"Gravy train" of graft, corruption, bribes, and becoming a wealthy, career government leader with power; it must end or the country will

It’s Term Limits or Certain Slow Death for America


By Jerry McConnell
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Most, if not all, the grief, antagonism, misconduct, lies, corruption, cheating, intimidation, bribery, and other ailments short of hang-nails and diarrhea on the political scene here in our country can be solved by doing just ONE thing: Pass TERM LIMITS.

Unfortunately, it can only be done with Congress’ cooperation. That’s why I pray that the conservatives really do clean house (and Senate) so a Constitutional Amendment changing the Articles that pertain to service in Congress can be done without unnecessary tinkering and manipulation.

There should be no Constitutional Conventions that are mighty dangerous just by having them, with multitudes of people with axes to grind sitting around thinking of ways to CHANGE our entire governing process. We have just gone through a period of CHANGE proposed by the POTUS that has brought this country to the brink of dissolution or worse, a takeover by foreign and domestic anti-American interests.

Congress must propose the initiation for adoption of amendments to the Constitution with the necessity for a two-thirds concurrence of both the House of Representatives and the Senate which would then be proposed to the Legislatures of the full fifty states of our country requiring a three-fourths ratification of those Legislatures to make the Amendment as valid as part of our Constitution.

This is not a strange nor overly complicated process; witness the fact that such procedure has been done twenty-seven times before in our illustrious history, the first of which occurred in just two years and eight days after the initial passage on September 17, 1787 when the Bill of Rights, Amendments One through Ten, was sent to the state Legislatures on September 25, 1789 for ratification that then occurred on December 15, 1791.

It will require a truly honorable Congress overwhelmingly dedicated to making our country stronger and less prevalent to the urges of greed and self enriching. They will have to adopt the mentality of those great gentlemen who gathered in the Summer of the year of 1787 to forge and press for adoption of the world’s greatest and most enduring Constitution. But it can and it must make that effort as the divisive climate that prevails today will only worsen and cause more harm to the cohesiveness of our great country.

Properly constructed, with Term Limits, the Congress people will not be in office long enough to figure out how to get corrupt. And I am suggesting ONE term for all, not two as many others are saying.

A term now in the Senate is SIX years; two terms = TWELVE years. TOO MUCH! Chuck Schumer of NY has only 10 years service and he is already one of the least desirable examples of a proper legislator.

The Amendment MUST change current Constitutional requirements to state that a civilian legislator for Congress, Representative or Senator, can serve only ONE FOUR YEAR TERM! Four years maximum would be the maximum that our Founding Fathers would have mandated had they seen what can happen with no limits.

And the possibilities are excellent that these civilian legislators will actually perform for the benefit of the country as a whole rather than just any one part of it or Party. After four years they should be happy to return to their families and jobs in civilian life.

Corruption, dirty tricks, nasty mud-slinging, favoritism and much personal, as well as government taxpayer expense, will be eliminated as a result of not having the opportunity to run for reelection.

It will also eliminate career legislators so there will be no luxurious RETIREMENT plans for Congress people (including their staffs.) Their civilian jobs must be protected in the Amendment for their return in FOUR
years; and their civilian employment hospitalization & health plans must be continued while serving their country in Congress with no changes or contributions from the government.

No special accommodations for items like airplanes for the Speaker; limousines for use by anyone; or government-provided living quarters. All those personal requirements must be at the individual’s expense. But a small and reasonable expense account not exceeding fair market value to help pay for these necessary items of daily living can be paid, in addition to the salary which should be reduced by a minimum of 25 percent from the current rate immediately on ratification of the Amendment.

Civilian legislator service should be an honor and not a money-making scheme to enrich those who serve their country. And any pay or benefits increase legislation should require the public’s approval by a voting referendum in all of the States with SIXTY percent approval, to take effect for the NEXT succeeding class of legislators.

I would like to see a study on the total wealth increases of a new legislator and after twelve years in office. It seems they nearly all leave office as millionaires even after meager beginnings.

Adoption of these restrictions should effectively wipe out any reason to lie, cheat or steal while in office as they won’t have to work to get reelected serving only ONE term.

Overall size reduction should also be considered for both houses of Congress; I believe that our nation’s business could be more efficiently handled with half of the numbers of solons; 218 Representatives and 50 Senators would cause less un-germane rhetoric and forced but phony honorifics.

The Amendment should also provide for the State’s to provide a referendum that would nullify any legislation passed with which the voters disagree by a two-thirds vote, which would take care of any collusive attempt to “stick it to the country.â€