Government Reform

[SRStark20]

Why are congressmen pretty much passing away from old age while still in office? They need term limits.

I do agree with this.

I'm not old yet, so I'm not too sure how the mind works when you are up there, but I will say this:

I'm pretty sure you have a sharper view of things and are generally more intelligent when you are 45-65. When you start pushing eighty or so... I just can't see people being as sharp and making the correct decision.

[Prophet Named X]

I do agree with this.

I'm not old yet, so I'm not too sure how the mind works when you are up there, but I will say this:

I'm pretty sure you have a sharper view of things and are generally more intelligent when you are 45-65. When you start pushing eighty or so... I just can't see people being as sharp and making the correct decision.

You're under the impression they actually do any work.

Most rarely attend, or vote.

[Ignatius]

I agree that more radical reforms are necessary. Do away with the two-party system. But I think we have advanced to the point where we should move towards a more democratic form of government. These fiscal cliff discussions should be held before the public, and ultimately we should have referendums on any major tax or entitlement measure. Let the People voluntarily raise taxes, or let them voluntarily cut what entitlements they deem fit; rather than bought off politicians.

Furthermore, the system should enact parliamentary rule changes to allow for greater public debate. Let the Speaker of the House and Minority leaders debate continuously, yielding time only to members who have something substantive to offer in debate. Speeches should be reserved for days allotted for that purpose by the Speaker. The presiding officers of both Houses should be nonpartisan appointed officials selected to serve on a panel and enforce parliamentary procedures, particularly forcing members to ask questions or present arguments rather than long and drawn out speeches. We should also have filibuster reform, and require members to actually filibuster (stand there and talk indefinitely, without break) publicly in order to stop legislative action.

We also need to do away with money in politics. An amendment to the Constitution making all elections virtually entirely publicly funded, with donations and contributions limited to political primaries, drastically reducing the total amount allowed for donation, offering 3:1 government matching funds, and fixing the price of political TV/radio advertisements through the FCC (using the tax code).

We should also institute term limits in Congress and the Supreme Court. I would also say we should create a private and separate legal institute, governed by the brightest legal minds to form a meritocracy of sorts that could recommend potential Supreme Court nominees, rather than Presidents using the opportunity for political advantage. Bush and Obama's picks have all been highly partisan selections that brought no balance to the Court. We should have impartial jurists on the Court like Kennedy (even though I disagree with his worldview), not the ideologues that dominate it presently.

Deserves re-post.

[Ignatius]

I do agree with this.

I'm not old yet, so I'm not too sure how the mind works when you are up there, but I will say this:

I'm pretty sure you have a sharper view of things and are generally more intelligent when you are 45-65. When you start pushing eighty or so... I just can't see people being as sharp and making the correct decision.

If the earth is viable long enough and/or if humans can sustain anywhere else, the possibilities are really limitless. Evolution does not slow down anywhere in the universe.

My point, training the mind - adaptation - will probably allow people to continue to live longer and longer, be sharper and sharper, and think better and better as they age.

I truly believe the mind never stops growing. Yes, there are diseases and such, but this is natural selection and/or evil. Life goes on - far beyond earth.

[b00bie]

I truly believe the mind never stops growing. Yes, there are diseases and such, but this is natural selection and/or evil. Life goes on - far beyond earth.

You're making it tougher and tougher to prove that with every post.

[RealKingofCleve]

Not that confusing when you consider the GOP platform is a joke, and their policies are rooted in fear, xenophobia, homophobia, and racism. They might win more votes if they didn't castigate 53% of the American electorate, and only represent 2% of American's economic interests.

When did the Republican Party become the union-busting, Big Brother loving, in your bedroom, neoconservative, pseudo-Christian, anti-safety net, poverty hating party?

The reason I'm a Democrat? Because neither I, nor my views, are welcome in the GOP. Too small a tent...

Republicans are the big brother party... lol

[Ignatius]

You're making it tougher and tougher to prove that with every post.

My apologies.

[gourimoko]

Republicans are the big brother party... lol

They both are.. Patriot Act, NDAA, Warrantless Wiretaping, assassination of American citizens, the list goes on. My point is that the Democrats should never be trusted to reduce the size of government because their present platform is all about expanding the size and role of government - which is something I object to in most circumstances.

The Republicans, however, claim to support smaller government in both size and scope. Yet none of their policies seems to want to limit the power of government; rather, their idea of government size is related only to the dollar value of the entitlement system. The primary focus of the active conservative movement is to radically change the tax policy in this country to be less progressive. Mind you, it was the Republican Party that first championed progressive tax and entitlement reforms! Some of the most progressive proposals were, more often than not, made by conservatives looking to use government where needed.

In these last 3 Presidential cycles, (particularly the last 2) the conservative coalition has been, for all practical purposes, replaced by an 'astroturf' political movement whose sole interest is protecting the richest Americans from paying taxes. They've become a single-issue party that simply doesn't work for the American people for whom they represent.

Voting Republican usually means you're a conservative; but do the Republican representatives generally espouse conservative principles while in office?

No.

[Tlyons]

If the earth is viable long enough and/or if humans can sustain anywhere else, the possibilities are really limitless. Evolution does not slow down anywhere in the universe.

My point, training the mind - adaptation - will probably allow people to continue to live longer and longer, be sharper and sharper, and think better and better as they age.

I truly believe the mind never stops growing. Yes, there are diseases and such, but this is natural selection and/or evil. Life goes on - far beyond earth.

Well how bout getting some new minds in there who can relate more with what is currently going on in our society. Term limits.

[Tlyons]

You're under the impression they actually do any work.

Most rarely attend, or vote.

Reminds me of Fahrenheit 9/11 when Michael Moore asks a congressman why he passed legislation(PATRIOT ACT) without reading it.

The sheer magnitude of the Act itself was noted by Michael Moore in his controversial film Fahrenheit 9/11. In one of the scenes of the movie, he records Congressman Jim McDermott alleging that no Senator read the bill[205] and John Conyers, Jr. as saying, "We don't read most of the bills. Do you really know what that would entail if we read every bill that we passed?" Congressman Conyers then answers his own rhetorical question, asserting that if they did it would "slow down the legislative process"

[bcort]

Is this the government reform you're looking for?

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hjres15#

[Notorious]

Republicans are the big brother party... lol

Wrong they're both the Big Brother party. Both are increasing government and its reach into our personal lives.

[OptimusPrime]

How about forcing them to obey the Constitution? A simple reform that would end the imperial wars, end the police state, and cut the budget by 90% all in one fell swoop.

[Gunther]

Reminds me of Fahrenheit 9/11 when Michael Moore asks a congressman why he passed legislation(PATRIOT ACT) without reading it.

IMO this is one of the biggest problems. We have third party concerns writing our legislation and then buying out our politicians to shove it down our throats. Big money buys the votes of those who are supposed to be protecting the public interest, not private interests. When we can figure out a way to stop this, we will have made some progress.