Thinking ouside the box..(How Congress can be saved)

[SoCalDem]

1. Pay them all $500K a year
2. Outlaw lobbying and make it a crime punishable by immediate removal from office
3. Buy a large apartment complex and provide a studio apartment for each congressperson/senator, if they choose...no monetary compensation if they decline it
4. Provide daily bus service to and from the "lodging facility".
5. Give them Breakfast and lunch free in the congressional cafeteria
6. Give them airline tickets to fly home every other weekend.(close by reps could get gas money)
7. Provide one TV channel especially for legislative elections. Equal time for all, free of charge to them. 24/7. Time slots drawn by lot. (not Lott!)
8. Paid office staffers would be alloted by number of constituents. (Wyoming, Idaho, Utah etc would not NEED as many staffers as reps from larger states)
9. Require townhall meetings when they are at home in their districts so they can KNOW what their constituents really want.
10. NO MORE JUNKETS in the winter time. This would eliminate a lot of Caribbean golf
11. Mandate that the 13 yearly budget items be DONE and signed, before they could legislate ANYTHING else.
12. Restrict campaign money to their own district/states.


It's way past time for real accountability in our government. There are regulations and laws that the rest of us HAVE to obey, and yet the ones MAKING those laws have seemed to think that they are somehow exempt from them.

We really no longer even NEED lobbyists. There was a time when communication and travel were difficult and it made sense to hire people to talk FOR you, but these days that is no longer the case. The politicians we send to congress have INSTANT access to anyone in their district..24/7. They have NO reason to not know what we expect..unless they are totally ignoring our wishes.

Every time some glop bubbles to the surface in the form of a scandal, we are always reminded of how hard they work..how expensive it is to live in DC..how little money they make..etc. so why not eliminate those reasons. These people do have an important job, and they should be paid enough money so there is NO reason for them to start looking under every couch cushion for lunch money..or to start accepting bribes.

Pay them enough so that a bribe taken is something they DON'T need...and something they cannot "justify"..for any reason.

If it costs so much to live in DC, a safe and decent place to lay their head at the end of the day is not too much to ask, but there is no reason why they NEED two houses or the expenses that go with it. a Person making 155K a year cannot afford two residences, so lets quit expecting them to do that. There are millions of people who work out of town for the week and return to their families on weekends or every-other weekend....and do it on their own dime..

A life in public service should be emphasizing the "service" part, so if we make it easier for them to "serve", they should be able to deliver some better service to us and, and if they cannot , then they need to find alternate employment.

They have been awarded a job...not been made a crown prince or duchess.

[bryant69]

1. What do you mean by lobbying?

I mean what is the defination of lobbying. Should they be allowed to meet with people from their district? Or the moment they are elected are they sealed in big plastic bubbles and kept away from humanity?

Anyway this proposal seems like it would make elected office a lot more like jury duty.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[SoCalDem]

3. Of course they should meet with their constituents

and elected office was set up by our founders as a "term of service" followed by a return to "normal life"..so I guess they DID want it sort of like jury duty:)

[seeminer21]

2. This makes too much sense.....

For OUR elected leaders. They'll take point #1 and then continue taking bribes.

[SoCalDem]

10. Just thought of another one..

SINGLE TOPIC LEGISLATION.. No "tacking on" of unrelated stuff..

[Neecy]

4. I think lobbyists are protected as 'free speech'

...so it would be difficult to outlaw them, per se. I like the rest of your ideas, though.

If the Reform party wasn't populated by crazies and put up candidates nationwide who made a pledge to refuse corporate money, soft money, junkets and perks and promised to represent the people and not the powerful they'd sweep the elections. People are sick and tired and want the bums out, and I think only a new party with a strong no-sleaze stance can win overwhelmingly - and maybe save our congress and our republic.

[SoCalDem]

5. The problem with "lobbyists"

There are lobbyists, and then there are LOBBYISTS.

a group of district constituents who are desperate to have some roads improved in the congressional district..and show up to talk to their congressperson..are lobbying him...BUT

when a bunch of corporate reps show up and demand time with him in exchange for "campaign donations"..and their proposal does not benefit the members of his district..well you can see the difference..


Influence peddling, by ANY name is a bad thing for the general public and the national well-being

[Neecy]

6. oh, I totally agree

What's happening now isn't lobbying as it was intended, but semi-legalized bribery.

But lobbyists have hidden their nefarious bribery behind first amendment protections - money as an expression of free speech. I don't know how you'd get around that constitutional hurdle.

That's why I think it's a better solution to elect people who voluntarily refuse to take their bribes.

[SoCalDem]

7. Part of the solution is to revisit the definition of "person-hood"

as it relates to free speech. Individuals have a free speech right..and people theoretically have the right to freedom of assembly, to combine their voices..(but we all know about 1st amendment zones :eyes:..)

Free speech has been loosely equated to MONEY when it comes to person-hood of the corporations. Corporations may be comprised of PEOPLE, but they should NOT be given person-hood by virtue of being made up OF people..

Speech, meaning MONEY is what fuels lobbying.

If first amendment zones apply to ordinary persons, then perhaps a "lobbying zone" could be devised, and whenever a congressperson/senator feels the need of their counsel, they would visit THEM..and be videotaped like protesters are:)

[Neecy]

8. I like it!

they would visit THEM..and be videotaped like protesters are.

I hope that people realize that while their free speech rights are infringed upon daily - the spying on anti-war groups, the first amendment zones, etc - the 'free speech' rights of the lobbyists to bribe our lawmakers and take control of our government are allowed to expand, expand, expand. There's something wrong with this picture.

[SoCalDem]

9. I wish there was a way to wire ALL of them in DC..

If they knew they were being watched and listened to 24-7, they might be better legislators:evilgrin: