What would you do if you were a Congressperson? (Putin, Congressmen, Mexican)

[jtur88]

If you were elected to Congress, what would be your basic philosophy about how to do your job?

I have often thought about one aspect of this in particular. I would automatically vote NO on every single bill that came up that met either of these two criteria:

1. If there was anything attached to the bill that did not relate directly to the subject of the bill, or

2. If the bill was so long and complicated that I (or my staffer) could not read it and understand it in 10 minutes.

I would publicly state this, repeatedly, as my explanation to my constituents as to why I voted NO on the bill.

I would also have a bouncer at the door of my office, to make sure no lobbyists got in.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

There are two schools of thought.

The first is that elected officials feel there job is to carry out the will of the people who elected them (conservative, moderate or liberal) along with the associated special interest groups and they vote accordingly. The issues themselves are of no concern. This is the majority of elected officials.

The second group of elected officials feel they were elected because of who they are and what they stand for and they are free to exercise their personal judgment with respect to issues.

Each has it’s good aspects and not so good aspects.

Now, with respect to you specific post, let me answer them one by one…

First, I agree 110% about riders to bills. Get rid of them.

Second, nice thought, but as a practical matter this is not possible. That said, it’s always best to make laws as plain as possible.

Third, lobbyists may be like snarky used car salesmen, but they do serve a purpose. People in congress simply cannot be expected to knowledgeable in every area. If nothing else, lobbyists at least present their side of an issue and to give information. I am sure people who listen to them understand they’re getting one side of the coin and other lobbyists give other sides. That said, I’d like to see lobbyists have less influences with members of congress.

[Tin Knocker]

I like your 2 but would add another. #3 I automatically vote no if anything I see can be remotely construed to conflict with the constitution.

I agree with BP too that lobbyists are needed. They can get out of control because people like to be led rather than lead & unchecked they develop a life of their own. But kept in check they serve a vital purpose. More effective I think would to abolish campaigning as we now know it. No campaign financing or donations at all. If your really doing your job folks will know & you wont need millions to get the word out.

[hoffdano]

I would try to do whatever I could to minimize the damage to the USA Nancy Pelosi causes.

[desertsun41]

If I was a Congressperson I doubt I would have any power to do what needs to be done.

But if I did I would like to make America great and strong again by:

Cutting off all free money/aid to countries who hate us. Keep our money in house. We have our own hungry and homeless and it should not be that way. Take care of our own first.

Abolish the 2 party system. It dont work, it never has and never will. Either you are with us or you are not.

Never again will politicos get to vote for their own raises. We the peons will do that. In fact we will vote for more and more issues that affect us all.

One 4 year term per person. Serving this country was never meant to be a career job. A career in politics leaves too much temtation for corruption. Too much free money up for grabs. Bunch of theives.

No more political correctness crap. If you legally come to America you will not try and change our customs that we enjoyed for 300 years. For example if you dont like Christmas then dont celebrate it.

Start giving back many of the freedoms we Americans have lost in recent times. Weaken the powers of the pigs and politicos who rule us peons with an iron fist.

I would put a business man in charge rather then a politician since they all have their own agenda. This country must be run like a business. Right now it's all a game to these political clowns. May they all rot in hell.

These are just for starters.

But since no really smart people will ever become the head honcho but rather just the most wealthiest will buy the spot, I see this country as doomed under the current rule.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

I

Cutting off all free money/aid to countries who hate us. . . . if you dont like Christmas then dont celebrate it.

You mean "Cutting off all help for poor people in countries whose dictator hates us". That's a good start. Then, the people will hate us, tool.

But celebrating 4th of July will still be mandatory, right?

Let me rephrase my question:

"What would YOU do if. . .? Congressmen don't get to do those things you described. They get to vote on bills that would do such things. Or introduce such bills, which, I will guarantee you, would just be laughed at.

The only way you would be able to do things like that would be if you got to be dictator. Spoiler alert---You ain't gonna be.

[texdav]

Get teh governamnt to require a balnced but get and niot worry about raising money to get reelected which is what they do with 90% of their time.I be a one term congressman no doubt with the entitlement society we live in.

[ESFP]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

Never again will politicos get to vote for their own raises...

Well, that eliminates my first thought. I would like to change our ridiculous law of nationality, whereas anyone born in the U.S.A. is automatically a U.S. citizen. If I were born in Mexico, I would still be the same nationality as my parents, American. Why, then, are foreigners (from any country) allowed to visit the U.S., give birth, then remain here forever because their child is a U.S. citizen. Who came up with that gem? A minor, under the age of 18, should be the same nationality as the parent. After that, they can apply for legal change if they want.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by ESFP

If I were born in Mexico, I would still be the same nationality as my parents, American. .

Any person born in Mexico acquires Mexican citizenship at birth regardless of nationality of parents. Generally, that same law applies in every Western Hemisphere country except Colombia.

A child born of foreign parents in Mexico can have dual citizenship. A child born in the US of Mexican parents can have Mexican citizenship.

The US is more restrictive than Mexico. The law is the same in both countries, except that the US denies the right to dual citizenship.

[golfgod]

desertsun (who's always an ineresting poster) makes some points that sound "sound" on the surface, but;

Cutting off all free money/aid to countries who hate us. Take care of our own first.

Most (sorry I don't have the exact stats) foreign aid is not in the form of "cash", rather it is in the form of; military aid (airplanes, trucks, tanks), military training (private contractors-Blackwater), food (wheat, packaged foods etc) and other things that create jobs here.

Abolish the 2 party system.

So much for that funny Constitutional bit about "right to freely assemble and associate".

Never again will politicos get to vote for their own raises. We the peons will do that. In fact we will vote for more and more issues that affect us all.

A quick reading of posts on here shows that even supposedly "politically motivated" voters don't understand most issues, even superficially.

One 4 year term per person.

So, everyone is automatically a lame duck. This was part of the Republicans "contract with America" in the '90s, and the very first thing they reneged on. We already have term limits, but it requires you to get off your butt and limit them. In other words, if you have an incompetent or corrupt rep, get rid of them.

No more political correctness crap. If you legally come to America you will not try and change our customs that we enjoyed for 300 years. For example if you dont like Christmas then dont celebrate it.

I don't even know what you mean by this, other than that you sound like you've spent too much time listening to O'Reilly's fake "war on Christmas". No one is disputing anyone else's right to celebrate their religious holidays, just don't ask me to use my city taxes to celebrate your religion!

Start giving back many of the freedoms we Americans have lost in recent times. Weaken the powers of the pigs and politicos who rule us peons with an iron fist.

Sorry, if you're going to write an empty statement like this I'm going to have to ask what "freedom" you have lost.

I would put a business man in charge

Sorry, this is a really bad idea. Governments exist to "protect and provide for the citizens". Particularly those things and services that individuals cannot provide for themselves. Businesses exist to make a profit for their owners. Those are two completely divergent goals.

Would I like to see all levels of government try to maximize their owners' (taxpayers) return on investment (taxes paid)? Absolutely. The problems come up when business people in politics (Bush and Cheney are two good/bad examples) work for the interests of their (hidden) stockholders at the expense of their citizens. Unless you are a significant stockholder in Exxon, KBR and Blackwater (note-I am an owner in the first two, but not "significant") you are probably not very happy about the last 8 years of "businessmen" in charge.

But since no really smart people will ever become the head honcho

I think this statement is completely bogus. Just this century we've had some really smart Presidents (Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and some pretty average ones. The smart ones were more able to move the country forward, except for Hoover who was probably the smartest.

but rather just the most wealthiest will buy the spot,

Rich Santorum and Mitt Romney as the most egregious examples, although I'll admit that Mitt is pretty bright while Santorum is possibly dumber than Bush was.

I see this country as doomed under the current rule.

Yet we heard not a peep out of you as Bush and his cronies ran the country down.

golfgod