How about this as a new Constitutional Amendment?

[thatjoeguy]

Now I'm not a Constitutional Lawyer, nor did I play one on TV (I did stay at a Holiday Inn once though) but I've got this crazy idea that we can save ourselves some headaches with one simple addition to our beloved Constitution.

Here goes but please don't shoot me :)

No member of Congress shall serve more then two terms in any single capacity as a member or more then four terms total if elected for another public office. No member of Congress shall receive any compensation of any sort from any government entity other then while serving in office except those members of Congress that have also served as the President of the United States or as a member of the Supreme Court. No member of Congress, their siblings, immediate descendants, or immediate relations of any sort thereof shall assist in any way or receive any compensation from any entity or association of said entity, whether direct or indirect, which receives any public funds or is seeking such funds from any public entity for at least 10 years following their last day served.

This I think could solve 3 problems: Get ride of the career politicians. Eliminate their cozy retirement/health care packages (forcing them to get real jobs). And also eliminating their 'cashing in' on any government work they do by obtaining any posh jobs for them or their family members while in office or within 10 years after.

And since I'm on a role how about adding this one too:

Any person seeking any public office, prior to being accepted/placed on any ballot in any state, must first show legal documentation to each State's Attorney in which state they intend to seek office, his or her qualifications to said office.

Hmm, wonder what headache this one would eliminate?

JB

[DaGman]

"The State of SD instituted term limits and found that all it did was hinder the work of the legislature because of the inexperience of the new legislators,..."

Precisely. San Antonio, many years ago, instituted the most severe term limits for it's city council that are the most draconian in the country. The end result was that a city councilperson is nothing more than a ceremonial position. The city is run 100% by a completely unaccountable city staff. WHen a councilperson calls a department to do something for a constituent, the attitude in the department is "I wish he/she would quit calling me!" Council gets a several hundred page document to vote on the day of the council meeting and city staff knows full well they've buried crap deep inside it that cannot be found before the vote is ramrodded through.

Sorry, it's too late to warn about getting me started on term limits. I'm about to get on a roll!

[mcshot]

But the sheeple just aren't smart enough to realize that name recognition and power plus pork are not the only reasons to vote for stooges. I offer Michigan as an example. For some reasons the constituents in these gun owner areas vote liberal. Probably a name recognition, union and voter rigging thing as Levin and team always win.
It's a shame and term limits overrule the dumbed down voting although it can work the other way for desirable representatives that are forced to leave i.e., Casperson.

[Twotone]

How about 401k’s instead of the pensions they now receive - they’d at least have to put in as much as the govt match.

[Cheburashka]

I’ve never liked term limits. Term limits means someone that doesn’t live in my district doesn’t like who the people in my district elected but that someone won’t move into my district to vote against him/her.

---

Sure. By providing congressional pork to your district your congressman ensures his own perpetual reelection. At the expense of every American not his constituent, and eventually at the expense of the American Republic itself.

Besides, is everyone else in your congressional district so mentally retarded that there is no one who could do just as good a job as the incumbent retard?

Seriously, the issue is careerism, people who go to Washington, become part of the Washingtonian class and never leave until they retire with a fat pile of boodle under their arms. Now we are starting to see the Washingtonian class become an hereditary class - see Caroline Kennedy's attempt to capture the New York Senate seat on the basis of her ancestry and Ted Kennedy's behind-the-scenes attempt to will his own senate seat to his wife. This will only get worse - and it will get worse fast.

Many things are in the Constitution to forbid the people from doing what they want and corrupting the Republic. Term limits would be one more.

Not that it will ever happen. Maybe a thousand years from now some people trying to set up a stable republic will learn from our (and the founders) mistakes, and include term limits. Note to those people if they happen to read this: term limits, and no retirement pensions to elected officials. If they want retirement security let them retire to private life and earn it themselves, like their constituents have to.

[marsh2]

Term limits result in an uninformed legislature. Most of these issues take years to gain some expertise in order to understand the vocabulary and programs involved. I want someone who has been through more than a few briefings and hearings on a topic to be making decisions about what goes into a bill.

Term limits ends up with uninformed decisions or the legislator being told by lobbyists or his/her staff how to vote on issues. Un-elected “handlers” would acquire more and more power as the bureaucrats.

We have seen it in the State legislature.

[Condor51]

I think a good start would be a Constitutional Amendment requiring every member of Congress have an IQ of at least 110.

The reason I posit this is that we have certifiable MORONS in Congress and THEY'RE writing Laws that WE all have to live by. And that is the classic definition of:

The Inmates Are Running The Asylum

Sheila Jackson-Lee, Maxine Waters, Patty 'gym shoes' Murry, 'Cadillac' Charlie Rangel, Babs Boxer, Di-Fi, Linda Sanchez (or 90% of anyone from CA), and in IL: Bobby Rush, Louis Gutierrez and Davis Danny are just a few IDIOTS that are or were in Congress that come to mind. Oh, almost forgot the *best* example -- 'Jihad' Cindy McKinney (IQ of 30).

Ergo, any potential Congress-critter would have to submit a certified copy of their IQ test to their respective Secretaries of State before they could be placed on the ballot. Just like they do with the minimum number of Signatures

Yes, I know. There's a lot of women on my list, and minorities too. Well that's the way it goes, if the shoe fits...

[sport]

Now, and in my opinion,and the next few years is not a good time to tinker with the Constitution.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Term limits result in an uninformed legislature.

Most of them are a bunch of drooling idiots anyway, I don't see how it matters. Just pick random names out of the phone book.

[depressed in 06]

I cannot accept this as true. No treaty can override the Constitution. To amend the Constitutions requires 3/4 of the states to ratify, a treaty a majority of the Senate. The Bricker Amendment must be a way to tell Justice Kennedy to keep his hands off foreign law.

How about an amendment:

2/3 of both houses to raise taxes and spending and a simple majority to lower them.

[TV Dinners]

add to that... if you receive any form of government assistance becasue you refuse to work, you cannot vote due to conflict of interest...

[Vaduz]

Constitution = obama snickers

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Now I'm not a Constitutional Lawyer... Here goes but please don't shoot me :)

As long as you are not a lawyer and don't go hunting with Dick Cheney, not much can happen...

[sonic109]

I am %1000 with you on every point my friend. Elected office should be a hard working ,no perks , moderate paying , limited job. No one should be allowed to make $$ on their backs of their law making privilege.

[TV Dinners]

PLEASE, STOP VOTING FOR LAWYERS!

This would be a good start! Lawyers have ruined this country.

[KevinDavis]

How about a couple of more:
1. The President shall only serve 1 six year term..
2. Repeal the 17th amendment..

[Blado]

Just repeal the income tax amendment. That money is the source of all corruption in the federal government.

[Axenolith]

Spot-on dude!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The “Supremacy Clause” of the U.S. Constitution
is contained in Article VI:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States
which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all
Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the
Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme
Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall
be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or
Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

[HighlyOpinionated]

How about you and me and you and you and you and you and you and everyone else within sight of this post, pick a few States where an incumbent is an unfaithful representative, and agree to go to that State and work in the Primary to get someone else elected in the screwup’s district? We could share motel rooms for a week, say, and canvass and hand out flyers and call voters, working with the local Republicans. If we had maybe a dozen per group and we stayed in inexpensive motels and worked long hours for a new Candidate, we might just be able to remove some of the less productive members of Congress.

I’m retired, it’d be worth it to try to unseat a Kennedy, Kerry, Frank, Reid, Byrd, Dodd, etc.

[dirtbiker]

The best term limit tool is at the ballot box by the people that do the voting.

True, but so far, the only WORKING term limit is a pine box....