After all the reading and listening and watching – when I get the chance, I’ve begun mulling some questions around in my mind – don’t have any answers, would be interested in hearing from anyone who does. But here are a few.
1.Why not limit Congress from serving more than two terms? That’s all that a president gets. Go in, do your best for two terms and then out.
2.Why not stop Congress from voting for their own pay raises? And how and why did that get started anyway?
3.Why not stop paying for law-makers high-priced insurance premiums? You know they just might pass some changes in the law on the insurance companies, if they had to find one for themselves.
4.Why not make Congress pay into the Social Security System. They make the laws for it, so maybe if they spent some of their own money, they might have a little more incentive in making it solvent.
5.Why not stop companies from paying CEOs and other executives’ outrageous salaries and bonuses while doing away with workers pensions?
6.Why not stop all this unnecessary spending so we will have the money not only for the countries security, but to help the needy and elderly Americans? I’m really big on that one! Improve our schools, our highways, our bridges and levees, our infrastructure in general?
7.Wouldn’t it seem likely that changes like these would put people in Congress who sincerely wanted to improve the country – not just for themselves and their buddies, but for everyone? It seems that the longer men and women stay in the Congress, the better they get at bending the rules and somehow that always seems to end up benefiting them more than the country.
But the sad thing is, only members of Congress can do this, after all they’re the lawmakers, but somehow I’m just not real sure that the Congress is really that interested in changing much of anything.
Sylvia's world in thoughts and pictures
I miss you Sam!!
I miss you Sam!!
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What Can I Say?
I'm interested in almost everything. Use to like to travel, but it's too expensive now. I take Tai Chi classes, swim, volunteer in a Jump-start program for pre-schoolers. I'm an avid reader and like nearly everyone these days I follow politics avidly. I'm a former teacher and Special Projects Coordinator for a Telecommunications company, Assistant to the President of a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturing company. Am now enjoying retirement -- most of the time. I have two daughters, one son-in-law and two sons scattered all over the country. No grandchildren.
10 comments:
These are the best questions ever, and I think this post should be sent to Change.gov. I also think, if things don't improve, the American public is going to take to the streets with pitchforks and torches. Maybe that's the only way anything is going to be accomplished.
I agree. I think limiting terms for congress would solve a lot of problems.
They have gone through most of these questions and had them beaten back. The problem with limiting terms is then the lobbyists, who would be the only ones still there long term, would have even more power. Americans could limit terms but they get convinced they can get more pork (that thing they say they hate for anybody but their state). If Congress didn't get high pensions and insurance benefits, it'd be better for the rest of us but they won't give that up. They would say it was what is needed to get quality people. To me it looks like without a wholesale overturn of who is in Congress (happening again and again) Americans can't change it. Limiting lobbyists will run up against flak from the teacher groups and unions as they also want to lobby. It's a mess and they are all complicit in it-- both parties.
What I wonder is whether we are heading for a full scale time of violence and less effective government to deal with it. I hope not but states and local governments are in trouble financially also. That often leads to corruption. I wish I felt more positive.
Yae, Sylvia! I wish you'd run for office!
I have asked these same questions, and there are no simple answers. I do think we may be headed for a time of pitchfork and torches. That would be okay with me. I highly recommend watching this Bill Moyers video, an interview with Simon Johnson. It helps put some of the financial problems our country is facing into perspective.
You got my vote!!!
Sylvia . . . You are right on target - but there is a problem. There is no mechanism in our government to encourage many of the things you are suggesting. The sad fact is that our federal government would probably have to fail in order to spark the populace into these dramatic changes. I firmly believe that there are many very sincere and honest politicians that would agree with several of your ideas - but they know that do take action on them would mean their demise as a politician.
Your basic: "Why not" question is therefore answered with "Whose gonna do it?"
Dixon
I'm with Bobbie and think these questions need to be shared in a variety of forums. Limiting terms make sense to me ... and I'll never understand why their health coverage continues even after they leave office when the public doesn't have that benefit when we change jobs. There are so many things that seem off limits for discussion and perhaps one good thing that may come out of this MESS is that more folks will engage in real examination of how things work and seek changes.
Hugs and blessings,
The best way to solve these problems is at the ballot box. Don't re-elect them. The trouble with that is the public like THEIR Congressman, just not the other guys. It's discouraging.
I do think it makes sense to extend the term of Congressmen to four years instead of two. Then they would not constantly be running for election and fundraising.
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