A case for Term limits

As I write this blog post this morning the United States government is still on shutdown and we are only days away from the Federal Government hitting the debt ceiling yet again. President Obama has repeatedly said over the past few weeks that raising the debt ceiling is not raising the debt of the nation. If it really is not then we should never have to raise the debt ceiling. Over the weekend I purchased a book - yes an actual hardcover book - The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin.

The premise of the book is a look at a series of proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution to bring us back in line to intent of our nation forged by the Founding Fathers. The fact that we are under a shutdown and dealing with $17 trillion is debt illustrates that our Federal system of government has become too centralized and beaucratic.

Over the course of the next several weeks I'd like to take each Amendment proposed by Mark Levin and discuss it hear. The original post, as all my posts, are to be a starting point of conversation. My blog is not an echo chamber.

Mark Levin's first proposed Amendment deal with establishing term limits on members of Congress:

Section 1: No person may serve more that twelve years as a member of Congress, whether such service is exclusively in the House or the Senate or combined in both Houses.

Section 2: Upon ratification of this Article, any incumbent member of Congress whose term exceeds the twelve-year limit shall complete the current term, but thereafter shall be ineligible for further service as a member of Congress

For much of my life I rejected the notion of term limits being placed on elected officials, outside of the President of the United State, but with greater observation of what transpires in Washington D.C. my leanings tend toward limiting the time of those seeking office. In the beginning of our nation, holding office was seen as a service to our fellow citizens and at some point along the way those elected to office would return to private life.

Mark Levin, page 11-12, illustrates this by quoting Benjamin Franklin, "It seems to have been imagined by some that the returning to the mass of the people was degrading the magistrate. This he thought was contrary to republican principles. In Free Governments the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors & sovereigns. For the former therefore to return among the latter was not to degrade but to promote them. And it would be imposing an unreasonable burden on them, to keep them always in the State of servitude, and not allow them to become again one of the Masters."

In the 21st Century, and I'd argue for the better half of the 20th Century, those seeking political office do not see the "mass of people" as their superiors; rather they see them as their serfs. I know I paint a broad brush with that last statement but why else do 20 year Congress members feel justified in seeking another term? Granted turnover may not bring about the change one desires but knowing that the knucklehead in office can only be there for 12 years at the most gives us assurances that a bad apple doesn't have enough time to take root.

4th of July!!!

Today as the sun rises in the east we, as citizens of the United States of America, will be celebrating a birth of a nation. Regardless of where your political ideology takes you one unversal truth exists; United States offers the greatest opportunities and freedoms the world has ever known. While it is important to acknowledge those that continue to ensure we have opportunity and freedom, take time today to reflect on the issues that created this nation.

While you reflect on our turbulent start to our nation, recall that one of the goals is to form " a more perfect Union". Strives have been made and many more will come before we obtain that vision our Founding Fathers had. Hats off to those men that put their lives on the line to give us a nation that we all can become President, CEO, dog catcher or fry cook.

Happy Birthday America. Happy 4th of July!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!! Today is a day of feasting, watching football, and visiting with family that many of us in the United States take for granted. Estimates have that about 15% of our population will struggle to eat this day due to one reason or another. Be thankful for the bounty you are about to partake and be remindful of the freedoms and liberties you are afforded because of the sacrifices made by the Founding Fathers and those that ensure they remain secure to this day. While the remainder of my words will fall short to mark this day, I turn to our first President of the United States George Washington to inspire us once again.

In a proclamation by President George Washington, printed originally in The Massachusetts Sentinel (http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/firsts/thanksgiving/original.html), given on October 14, 1789, the president articulates the importance of the day like no one else could. As you read it today, think of the message President Washington is conveying and look to how it is applicable today. I hope everyone has a wondering Thanksgiving Day. Be Safe, enjoy your family and most of all Go RAIDERS!!! A small note as you read this sometimes a f is supposed to be a s. I did not change the original score as written.

General Thanksgiving

By President Washington a Proclamation

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

 

Executive Pay today, Your pay tomorrow!!!

A dangerous undercurrent is flowing within the Obama Administration to the liberties of all Americans. Set aside your party affiliation, your ideologue, and your racial bias for a moment. A little over 200 years ago several colonials put their lives on the line to ensure we'd be able to live in a country free of tyranny. Those liberties firmly implanted by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution are under assault. The proof is in a headline I read as I pick up my morning paper: Pay Czar to drop hammer on execs. Since when does an advisor to the President of the United States dictate the terms of employment?

That is exactly what Kenneth Feinberg is about to do. Feinberg was appointed by President Obama to be the Treasury's special master for corporate pay this past June. The position did not go through Senate approval process and it appears that the position has wide latitude in handling affairs of corporate pay. According to the Politico "sources within the administration say the decision to cap corporate pay was Kenneth Feinberg's, and his alone." And that "…Obama did not sign off on the pay master's decision. Feinberg didn't even brief the White House on it, the official said, but he briefed Treasury officials instead." Did I miss something since our election last year where Americans voted to allow the Government to dictate pay terms for the private sector?

I understand that drastic measures were taken to right the financial market ship. TARP did nothing to address the root causes of the "financial meltdown"; rather it just threw dollars into the furnace. The plan put forth by Pay Czar Feinberg is to "slash the salaries of their top executives by an average of 90 percent and cut their total compensation in half" (www.startribune.com). Not all companies that received TARP funds will be affected. The companies in question are: Bank of America Crop, American International Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial.

The Obama Administration is hiding behind TARP funds as the gateway for the Government to dictate executive pay terms. To agree with the decision of Feinberg is an acknowledgement of acceptance that Nationalization of the private sector is within the scope of Government. Our Founding Fathers fought against the tyranny of the King of England because of excessive taxation and control within the colony at risk of death. Americans wake up and shed the wool. The reckless independence given Feinberg is shredding the documents and principals our Founding Fathers risked their lives for.

What happens next time when a crisis hits? Yesterday President Obama sent forth a plan to open funds for small businesses. Beware small business owners and take note from the TARP fund recipients. What the Obama Administration giveth, the Obama Administration taketh.

Health Care Reform delay is symptom of larger political problem

The Senate Finance Committee will vote on Chairman Max Baucus bill today. The Baucus Bill is to cost $856B, protect nearly 29M uninsured over the next decade while trimming the federal deficit by $49B over the next decade per the Congressional Budget Office. Under the Baucus Bill all Americans will be mandated to have "qualified health insurance coverage by 2013" (Baucus Bill). All Americans will either purchase private insurance or public insurance through the exchange. Why wait until 2013? Why not start with months of passage?

Currently all Federal employees use an exchange to purchase their own insurance. If that system works so well then let's open up the doors for the rest of America. People on both side of the conversation are frustrated at the delays that are taking place to pass reform. The big question is being missed here. Neither side of the argument wants to enact true reform because they will upset either their base or the donors they rely on to fill the re-election coffers.

The Founding Fathers warned of the dangers of political parties. President George Washington said during his final "farewell" address in 1796 (http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/government/fraud/elections_campaigning/news.php?q=1208746351):

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy....

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose; and there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

It wasn't until when Adams and Jefferson ran against each other that the political party formation saw its birth. The lobbying that is going on Capitol Hill, on an array of topics, is a symptom of a bigger illness. The illness is the manner in which America elects their officials. It is not just on the National level either. Evidence can be seen in the Governor Race already in full gear in the state of Minnesota. Even though the election is not until 2010, many Democrats and Republicans have thrown their name in the hat to gain their party nomination. Why? Reform is needed now. Last Presidential election cycle we saw an insane amount of money raised by Sen. Obama and his opponent Sen. McCain.

Government has grown. It is through that growth that people have and continue to see Government as "Big Business". Nearly all election cycles in my lifetime, with few exceptions, have seen only two viable candidates. By viable I mean a candidate that has one of the two mainstream political machines behind them. Having only two viable options has established a prevailing thought at the polling booth of "choosing between the lesser of two evils." Granted Minnesota did see Jesse Ventura shock the mainstream parties by winning the Governorship of Minnesota but that was a rare situation. People like Ross Perot and Ralph Nader have attempted to break the strangle hold the Democrats and Republicans enjoy.

It is time for Congress to establish shorter election cycles and make room for others to join the fray. The type of reform required is to limit the campaign cycle to four months. No longer will candidates be required fundraise because all elections will be public and public funds will be used. On the National scene, the candidates will no longer be voted as a package. The top two vote getters will become President and Vice President regardless of "party" affiliation which is how our Founding Fathers had it. All candidates will participate in a series of public debates. Then in November citizens of the United States will vote as they have done for years.

Making reform to the process of electing political figures will assist our Government as our elected representatives will no longer have to fundraise and can concentrate on doing the job they are elected to do. This way we will no longer have to read "Democrats, who have traditionally depended on trial lawyers for political donations, have also shied away from protecting doctors form frivolous lawsuits if they adhere to safety standards and treatment protocols" (The Boston Globe). Or "Republicans hope linking House Speaker to Democrats can turn centrist districts" (Wall Street Journal). At the end of the day our government grows larger, our freedoms eroded, our ability to "throw the bums out" is in the hands of PAC's, and the vision of Founding Fathers is becoming a distant memory.

"Tea Parties" across America

Today across the United States “Tea Parties” will be held to get out the message out against higher taxes and the expansion of Government. I will be partaking in one being held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Many in the drive-by media are touting the “Tea Parties” as a Republican and Right-wing rallies. Simply put, it is not true. Granted lower taxes and smaller Government equates to Conservative and Republican slants much like higher taxes, bigger Government, and expansive spending equates to Liberal and Democrat slants.

My participation in the “Tea Party” rally is to get a firsthand account of the issue at hand. Tax overhaul is required. Regardless of your party affiliation or ideological stance, I encourage everyone to attend and not allow the media put their spin on the rallies. As our Founding Fathers did, participate and create your own spin while holding Government accountable.