Death to the Free Market, thanks Obama

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
http:///forum/post/3048622
A good start would be state legislated term limits,along with getting rid of the big fat retirement package one term congressmen receive.Let them pay or invest for their own like everyone else.
I used to like the idea of term limits, but in the last few years have changed my view on this. States need senators with experience on the fedral level. The longer a senator or house member holds the office the more "respect" they receve amonst their peers. This makes it easier for them to get legislation passed that is a primary concern for their constituents. Case in point, New Mexico has a lot of military base facilities and national laboratories that do R&D for the military and other federal entities. If our senator at the time had not had the seniority they did, many of these bases would have been closed thus greatly affecting the lives of his constituents...
Personally I don't think we need term limits but an age limit.... and they pay their own retirement like the rest of us..

 

[uneverno]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/3048513
We have to elect politicians who aren't out in self interest but to serve.
Part of the trouble with living a normal life outside the Beltway, is it's impossible for me to understand the mindset of someone who actually wants to travel in that circle.
Nobody decides they want to be a Senator, Congressperson, etc. for the stellar salary or the retirement/healthcare benefits. (Although if one compares the lifespan of the average American and a Congresscritter, we are approaching Politburo differentials.)
In many ways however, the issues aren't so much even w/ elected officials as they are with the entrenched, unelected beaurocracies at the Depts of State, Ag, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, etc. And that's not even counting lobbyists and think tanks upon whom our elected officials rely to make decisions.
Those are the people running our gov't.
That's where the housecleaning needs to start.