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While Jindal’s proposal may come across as overly ambitious, he points out that for most of America’s existence, Congress was indeed regarded as a part-time institution. In fact, some states, including Pennsylvania, even codified provisions in their constitutions that mandated lawmakers to hold down separate jobs from their legislature duties in order to “preserve [their] independence” and to ensure that they weren’t tempted to use their position of power to rake in personal riches.
1 posted on 11/23/2010 3:13:33 PM PST by La Enchiladita
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To: La Enchiladita

It will be a full time job getting things undone.


2 posted on 11/23/2010 3:15:02 PM PST by screaminsunshine (Americanism vs Communism)
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To: La Enchiladita

Yes, yes, YES! As Mark Levin says, EVERY DAY CONGRESS MEETS, YOU LOSE A BIT OF YOUR LIBERTIES!!

In fact, I would gladly pay them DOUBLE if they worked HALF as much! I truly like the model of the Texas legislature.


3 posted on 11/23/2010 3:15:16 PM PST by Dan Nunn (Support the NRA!)
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To: La Enchiladita

Congress once was a part-time job. The founders never expected the legislative branch to be a full-time effort.


4 posted on 11/23/2010 3:16:14 PM PST by apoxonu
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To: La Enchiladita

I would add Senators, Governors, and President to that listing.


5 posted on 11/23/2010 3:16:40 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: La Enchiladita

And let’s pay them minimum wage while we’re at it.


7 posted on 11/23/2010 3:18:45 PM PST by Repeal The 17th
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To: La Enchiladita

Part time would just give them more out-of-office time to do under-the-table and good-ole-boy deals.

The solution is not to make them part time.

The solution is to make them term limited and add restrictions such as:

they cannot seek another elective office unless they resign any currently held elective office.


8 posted on 11/23/2010 3:23:16 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: La Enchiladita

Put Congress on their states’ payroll instead of the federal payroll.

Let them remember for whom they work.


9 posted on 11/23/2010 3:31:58 PM PST by Eagle Eye (A blind clock finds a nut at least twice a day.)
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To: La Enchiladita
Congress would probably just expedite their tax and spend damage in the shortened time period allotted to them. Plus, what kind of candidates are we going to end up with who can afford two residences on only part-time pay. If it's mainly wealthy Republicans who agree to serve part-time and run their businesses when not in Congress, it may be worth considering.

Why not tie congressional pay and their retirement benefits to whether we run a budget surplus or deficit - no surplus, no pay and no benefits. This would have to come with the proviso, however, that defense and other constitutionally-mandated spending must still equal or exceed a certain percentage of GDP (to avoid them slashing such spending to avoid a deficit).

12 posted on 11/23/2010 3:56:26 PM PST by CALawyer
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To: La Enchiladita

Here is ewhat made Congress full time:

Air conditioning.

Make air conditioning policy in the federal code such that buildings will not be cooled any lower than 83F when the temperature is higher. Make the very act of being in DC in an office building from May until September a miserable existence.

Better yet, reduce the heat level in federal buildings to 50F in the winter.

Tell the public that the government is saving money and energy and reducing CO2 emissions. Wrap the move in the cloth of envirionmental preening.


15 posted on 11/23/2010 4:05:46 PM PST by NVDave
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To: La Enchiladita
Session limits are a better solution to the problem of Congress than term limits.

Moreover, they are more likely to gain approval -- and don't require a Constitutional Amendment.

16 posted on 11/23/2010 4:12:29 PM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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To: La Enchiladita; AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; ColdOne; ...

They already are part-time, that’s why they don’t have time to vote for Obama’s bills before rubberstamping them. Writing legislation is a job best left to unelected, unelectable, unqualified left-wing stooges. Thanks La Enchiladita.


18 posted on 11/23/2010 4:23:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: La Enchiladita

Congress could stay in their home office and conduct business electronically—web conferencing. This would save money on travel, security, housing, etc.


19 posted on 11/23/2010 4:24:32 PM PST by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: La Enchiladita

Congress, in fact Washington and elected persons (I will not call them officials) pretty much stayed away from DC most of they year until the advent of air conditioning.

Will Rogers I believe said that the country was not safe when Congress is in session... how true.

Shut off the AC and send the bastards packing I say.


21 posted on 11/23/2010 4:40:34 PM PST by Sequoyah101 (Half of the population is below average)
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To: La Enchiladita

Two month-long sessions per year. One in January and one in July. No bill gets passed in the session it is introduced. No law is passed for the general public that does not apply equally to all, including Congress.


22 posted on 11/23/2010 4:48:20 PM PST by Faith
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To: La Enchiladita

They hardly work as it is but still are able to do immense damage. We already have ten thousand more laws than we need or could ever hope to enforce. Another treaty? With whom and why?

Just empanel the Congress once a year to carve out a budget and that’s it. Then send the pompous dolts home and make them earn their living honestly.

In the meantime, bring in some efficiency experts and pay them $10,000 per $1 billion reduced from overall spending. And start paying lawyers inversely on billable hours—the longer it takes, the less you get. Take too long, and you owe us.


24 posted on 11/23/2010 4:57:16 PM PST by PaleoBob
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To: La Enchiladita

What I’ve been saying for years! That will bring in those who LOVE this country and not the lechers of power and perks!

GO Gov. JINDAL!!


25 posted on 11/23/2010 5:55:01 PM PST by presently no screen name ("Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.." Mark 7:13)
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To: La Enchiladita
At first reading I like the idea, however, congress would probably just delegate more power to unelected, career bureaucrats to do "the work of the people".
29 posted on 11/23/2010 7:05:59 PM PST by Colorado Doug (Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)
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To: La Enchiladita

Agreed. And the funny things is that until about 1960 they spent a lot less time in DC than now. Even today technically the session is supposed to end on June 30. Of course it never does,


30 posted on 11/23/2010 8:51:52 PM PST by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
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To: La Enchiladita

Cosidering what they get done, how they get it done, and the time they’re away from their job [running for office,kissing a*s,etc.], they already are.


32 posted on 11/23/2010 8:57:11 PM PST by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: La Enchiladita

Just pay them like it’s a part time job. They’ll get out of Dodge as often as possible.


33 posted on 11/24/2010 1:29:04 AM PST by MacMattico
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