Posted by
Greg the Great's Nanobrain on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 4:05:02 PM
All the coverage of Ted Kennedy getting a tumor has made me think. First of all, I cannot say enough things about the man, none of them good, but I would never wish this type of cancer on anyone. I had a cousin die from one. I was not a pretty site. So after reading the coverage I realized something not so profound. He is the second longest serving Senator currently in office. Only trumped by Robert Byrd. Another individual I could talk a while about. Anyhow, after reading blogs and comments, I can see that this opinion of mine is not unique. It is time for term limits.
This seems simple, but it is amazing how many people are against it. Makes a person wonder why. The only thing that makes sense is corruption. I have put a lot of thought into the subject. I have read all the arguments for and against. It has to be that people who have "broken-in" officials would have to go through it more often. It is probably well known that the President has a four year term that has a lifetime maximum of two rounds. Only one President has served more than two terms, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Arguably one of the top 3 worst president in our history. * There is a footnote about him at the bottom. Okay a little more than a footnote. He is not the focus of the posting.
States have the right to set the limits on the local government officials. Many have done so. The damage that one person can do to the country through out the years is staggering. Kennedy is a good example. 43 years. While a very long list of things that he has done that has hurt the US, ones that affect us today and will never go away. No Child Left Behind was more his than Bush's. He has not been a friend to hard working Americans. Continually raised taxes and increased benefits for the poor and lazy. His college John Kerry is another one to look at. Until the election Kerry has been there 24 years and really has little to show for his efforts. Kennedy at least got a lot done. There are many others that have been there for longer than 30 years:
| Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) |
49 years |
| Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) |
45 years |
| Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) |
45 years |
| Theodore F. Stevens (R-AK) |
39 years |
| Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) |
35 years |
| Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) |
35 years |
Senators serve 6 year terms. Two of these terms would be sufficient.
Representatives serve 2 year terms. This could easily be increased to 4 years and two terms. John David Dingell is the longest serving at 54 years. That is just absurd. While he has done much in that time, we were set up to be a Representative government of the people. And yes we have the right to elect anyone we choose, but two generations of the same people in power does not help the country. companies never have CEO's that are in power for 40 years. The more we allow people to be lazy they will. While I disliked the movie, The Distinguished Gentleman, I fear that the simple fact that we vote based on who we know has truly hurt the involvement of the people. Give the people an option, they will look a little harder.
There also needs to be a serious change in the way elections are paid for. A solution... cap the amount that can be spent. Two million, no more on state elections. Clear the field and make it affordable to run. That is the rant for the day.
* President Franklin D. Roosevelt began the run-a-way government that we have today through his policies of the New Deal. While his intentions were well founded in the relief, recovery, and reform of the U.S. after the great depression he opened a flood gate that has never been closed. It was a brilliant plan that responded to a critical situation in America. As the great economist Milton Friedman observed after the plan was in place, "The ‘cure’ came close to being worse than the disease." There will more of the details of this plan in the American History section.
F.D.R. was responsible for the formation of Social Security, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and labor unions. His first term as President, 1933-1937, has been deemed one of the better Presidential terms ever. The following two proved disappointing to many historians. In retrospect his policies created a nation that relies on the government too much. Milton Friedman stated that the New Deal worsened and prolonged the Depression.
Why the focus on F.D.R.? The modern day 'liberal' began with his time in office. The problem is that liberal is the wrong term in my opinion. Socialist would be better. The term socialist has a negative connotation to it, but in simple terms it is a group that believes the government should take care of the people. Communism is a belief that everyone should be equal in society, equal in social, economical, and educational class.