Maybe we should one-term them all...

It all seems hopelessly complicated....unworkable...an exercise in futility. We simply don't govern well...and in truth, we never have...perhaps, never will...

The money.

The media.

The career politicians.

All three have produced a profoundly broken system. And each year it seems to get worse.

While reading this article today, a thought occurred to me. But first the article:

Congressman returns after 32-year break, says ‘money is toxic in politics’

First elected to the House in 1974, Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., left after his third term ended in 1981–and now after a 32-year hiatus, Nolan is back. Much to his surprise, the biggest change he’s encountered was the work week, and he’s not happy about it.

Nolan told NBC’s Chuck Todd that “committees and Congress don’t meet enough” at least not like they did when he first served.

“My first term, we worked 48 out of 52 weeks,” Nolan said on Friday’s edition of The Daily Rundown. “Most of those days were four and five day weeks. We were in committee virtually every morning, we were on the floor of the House throughout the afternoons and the evenings and we were working in the process of governing which is what we’re elected to do.”

He expressed his disappointment that Congress is only currently scheduled to work 34 out of 52 weeks and considers most of those days “not real.”

Not a big surprise....and let's not forget even when they are in session, they don't read the legislation they're voting on.

Seems hopeless, doesn't it?

Until now, I have never fully formed an opinion on term limits. I'm aware of the arguments for and against, and if I had to characterize my position prior to today, I would have said it better not to have them.

But I no longer think that to be the case.

We think we NEED term limits and we need them FAST.

No more consecutive terms in the SAME office....in ANY elected position!

Yes, I realize it is not a perfect solution. Career bureaucrats will still be important...maybe more important. Yada, yada. But I'm not advocating for a perfect system. I'm advocating for a 'better' system. How much worse could it be?

Kill the money in governance. Force the media to figure out who the new slate of candidates are...

And while we're at it, let's make it a crime to vote on legislation you have not actually read...

Maybe that would lead to shorter legislation...

Do all of this at the federal, state and local levels.

How could that go wrong?

Convince me.

Canada recently made federal restrictions on donations as well as the amount of money each party can use, we also have an independent electoral institution overseeing elections to make sure nothing illegal happens, also all our representatives have to show up for work, it's mandatory. Then again the US is a republic and Canada is a federation. Point is you could learn from us lol, minority governments are good for democracy, then again you can't have minority governments