Term Limits NOT The Right Answer?

@Maggiepie (7816)
United States
February 6, 2011 4:47am CST
I believed in them until 5 minutes ago, when I read The DeWeese Report's comments about the outcome of such. Tom DeWeese is a savvy, erudite Conservative who's been looking out for our freedom & uncovering corruption for many decades. I trust him & his facts & ideas, because he's earned my trust, by proving everything he says. Therefore I sat up straight when he wrote that he was not a fan of term limits because he's seen too many good people cut short before they rose high enough to really make a difference. Well, fair enough, I thought, but at least it does remove crooks from office. Then I read further. As he put it, "In fact, just removing the massive pensions & the other perks mentioned might also help solve the term limits question. Thieves don’t hang around when there are no goodies to plunder." (Emphasis mine) He's right! How does cutting off good people help squelch the bad ones who push things through swiftly (think B.O.)? It doesn't! Another question, how can we best utilize the good ones? The sole exception to this tack working--& I believe it's a minor reason, since most politicians do seem "in it for the money"--is the ideologue who actually isn't in it for the money. And we still have laws of impeachment.... I think it's worth trying, especially since term limits haven't really worked to remove corrupt pols (think Ted Kennedy), but also, if some corrupt president, for example, decides to declare martial law just to remain in office, he or she could easily do so. So let's just demand they live under the same laws they force on us, cut their over-swollen salaries, & make perks illegal! No more fancy military planes for Pelosi, for example. Let her fly coach! Anyone else here think this is a good idea? And if not, please tell me specifically why not? I'm just trying to learn what will work. Thanks for your input. Maggiepie “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
3 people like this
9 responses
@EvanHunter (4026)
• United States
7 Feb 11
The problem I see is that many who are in office right now have been there for decades and have no idea what their home state look like at all. I used to think term limits would be a great thing but now I have to wonder with the recent supreme court decision that allows corporations to donate as much money as they want to whoever their guy is I think we would probably be screwed but the sad fact is the way things are going I think we have official moved into a caste system with the rich buying elections and the poor just picking the lesser of the two evils. I really don't feel things are going to get better either way we go and eventually those who are in office that have done a good job are going to either get too old to run again or bought off or replaced by someone who has more money to spend on their campaign. Depending upon politicians to uncover corruption is like asking a burglar to guard your family treasure.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Feb 11
feel free to take my late night ramblings and use them at your leisure...lol
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
8 Feb 11
Ooo, goody! Thank you! Now in swipe mode...heh, heh... Maggiepie “The penalty good men pay for not being interested in politics, is to be governed by men worse than themselves.” ~ Plato, 350 B.C.
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
The Supreme Court is teetering on the edge, too, these days. One more far Left justice would be ruinous for everyone. As for how much money being bought, were we to make it illegal for unions to use their workers' forced dues to fund candidates they don't support, it would help even the playing field. This is especially important given that it's said by D.C. insiders that B.O. will spend approximately a billion dollars--that's billion with a B, dollars, in 2012. May I puh-leeeze swipe your last quote for my signature quote stable? It's a beaut! Maggiepie "Flush twice; It's a long way to Washington." Source unknown
@laglen (19759)
• United States
7 Feb 11
Maggie, your argument does make a lot of sense. I also agree that term limits arent the answer, the answer is the perks and pay and corruption need to go!
1 person likes this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
7 Feb 11
I will look him up, thank you for the hint!
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
Thanks, but really, it was Tom DeWeese's idea! I highly recommend people check him out. He's extremely informative. I've been getting his newsletter, The DeWeese Report, for decades! He's a very original thinker. Maggiepie “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
Oh, you're gonna love him! Read especially what he teaches about the "Sustainable Development" plans for the U.S., from the oh-so-fair-&-benevolent U.N.! Maggiepie "Flush twice; It's a long way to Washington." Source unknown
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
6 Feb 11
your right I beleive they shouldnt get pay after out of office go back to work like the rest of us. also no perks or anythng yup they should live by the laws we live by!
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
Isn't it amazing how UNcommon "common sense" is, though? I knew you'd agree with me! By the way, once again, MyLot didn't inform me that you'd posted this, although they did tell me about the rest. But that's another thread. I just want you & others to understand that, if they don't hear from me, it's most likely because MyLot let us down! Maggiepie “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
7 Feb 11
ya I have seen the same on mine where someone ha d responded but I didnt get the notice. some of them were responds to responds I found them going back in and just happened to see responces to responces but none back for me and I always do respond back when I I get a notified
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Feb 11
The problem is, the only way to cut the benefits and pay is to get Congress to agree to it. The same people with the royalty mentality. The same ones who do all they can to protect those corrupt benefits and pay packages. So, without term limits, how would you suggest we get the blowhards to vote themselves cuts in pay and less benefits?
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Feb 11
I'm not throwing up my hands, I'm asking you how you would suggest we get them to cut their pay and benefits?
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
Good one. We do have voting power. The trick is re-education the public about how & why to force their hand. This mess didn't happen overnight, &--short of Godly intervention--it won't be cleaned up overnight. It's a sure bet, however, that it won't happen at all if we just throw up our hands & sigh miserably, as many seem tempted to do. Had the Founders had that attitude, we'd still be a tea-drinking nation, & they were in the minority then, too. That didn't stop them from going up against nearly impossible odds, though, now did it? I tell you, we the people are reawakening from our Long Sleep. Have faith, & take action. Maggiepie "Flush twice; It's a long way to Washington." Source unknown
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
8 Feb 11
The problem with cutting pay and benefits is the same as the problem with getting term limits. The crooks whose pay and benefits we want to cut are the ones who must vote for those cuts just like they are the ones who must vote for term limits. Simply put, as long as we keep the crooks in office neither solution will EVER happen.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
8 Feb 11
Then clearly we need to elect people who will! Equally clear is that if we do nothing, nothing changes (except to grow even worse). So far, we do still do have voting power. Mobilize & vote the crooks OUT! I'm not saying it will be easy, only that it's necessary, & if we want out freedoms badly enough, short of bloody revolution (& it may yet come!), this is our only option. Just because it will be hard is no reason to not even try. Maggiepie “The penalty good men pay for not being interested in politics, is to be governed by men worse than themselves.” ~ Plato, 350 B.C.
• United States
7 Feb 11
I'm not so sure about term limits, but I do think we should be able to vote out what we voted in, well, what others voted in. I certainly didn't do it. I doubt if anyone is seriously going to try and impeach Obama because of reasons I won't even go into here because many people would just call me names. But I've had friends who were angry they wouldn't be laid off from jobs they didn't like for the same reasons. Unfortunately, people are fickle. They don't follow principle. You can get a good portion of the country to say how much they don't like something and then if the economy sparks up they will vote for whoever is in office at the time or not in office. It all centers around their pocket books. That is at the presidential level because they don't understand politics. They vote on the president based on the economy and their house members based on who was in office last and who is familiar to them because they don't get it. It's why we have these bozos in office for so long. And at local levels? Forget about it. These don't change. At local levels people like to hear "well, what can you give me" gimme gimme gimme. It's the same old story. It's never "how can we better ourselves to make a better life" it's "what can the government give us and our community" and it's sick. And Pelosi? Why bother with even coach? She can just take her broom.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Feb 11
I have never been fully behind the idea of term limits because they would seem to violate the will of the people and their right to choose their representatives, even if they choose the same one over and over. Coming from a state that kept Teddy Kennedy employed for life, you'd think I would be all for term limits. I am just not sure they are the answer, for they prevent the will of the people. Certainly, the money, the pensions, the perks and all the power are definitely tempting enough to keep some people in politics for life. I would like to see the job go back to being part-time. Have them meet a few months per year to consider the business necessary and then go back home and work real jobs the rest of the time. The country would be a lot safer if these guys weren't around all the time thinking up new ways to spend all that money.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
6 Feb 11
That was in the back of my mind, too. Not being able to vote for who we want is unAmerican, & probably unconstitutional, as well. And yes, our country was deliberately designed to be run by smart people on a temporary basis, before they returned to their other jobs. It's sad that schools don't teach American government any longer. Maggiepie “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
• United States
6 Feb 11
Gotta go with what was said about removing the corrupt incomes and high dollar perks. When there isn't all the excess and glamor to the job most crooks won't want to participate. Especially if there is no longer the chance at ill gotten gain! I had believed in term limits too... but this really makes sense. I just don't know how do-able it is in reality!
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
7 Feb 11
And we won't know 'til we try! I'm just open to new ideas about how to "fix" D.C., as what we've been doing thus far certainly hasn't been effective! Maggiepie “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
• Pamplona, Spain
26 Feb 11
Hiya maggie, Our Politicians are demanding that their Pension should not be cut. Why should´nt they be cut it´s happening to everyone else in this Country. Plus they will always have another kind of Pension when they retire and all the little perks that go with it. So they preach to us that we have to make do with less but that they don´t want to have to walk the same plank as everyone else. This is very amusing to me what they think? One or two of them have the most amazing conceptions of life I have ever come across. Just who do they think that they are? Still we get used to this kind of thing and we don´t protest much and let sleeping Dogs lie so to speak.