I don't like the guy, but.... TERM LIMITS!!!

[deljzc]

Ted Cruz introduces a term limit amendment to the Constitution.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ted-cruz-introduces-term-limits-amendment/article/2610799


And a friendly reminder from a facebook freind:

Want all your representatives' phone numbers conveniently on your phone? If you text your zip code to (520) 200-2223 you'll get a text back with your Senators/Reps phone numbers so you can hassle them to do the right thing. It works and takes maybe two seconds.

 

[JMM]

Term limits would be huge. I don't think the Founding Fathers intended to have career politicians set up shop for decades. I know they didn't intend Congress to establish laws 24/7. They were supposed to have regular jobs and occasionally show up to do their civic duty.

 

[scstillerfan]

Way overdue for all politicians. Next they can get rid of the lifetime full salary and benefits. You know, like they took away from my father with 37 years of military service.

 

[JMM]

And like how my employer had to remove my wife from my health insurance plan so as to avoid the "Cadillac Tax". That cost us about an extra 5K per year...

 

[fedderone]

Yeah, when all the lifetime politicians started voting themselves all these lifetime benefits, that is when the public lynchings should have started,
Our country was founded by commoners that LOATHED the fact that the King walked around like he owned the place.
It's why we left and started the country/government FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE.

Term limits on ALL public servants. Every single solitary elected office/seat.
NO lifetime benefits. Again, regardless of position. Once you leave office, your benefits are done, just like when you leave your current job after 2 - 8 years or so.
This should especially be applied to presidents/former presidents.
When you're done, the day you leave, you lose your "public" transportation AND your security team. You're just regular folk. You don't get detail, and neither do your family members.
WE started treating them like kings/queens, so that is how they started acting.
We only have ourselves to blame, but enough is enough already.

ALL salaries should be average income.
They also shouldn't be able to vote themselves raises.
And the president shouldn't have ANY salary as EVERYTHING is picked up for him at the expense of our taxes. Free lodging, free food, free rides ANYWHERE in the world.
PUBLIC SERVANT. Not public money machine.
Any president can leave office and start public speaking for millions/year ( hello, Clintons ).

I hate the Hair Piece in chief that's about to take office, but I commend him deferring his salary.
It's a start.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Only thing is with term limits is that the bureaucracy is so big that if you don't take steps to reign that in then the bureaucrats will have more power than the elected officials than Congress does, if they don't already, since they'll still be around for their career. Write your Congressman and ask them to support the REINS Act.

 

[BAS]

Yeah, when all the lifetime politicians started voting themselves all these lifetime benefits, that is when the public lynchings should have started,
Our country was founded by commoners that LOATHED the fact that the King walked around like he owned the place.
It's why we left and started the country/government FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE.

Term limits on ALL public servants. Every single solitary elected office/seat.
NO lifetime benefits. Again, regardless of position. Once you leave office, your benefits are done, just like when you leave your current job after 2 - 8 years or so.
This should especially be applied to presidents/former presidents.
When you're done, the day you leave, you lose your "public" transportation AND your security team. You're just regular folk. You don't get detail, and neither do your family members.
WE started treating them like kings/queens, so that is how they started acting.
We only have ourselves to blame, but enough is enough already.

ALL salaries should be average income.
They also shouldn't be able to vote themselves raises.
And the president shouldn't have ANY salary as EVERYTHING is picked up for him at the expense of our taxes. Free lodging, free food, free rides ANYWHERE in the world.
PUBLIC SERVANT. Not public money machine.
Any president can leave office and start public speaking for millions/year ( hello, Clintons ).

I hate the Hair Piece in chief that's about to take office, but I commend him deferring his salary.
It's a start.

I so agree with this... but then you create a problem in getting people to run for office. There has to be some benefit towards running for political office beyond 'doing a civic duty'.

 

[Coach]

There is term limit every election. It's called voting. Don't be fooled the organized people of a district will back the next person up that suits them in more cases than not.

What we really need is a rule on NO FOREIGN MONEY and rule that gives some funding to any candidate who can get 10% or more that might not have enough to campaign against the establishment

 

[21STEELERS21]

Thomas Jefferson served from 1775 to 1809, 34 years. What do you think his view on term limits was?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

What we really need is a rule on NO FOREIGN MONEY and rule that gives some funding to any candidate who can get 10% or more that might not have enough to campaign against the establishment

My understanding is that we already have a law that says no foreign money. Of course without foreign money Bill Clinton never would have been elected in the 90's so the Dems don't complain about it. (Google the Riady family, Lippo Group, Worthen Bank, John Huang, and Charlie Trie.)

Thomas Jefferson served from 1775 to 1809, 34 years. What do you think his view on term limits was?

As long as he had hot black women to have sex with, I don't think he gave it much thought.

 

[ark steel]

Only thing is with term limits is that the bureaucracy is so big that if you don't take steps to reign that in then the bureaucrats will have more power than the elected officials than Congress does, if they don't already, since they'll still be around for their career. Write your Congressman and ask them to support the REINS Act.

There is term limit every election. It's called voting. Don't be fooled the organized people of a district will back the next person up that suits them in more cases than not.

What we really need is a rule on NO FOREIGN MONEY and rule that gives some funding to any candidate who can get 10% or more that might not have enough to campaign against the establishment

ideologically, im opposed to term limits for the main reason Coach says. They are up every few years and keep getting re-elected. If we get the absolute best person in for the job, he has to go away for some arbitrary term limit and my right to continue to vote for that person is violated.

From a practical perspective, the incumbents have too much power to help reinsure re-election. Another reason for a vastly smaller government which might obviate the term limits issue.

if you have never served in public office, im not sure you realize how much work it actually is. Not that I think these bozo's are underpaid, but to take yourself out of the workforce (and live in DC away from your family for several months out of the year) to do all of that work for the average pay in your area? For a lot of the best people, that would be a pay cut. If they have family, you are telling them to not run for office, essentially.

We could build them a barracks similar to what the military folks have to deal with. Make sure it is in the lowest state of repair of any military barracks.....

 

[fedderone]

Only thing is with term limits is that the bureaucracy is so big that if you don't take steps to reign that in then the bureaucrats will have more power than the elected officials than Congress does, if they don't already, since they'll still be around for their career. Write your Congressman and ask them to support the REINS Act.

A flat tax across the board solves this corruption problem.
Lobbyists would disappear from Washington.
There would be nothing they could bribe officials for.
No loopholes, no deferments, no write-offs.
You made x, we take x% or x to run the place. Period.
No death taxes. No tax on any and everything under the sun.
One universal income tax, applied to both personal and business incomes.
Done.
No whining or crying about "fair share". A percentage doesn't acknowledge who makes what, just that you contributed what you should.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

A flat tax across the board solves this corruption problem.
Lobbyists would disappear from Washington.
There would be nothing they could bribe officials for.
No loopholes, no deferments, no write-offs.
You made x, we take x% or x to run the place. Period.
No death taxes. No tax on any and everything under the sun.
One universal income tax, applied to both personal and business incomes.
Done.
No whining or crying about "fair share". A percentage doesn't acknowledge who makes what, just that you contributed what you should.

It would help but they still have the power to regulate. That needs to be taken away from the bureaucracy that's loaded with activists and fixed to run most everything through Congress, hence the REINS Act.

http://www.freedomworks.org/content/support-reins-act-return-lawmaking-power-congress

 

[deljzc]

Even with reasonable term limits, there are avenues for QUALIFIED people to stay in Washington as an elected official.

If you follow Cruz's plan you can be a Representative for 6 years, Senator for 12 years and President for 8 years (26 years, which is damn close to old Thomas Jefferson).

I'm actually in favor of 12 years max for Representatives (bumping it up to 32 years max) but I would change the 2-year term into a 3-year term. As we have it now, 2-years just isn't long enough to do anything before you're back on the campaign trail. It's kind of stupid.

I'm not as offended or bothered by their benefit packages. It's a drop in the fiscal budget. And almost ALL come from better money before running for office and end up with better jobs (that pay more) AFTER serving (although that's a problem too when they get hired to be lobbyists).

We need something to change career Representatives and career Senators. Nothing wrong with moving up the ladder in politics, but there are those that are entrenched in this government bodies that have WAY too much power and clout and act like they own the place. Even moving a Representative to a Senator kind of changes their ability to be big man on campus anymore.

 

[deljzc]

Note, I looked at how many a 12-year term limit in both houses would effect and which party (so it's everyone elected in 2005 or earlier).

There are 30 senators currently in 3rd terms or greater, of which 21 (70%) are Republican (I think a main reason why Republicans are so disenfranchised with their senators by the way).

The house has 137 members heading into 7th terms or greater of which 76 (55%) are Democrats.

 

[Coach]

Even with reasonable term limits, there are avenues for QUALIFIED people to stay in Washington as an elected official.

If you follow Cruz's plan you can be a Representative for 6 years, Senator for 12 years and President for 8 years (26 years, which is damn close to old Thomas Jefferson).

I'm actually in favor of 12 years max for Representatives (bumping it up to 32 years max) but I would change the 2-year term into a 3-year term. As we have it now, 2-years just isn't long enough to do anything before you're back on the campaign trail. It's kind of stupid.

I'm not as offended or bothered by their benefit packages. It's a drop in the fiscal budget. And almost ALL come from better money before running for office and end up with better jobs (that pay more) AFTER serving (although that's a problem too when they get hired to be lobbyists).

We need something to change career Representatives and career Senators. Nothing wrong with moving up the ladder in politics, but there are those that are entrenched in this government bodies that have WAY too much power and clout and act like they own the place. Even moving a Representative to a Senator kind of changes their ability to be big man on campus anymore.

But you are forcing out some good people too by term limits. The way the system operates needs the most change.

 

[deljzc]

But you are forcing out some good people too by term limits. The way the system operates needs the most change.

Who do you consider so good, we can't live without?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_Senate

I personally find the blowhards that have been there the longest the most repulsive, regardless of party.

 

[Mr.Rocco]

Who do you consider so good, we can't live without?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_Senate

I personally find the blowhards that have been there the longest the most repulsive, regardless of party.

Quoted for truth