy.

[JoDan]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Well, I don't now about our Government in general, but there are some deadweights in the EPA that should be fired, and new blood hired. The specific area I am referring to deals with "gasoline can safety," and those of us who have no choice but to use the EPA-approved new gasoline and diesel fuel cans understand what I am referring to.

I was fussing about that very thing yesterday when I was filling my lawnmower.

[JoDan]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Obviously when referring to congressional term limits it implies that there is an amendment to the US Constitution already ratified by the States. It would only be unconstitutional if States enacted laws, and not an amendment, that limits congressional terms. There are several proposed amendments limiting congressional terms currently pending in Congress as we speak, but do not hold your breath on getting any passed with the required two-thirds majority.

I agree that everyone eligible should be able to vote for whomever they want, as many times (in subsequent elections obviously) as they want. I am not a supporter of term limits, at any level. I consider it a voter cop-out, shirking one's civic duty in favor of apathy.

Wow...now this old gun hoarding, pistol packing veteran of 26 years who has voted in every local, state and national election since he's 18 is now placed in the category of "voter cop-out, shirking one's civic duty in favor of apathy."

(I will say since I was in Kuwait for a year in 2000, not sure if my absentee ballot got counted.)