maxiep
RIP Dr. Jack
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
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I used to be staunchly against term limits for Federal office (other than the Presidency). Additionally, I was also against any limitations on who could run for office. My thought was that term limits come every election. Also, I thought the American people were wise enough to never vote for a name over policies.
What do we have today? 90% of incumbents are re-elected for Congress. And we have a situation where Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton are considered realistic candidates for the 2016 election. There are rumblings that Michelle Obama may run for Illinois senate and Chelsea Clinton and the third generation of the Bush family are being groomed for political office. Enough.
We are a nation of 315MM people. Do we really think this political class is the best we can do? They certainly haven't shown themselves to be. We were supposed to be citizen legislators, not groom families to be part of an informal monarchy.
Here are my proposals:
1. A term limit of four terms for the House of Representatives (8 years). This term is in total. No Medvedev/Putin switch for a term to re-start the term limit.
2. A term limit of two terms for the US Senate (12 years). This term is also in total.
3. Any relative out to first cousins would be ineligible to run for 12 years for any Federal office after the term of a relative expires. That would have meant that George W. Bush could not have run for President until 2004 and Hillary Clinton would have been ineligible to run for Senate until 2012. Second cousins wouldn't be affected by this rule.
4. It's primarily Glenn Reynolds' idea, but we need to enact a "revolving door surtax". To add onto it, any President or relative of a President will in perpetuity give 50% of every dollar they make after the salary of the President (currently $400K) of any speaking fees, board seats, executive positions and book advances/royalties back to the US Treasury. Members of Congress would simply be bound by Professor Reynolds' proposal.
I have no problem with someone serving eight years in the House, twelve years in the Senate and then eight years as President, if that's what the American people decide. That's 28 years, which is a good part of a career.
I also have no problem with a former President enriching themselves. However, their expertise was made possible by the taxpayer. We should get a piece of the action.
I don't see any of my proposals as being too hard on the political class. If you wish to dedicate your life to such an endeavor, these limits don't seem to crimp your style too much. Perhaps it would serve to make state offices more attractive. In any case, it would likely make people more tied to their states.
I think we need to return to the idea of a citizen-legislator. Professional politicians haven't done squat for us. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, these names will never be mistaken for any of our Founding Fathers. This nation would somehow manage to carry on without their counsel.
/Rant
What do we have today? 90% of incumbents are re-elected for Congress. And we have a situation where Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton are considered realistic candidates for the 2016 election. There are rumblings that Michelle Obama may run for Illinois senate and Chelsea Clinton and the third generation of the Bush family are being groomed for political office. Enough.
We are a nation of 315MM people. Do we really think this political class is the best we can do? They certainly haven't shown themselves to be. We were supposed to be citizen legislators, not groom families to be part of an informal monarchy.
Here are my proposals:
1. A term limit of four terms for the House of Representatives (8 years). This term is in total. No Medvedev/Putin switch for a term to re-start the term limit.
2. A term limit of two terms for the US Senate (12 years). This term is also in total.
3. Any relative out to first cousins would be ineligible to run for 12 years for any Federal office after the term of a relative expires. That would have meant that George W. Bush could not have run for President until 2004 and Hillary Clinton would have been ineligible to run for Senate until 2012. Second cousins wouldn't be affected by this rule.
4. It's primarily Glenn Reynolds' idea, but we need to enact a "revolving door surtax". To add onto it, any President or relative of a President will in perpetuity give 50% of every dollar they make after the salary of the President (currently $400K) of any speaking fees, board seats, executive positions and book advances/royalties back to the US Treasury. Members of Congress would simply be bound by Professor Reynolds' proposal.
I have no problem with someone serving eight years in the House, twelve years in the Senate and then eight years as President, if that's what the American people decide. That's 28 years, which is a good part of a career.
I also have no problem with a former President enriching themselves. However, their expertise was made possible by the taxpayer. We should get a piece of the action.
I don't see any of my proposals as being too hard on the political class. If you wish to dedicate your life to such an endeavor, these limits don't seem to crimp your style too much. Perhaps it would serve to make state offices more attractive. In any case, it would likely make people more tied to their states.
I think we need to return to the idea of a citizen-legislator. Professional politicians haven't done squat for us. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, these names will never be mistaken for any of our Founding Fathers. This nation would somehow manage to carry on without their counsel.
/Rant
