Looks good

[Hawks Feather]

Right now it appears that the House will be in the control of the conservatives! 

Looks like the there are a couple of states that also are passing their state amendments guaranteeing the right to hunt.

And now I am going back to the TV.  Interesting watching the ABC, NBC, & CBS try to keep from crying as they report on the loss of dems.

Jerry

[Hawks Feather]

Update:  My cousin Bob Latta will be returning to DC.  Not really a question, but he has 68% of the vote, dem has 24%, and someone else has 8%.   

Jerry

[HaMeR]

Congratulations Cousin Bob!! 

[pitw]

I gotta know so I'm asking .  If you guys were to change or even remove all elected officials would it make your country run much different .  Seems to me that a lot of decisions are made on how to run a country by others who are not in one of these positions.

[Bopeye]

I gotta know so I'm asking .  If you guys were to change or even remove all elected officials would it make your country run much different .  Seems to me that a lot of decisions are made on how to run a country by others who are not in one of these positions.

That remains to be seen, but I do know with Obama that it ran a whole lot worse. Obamacare, Trillions of dollars in debt ran up in less than two years, Cap and Trade, stimulus, buying private companies.
That's what communists, marxists, and Socialists do and I don't want any part of it.

GIVE ME LIBERTY or GIVE ME DEATH.

[Hawks Feather]

Barry,

Years back we passed legislation in Ohio that put term limits into effect.  The thought was, and I voted for it, was to eliminate some of the dead wood that had been in Columbus for many years.  It sounded good at the time.  A few years after that Bob was elected to office in Columbus and in talking with him I learned that it takes time to learn what you are doing and then your term limit comes into play and you are out.  If we apply the same good advice to ALL and not just politicians I think you will see that it might not work out all that well - I have gone to the same doctor for about 20 years, with term limits I would be on my fifth doctor.  Not that changing doctors is a problem, but if I have major surgery I would rather have someone with experience and not some doctor that has watched the operation preformed a couple of times on you-tube.  I experienced the same thing while I was principal here in Defiance.  I was principal in the same building for 29 years.  I kept up with readings, took additional college classes, attended workshops and conferences all to keep current on what could or should be done to help the students at Brickell.  We had one superintendent that thought it might be nice to switch the principals to different buildings.  His thinking was similar to term limits.  What he learned as he came to know the district better was that the elementary principals knew their attendance areas.  Not just the boundary, but the people that lived there.  There were residents of my district that had children who were grown and had their own children in my building.  The point is I knew them.  I was there long enough to have former students or parents of former students that would stop in or invite me to their homes to talk about problems.  Not just education problems: but, job problems, marriage problems, kid problems, neighbor problems (hated those), and the list goes on and on.  The point of that is not that I was some super principal or anything like that, but the people knew me.  With term limits you don't get to know people who are elected very well.

With all that being said, there are elected officials, doctors, principals, etc. who should not be doing that line of work.  In these cases, you work to get them removed.  So to me, it is not a "remove all" situation, but a remove the ones that don't have your values.  The problem with this is many of the elected officials in liberal states reflect their state.  California wants almost everyone to receive some sort of welfare, but don't quite know how to pay for it.  Hollywood, with the people there and the huge amounts that they get paid should be a great place to start, but they don't want to touch that one because most of the actors are dems.  Then too, if you have noticed there are more and more American TV shows and movies that are being shot in Canada and other non-US countries.  While it is nice to help out Canadian's and other country's economy, personal income derived wile outside the US is not taxed.  So the millions an actor gets for a movie or the quarter million for a TV episode, is NOT taxed.  It goes right into the "stars" bank account.  Then too, since many (Opra for example) have multiple homes, they have their tax consultants work it where they only pay taxes on that home while they are physically there.  So Opra, and others, don't pay their full share of their taxes.  At least to me, if she owns more than one house, she should be paying the FULL  taxes on ALL the homes, not just a per diem.  

I think obama and his socialistic dreams are facing the reality that Americans don't want to become a socialist country.  The problem for the people who just got elected will be making cuts.  Many of the people who don't want to work and live off the government would be out in mass if all forms of welfare were cut today.  How am I going to pay for my: subsided housing, cable TV, cell phone (did you know there is a program here in the US that will give a "qualified" person on welfare a cell phone and 70 minutes of air time per month), transportation, smokes (can't buy them with food stamps etc, but you can work around it), etc. if they eliminate my monthly check?  There ARE many people who should get public assistance.  There are many who scrape by because they refuse public assistance, these people and ones in similar situations SHOULD be allowed to receive it.  Those who have lived off the government because they are too lazy to work should not.  A good example of this is the flooding in the US.  When New Orleans flooded there were cries of "Where is my money" and "give me more money".  When there was flooding in the upper Mississippi Valley regions, people worked to clean it up and take care of each other.  Even though the devastation was similar, you didn't hear of looting and all the other things that happened in New Orleans.  Think what would happen in New Orleans if all of a sudden welfare checks stopped.  While I would never have thought (none done) just not working and living off the government there have been some recent items that make me question that.  I worked, still live in our two-bedroom starter home, have bought used cars, saved as much as I could while still supporting my family, and don't buy or put on a credit card anything that I can not pay for (home and car loans were an exception) BEFORE there are any interest payments due.  So, there is (or was) a "cash for clunkers" program where you get money for getting a new car (some bought new cars they can't afford), home buying incentives and credits (again, many bought a home that they can't afford to make the payments on), credit card help where if you have amassed huge credit card bills that you can't pay (because you wanted "things") there is a government program to reduce your bill, want a new washer and dryer there is a break for that, make your home more energy efficient there is a program for that, etc.  What happened to being responsible and living within your income level?   Would my wife and I like a new home, new car and truck, new appliance, new everything, put it on a credit card and pay half the bill?  Sure, but that is not the "right" way to live.  So, instead of taking part in these programs, I am one of the people who are paying Federal taxes that support these programs.  And my kids and probably grandkids will also be paying for them as well.  

O.K.  Time for me to get off my ranting soapbox and go get some electrical switches and get them installed.

Jerry

[HaMeR]

I've also thought the term limits would be a good thing. I was thinking along the lines of 5 or 6 terms. For the House & 3 for the Senate. The good thing about term limits would be to get dead beats like teddy kennedy out of office so he could see what his policies have done to this nation. The bad thing is the termination of elected officials I trust,, to a degree,, & that have the values I believe in. I think Jerry made a great educated post that I agree with. But sometimes I think a little more needs to be done. Just my $.07,, << inflation,, worth.

[vayotehowler]

Hawks dont forget we are rewarding the people that are using poor judgement.  Tarp money was needed to get the economy going. But we stuck pork barrell politics on it build a park here for me to get my vote, we have people that are gettiing their mortgages refid and the people that are able to make payments and doing well get punished . Congress jsut enacted laws that limit overdraft fees banks can charge. I work for a bank(dont hold that against me) and 90% of people with overdrafts on a checking account dont keep a register of what they spend . My bank started charging fees on accounts it never charged fees on to make up the income . A bank is a business. I am 38 and have bounced only 1 check in my life and knew that if i did I paid a price for it and never once bitched about it. Most want something for nutthin and I am willing to work for what ever. I agree with the point about term limits u need time to learn the job. We as a country dont produce anything any more. I personally work for what i want or need . My wife and I will do our best to avoid 2 car payments. mine is 7 years old and wont by a new one until hers is paid. The problem is u dont get my vote unless my Friends get something and lobbyists and special interests buying votes. I personally wanna work hard and get what it takes to get ahead. i remember in sociology class 10% of population control 90% of the wealth. Some have to point the finger back at themselves in doing more thatn they should.  1 more point is I was a store keeper in the us coast guard and every year if an area didnt spend its budget they wouldnt get the same or more next year . so instead of having a surplus they would buy tons of stuff didnt need but wanted . That is wasteful at it's best . Keep the surplus and allow for more but use the surplus 1st and then you can have more ... then more likely to keep a surplus. I am sure all branches of service do the same policy

[pitw]

  Very good and well wrote out reply's gentlemen.  I did a couple stints on county[MD=Municipal District] councils[elected twice and the soundly trashed] and agree on the learning curve.  The problem I have is I believe most elected officials are told what they can do more than a what they think they can do scenario.   

[THO Game Calls]

I learned that it takes time to learn what you are doing and then your term limit comes into play and you are out.

What exactly does this mean Hawk?

Does it mean where to go?   Where you sit?   When you show up to vote?   How you introduce bills?   Are you talking about the mechanics of the process?

Or does it mean....

whose palm you have to grease to get things done?   Who the real power brokers are, and how to build up points with them so you can get your legislation at least brought to the floor?


People often lament that the "best and brightest" never run for office.   I'm talking about the really good CEO's and other business leaders of our country.   Is it perhaps because they already have "hired hands" doing the job of running the country in the form of life long politicians?

Semp asked way Reed got reelected.   Is it because the vast majority of the people don't know, don't care, and are not aware of what goes on in DC?   And worse yet, are just not smart enough to understand it anyway?   They show up to vote and put a check mark next to a name they recognize.   Done deal.   No thought process.   No understanding.   Yet they walk away feeling like they contributed.


Term limits get rid of the "name recognition" voters that keep sending people like Reed and his ilk back to DC.   Term limits force people to debate the issues.  Term limits reduce the influence of special interest groups, unions, and other organizations who push personal agendas.

If Ted Kennedy had completed his term, he would have "served" over 48 years in congress.    The two party system is adversarial by design, and allowing people to serve extended periods in congress seems to undermine what is good for our country by allowing people to form alliances, garner favors, and increase their own power and wealth.

Term limits bring back the concept of the "citizen legislature", which is all but lost today.    O'Donnell in Delaware is a prime example.   The PEOPLE choose her, but the PARTY dismissed her, saying they would not even support her.   While they later gave her a token amount of money and support for her campaign, she was undermined by the likes of Carl Rove, and others constantly.   She was not their "man" and they were well pissed off that she had won.   Why? 

If we eliminate career politicians, the "getting to know your way around" won't take so long, and probably wont even be necessary.   Nor will it influence what needs to be done to get this country back on track. 

Our form of government was based on the principle of a citizen legislature "of the people, by the people, and for the people".   Somewhere along the way, special interest groups found out that they could get what they wanted by dumping money into career politicians coffers getting them reelected time after time until they achieved a government "of certain people, elected by certain people, solely for certain people".   

We will probably never eliminate special interest groups, but we can certainly limit their influence by enacting term limits on elected officials so that "we the people" have a chance of being governed by people who have our best interest at heart.   

[JohnP]

I would like to see term limits, with no retirement and very limited health benfits.  Politicians should bear the same burden that "We The People" bear, pay into your retirement and health program and drive yourself to work every morning just like we do no government car and driver for your own use.  I think they all , Rep & Dem have lost touch with the everyday working class person.

[Hawks Feather]

I learned that it takes time to learn what you are doing and then your term limit comes into play and you are out.

What exactly does this mean Hawk?
Does it mean where to go?   Where you sit?   When you show up to vote?   How you introduce bills?   Are you talking about the mechanics of the process?

Or does it mean....
whose palm you have to grease to get things done?   Who the real power brokers are, and how to build up points with them so you can get your legislation at least brought to the floor?

I think most of the mechanics that you mentioned are covered pretty early when a person gets seated if not already known.  Whose palm to grease or build up points would be one way of looking at it.  I would hate to think that this would be the only way that a person could get a bill introduced.  I do think that you need to "know people" to get your legislation supported, not necessarily introduced.  Bob presented an amendment that if the health care bill was enacted, that anyone on a government check (president, members of congress, etc.) would have to move to that health care.  It had the support of other Republican members, but since the dems were in control and they didn't want it, it died without any consideration.  I am sure that there were Republicans that wanted to stay on their current health care, but Bob's view was that if it was going to become law for the people that voted him into office, it should be good enough for those voting it into law.  

I have come to believe that I support "career politicians" for lack of a better term, as long as they are supporting my beliefs and vote that way.  I am sure that there are dems out there that think the same way about their candidates and keep voting them back in office - despite what I might think about that person's views.  

Jerry

[vayotehowler]

I think there is a push to have 2 class levels . the haves and have nots. Politicos are run by big business. We havent had a say in a long time. Hell just watch mr smith goes to washington it was about corruption in dc and was made in 1938. I posted a link to the fall of te=he republic a whiile back and is kinda long but is a good watch.  I jsut wanna shot o be left alone to be the best i can without interference from govt. very eloquent and thought tho and hawks. more people should be as aware. greased palms and pork barrels by votes