I think most of us would agree - if you don't *kitten* off, we'll fight after school behind the band shell - that politics and elections in this country are kinda ****ed. We probably have vastly different ideas on how we got here and who's to blame, etc, etc, blah, blah f*cking blah.

Instead of re-hashing for the 2,987,124,436,897,124,564th time who's to blame, what if we thought about some realistic ideas that might level the playing field and make elected office more a vocation as opposed to hitting the lottery.

I'll start since I like my voice better than yours:

Term limits - At every level. Don't tell me, "Oh we have them. They're called elections." Bullsh*t. Charlie Rangel's been in Congress since the War of 1812 as have some others. Strom Thurmond served for 12 years after he was dead. No, thanks. if the President can only serve a max of ten years, then a Senator should get a max of 12. Two 6-year terms. Congress Critters should get a max of 8 years or four 2-year terms.

No lifetime pensions for Congress - Why? The vast majority of the nation wouldn't get a lifetime pension for 8 or 12 years on the job. Neither do they. If you want to give them a stipend? Say, $250/month for life? Ok. But they can get out there and work like the rest of us.

Congress shall receive Medicare as health insurance or the equivalent of whatever is being offered as free care to those who cannot afford care.

Public Funding of Elections - Everybody gets the same amount of money, airtime is ceded in equal amounts by the networks in exchange for the gubmint allowing them to poison out children's brains with American Idol.

Duels are to be brought back and encouraged.

I would also like it to be made illegal for sitting congressman or presidents to invest in anything on Wall Street. No stocks. It is atrocious how many of these guys and gals get in to office and double, triple and quadruple their networth on while in office. And it's not coming from their salary....so how did "serving" their country become so lucrative?

Well, how about this: anyone who seeks elective office agrees that their investments will be placed in a blind trust should they win and will stay in that blind trust for 5 years after they leave office. That way they can keep their money, but they won't know what investments they hold nor how their actions will effect those investments. Also, the five year buffer post public office keeps them from voting on things that they hope will benefit them upon leaving office.

I would also like it to be made illegal for sitting congressman or presidents to invest in anything on Wall Street. No stocks. It is atrocious how many of these guys and gals get in to office and double, triple and quadruple their networth on while in office. And it's not coming from their salary....so how did "serving" their country become so lucrative?

Well, how about this: anyone who seeks elective office agrees that their investments will be placed in a blind trust should they win and will stay in that blind trust for 5 years after they leave office. That way they can keep their money, but they won't know what investments they hold nor how their actions will effect those investments. Also, the five year buffer post public office keeps them from voting on things that they hope will benefit them upon leaving office.

Also the government should have way less vacation time. Guess what I get 16 days a year plus holidays.. Screw all this recess time they get they should be just like the rest of us and have a small amount of vacation time.

Again, I agree. However, much of this time away has been built into their scheduled to allow for fundraising and campaigning. With public funding of elections one reason for them to be out of the office will have been removed.

This too. I hate the idea of 'well I don't get that so no one else should". WAY different circumstances. Our board of directors constantly does this to me and my boss. When the real estate business is slow they don't want us to get raises or bonuses. They work of commission by choice, we work off salary and hourly wages. It's not my fault that they chose to get in a line of business where they have to spend money to make money and the market fluctuates, I chose a much more stable and safe path for that reason. We even have one director who decided every year that we shouldn't get raises if Purdue University doesn't get raises. We are a non-profit and they are a state funded school. o.0

Um, when any market is slow it makes sense that the people working in that market would feel the effects of that.

I want drug tests for everybody and random ones too. I had to get a drug test to work and I always have the thought of random drug test in the back of my head. Also in my state any aid benificieries have to drug test. So I think all elected officals shouls be drug tested rigeriously (lets face it some of them are on some amazing drugs) ...

Also I feel that if I vote for you I should get a say. If you vote something that I dont like I should be able to call and be like what the ****.
Also the gonverment should have waaay less vacation time. Guess what I get 16 days a year plus holidays.. Screw all this recess time they get they should be just like the rest of us and have a small amount of vacation time.

Not all people have to have a drug test for work, and I don't agree with it. My last two job were in a medical certification office and currently in a Real Estate board, I didn't have to be drug tested for either. Drug use does not = a bad employee. It also opens doors for employers to discriminate for other aspects of one's personal life.

Yay, we agree on one thing. I am almost full-on, rabid, Paulite when it comes to drug testing.

I want drug tests for everybody and random ones too. I had to get a drug test to work and I always have the thought of random drug test in the back of my head. Also in my state any aid benificieries have to drug test. So I think all elected officals shouls be drug tested rigeriously (lets face it some of them are on some amazing drugs) ...

Also I feel that if I vote for you I should get a say. If you vote something that I dont like I should be able to call and be like what the ****.
Also the gonverment should have waaay less vacation time. Guess what I get 16 days a year plus holidays.. Screw all this recess time they get they should be just like the rest of us and have a small amount of vacation time.

Not all people have to have a drug test for work, and I don't agree with it. My last two job were in a medical certification office and currently in a Real Estate board, I didn't have to be drug tested for either. Drug use does not = a bad employee. It also opens doors for employers to discriminate for other aspects of one's personal life.

Yay, we agree on one thing. I am almost full-on, rabid, Paulite when it comes to drug testing.

I'm a public employee and didn't get drug tested nor do I. Personally, I would like us to go more the way of Portugual... they reduced the number of drug users (?) by 50% since decriminalizing drugs.... But alas, the war on drugs is more profitable to both corporations and the Government (read politicians) so money will trump common sense (as it usually does). I also don't like employers essentially hacking their way into Facebook looking at your pictures... I get that it's on the internet and essentially private info made public... But unless the employee is representing themselves in an official company position while getting sh!tfaced or being chronically late and unproductive as a result, I don't think it really matters how you spent your nights as a college junior. Or hell, even as a 30 something year old single person in the city... or just plain hanging out with friends throwing a few back...

Oh I dont have a problem with decriminalizing drugs infact I agree with it. I live in south florida where you have to drug test to work at a resteraunt or a bar. I'm just saying if they arent willing to decriminalize it they should have to be drug tested to. They were more than willing to pass a law making it maditory for people on government assistance to have to be drug tested in our state. Why shouldn't they be held to the same damn standard as the laws they are willing to put into place

I think most of us would agree - if you don't *kitten* off, we'll fight after school behind the band shell - that politics and elections in this country are kinda ****ed. We probably have vastly different ideas on how we got here and who's to blame, etc, etc, blah, blah f*cking blah.

Instead of re-hashing for the 2,987,124,436,897,124,564th time who's to blame, what if we thought about some realistic ideas that might level the playing field and make elected office more a vocation as opposed to hitting the lottery.

I'll start since I like my voice better than yours:

Term limits - At every level. Don't tell me, "Oh we have them. They're called elections." Bullsh*t. Charlie Rangel's been in Congress since the War of 1812 as have some others. Strom Thurmond served for 12 years after he was dead. No, thanks. if the President can only serve a max of ten years, then a Senator should get a max of 12. Two 6-year terms. Congress Critters should get a max of 8 years or four 2-year terms.

No lifetime pensions for Congress - Why? The vast majority of the nation wouldn't get a lifetime pension for 8 or 12 years on the job. Neither do they. If you want to give them a stipend? Say, $250/month for life? Ok. But they can get out there and work like the rest of us.

Congress shall receive Medicare as health insurance or the equivalent of whatever is being offered as free care to those who cannot afford care.

Public Funding of Elections - Everybody gets the same amount of money, airtime is ceded in equal amounts by the networks in exchange for the gubmint allowing them to poison out children's brains with American Idol.

Duels are to be brought back and encouraged.