Posted on Aug 12, 2016
Should Congress members be chosen at random much like Jury Duty (see details)?
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Congress is full of lifetime members who have served decades who make way too much money making decisions that only benefit themselves. Imagine having a random system that selects Americans by SS number to serve in Congress for XX months. They get paid well, actually work full days, and are not corrupt. The system is blind to who is chosen with the exception of criminal backgrounds. Or, what if Americans could OPT IN to a selection pool, and the system chose at random, only those who wanted to be selected? Thoughts?
Congress
Politics
Law
Elections
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 26
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ENS (Join to see) - No!!! Because we want the best and the brightest among us to make it possible to cooperate together in solving the most serious problems facing our country. Take a look at American Jury Pools for the kind of people selected by random lot . . . then ask again. While there are many difficulties and inefficiencies in our multilateral form of government . . . the purpose of our elections is to ensure the long term representation of the best interests of our people. For this purpose we need to have people who are great thinkers, problem solvers, truth seekers, negotiators, and planners . . . who can both write well and budget well . . . and who are socially, intellectually, and emotionally prepared to not only propose the best possible solutions but to persuade others to ensure these solutions are implemented. This is the essence of representative government . . . instead of government solely inherited from God . . . the government of the rich . . . or the government of the totalitarian dictator / president intent on merely lining his own pockets . . . irrespective of the damage and the costs his policies incur. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)
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SFC William Farrell - Are the ones you speak of the ones who recently elected or have they been around a while so they carry the organizational memory as repeatedly reelected based on their performance by the very people they serve? Warmest Regards, Sandy :)
SFC William Farrell
1LT Sandy Annala - The ones who have been around too long Sandy. All the best, Bill
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SFC Everett Oliver
Sorry 1LT Sandy Annala, but you are not describing the people in our current congress.
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For those who are unhappy with the current congress then elec new people who will do what you believe is a better job for you . . . this does not require term limits . . . just vote every few years for people who you believe are doing a good job or will do a better job. This is how our system is designed to work . . . no need to mess around with perfection. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)
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If you seen a typical jury pool recently and listened to their inane chatter, you'd already know the answer. It's the classic Walter's "300 million sperm and those got through" shtick. Yes I'm getting older but it seems the country is getting dumber. We're dumb enough on the Hill without stacking the odds further.
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MSG (Join to see)
I whole heartedly agree. ...However I wrestle with it in my head because it makes me a hypocrite.
If I need an accountant or mechanic, I want an experienced professional. If I go to a restaurant, I want the chef to have been cooking for a while. I want to be led by military leaders with decades of service.
Yet, I don't trust someone who's been a Senator/Representative for a while. It's probably the only career where I don't value experience, I second guess it.
If I need an accountant or mechanic, I want an experienced professional. If I go to a restaurant, I want the chef to have been cooking for a while. I want to be led by military leaders with decades of service.
Yet, I don't trust someone who's been a Senator/Representative for a while. It's probably the only career where I don't value experience, I second guess it.
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CSM Thomas McGarry
Agree-Right now most representatives are too focused on getting reelected, even long before their term is up-one problem is that they are also focused on bringing the bacon home ($$) so are not really focused on what's good for the Country as a whole-Just try contact a House of Representative elected official when you are not one of their constituents- Usually no one will even speak or respond to your issue/request!
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ENS (Join to see) I have to agree with LTC Stephen C. on how the constitution is set to elect these individuals, but I do agree that their should be maximum term limits. Some are already set by the election process and the length of each term. I would recommend that after a certian number of years they can't go up for re-election - just a thought! I do agree also that there is way too much corruption and behind the scenes dealings that don't benefit the public overall, but some of the politicians!
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LTC Stephen C.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I'm all for term limits for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House. I also believe that the two houses should not be able to exempt themselves from legislation that affects the people, but not them. However, neither of these two ideas will ever happen, as it is the members of the House and Senate that would have to vote for such legislation! ENS (Join to see)
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen C. Yes, your right and God forbid you're the Senator or Representive that inroduces such a bill. You'll spend the rest of your term Likced to the Curb! LOL!
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MCPO Tom Miller
Powers of the people for the people has been transferred to the powers of party government and powerful party leadership supported by monies from special interest lobbyist. All of government has proven that corruption is bleed down to every element including our new PC social experimental militaries! Term limits need to be imposed to all lifetime appointments, all elected officials and a States Convention to return states rights. Separate but equal statues and other civil outside our constitutional laws have deteriorated the best concepts of freedoms ever known! Law and order is the base of our continued freedoms with equal justice for all and a corrupt juris system can't be tolerated! When checks and ballances are depleted by a powerful executive branch when no longer are protected and when our legislators are self serving power brokers freedoms are transferred to special interest. Term limits were imposed for presidents for fear of establishment power and it appears that corruption isn't limited just to the executive branch. We have a constitutional government for the people and by the people and not meant to be anything but a protective republic based on our constitution!
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MCPO Tom Miller
COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Col, I'm an Army brat and was so proud of my father's career. He was a Transportation Officer and was on Eisenhower'a Staff just after the war and we were the first dependents to go to Germany after WWII. He fought in N Africa and down to the Buldge as well as Korea. It was God and Country and Army for him. I broke his heart when I decided Navy and gave me great advice. He said, choose your running mates, take care of your people, look and be professional and be proud. I'm the skip rock of my family as I wasn't motivated to go to college and felt great in Navy blue and would have been happy with 35+ years as a Master Chief. I had 22 years in and had a series of heart attacks and was medically removed and retired. My boss went to become the Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs and he contacted spinal meningitis and didn't get his 4th star. He died a few years ago with Alzheimer's. life is what you make of it and our wonderful memories will remain solidly unique for our time and so sad to see how self serving politics can undo the strength of our military leadership.
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ENS (Join to see), a random selection is directly counter to Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution which describes how the U.S. Congress is organized and further describes how the various Senators and Representatives will be elected by each state. Without these elections, the peoples of the various states would not be truly represented. It's fundamental to our way of life. 1LT Sandy Annala COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F.
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ENS (Join to see)
LTC Stephen C. thank you for filling me in. I was unaware. I did a quick check for requirements to serve in Congress, and I didn't initially see that. Thank you again.
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As obscene as it is to have those career politicians in office, they are there because their (idiot) electorate votes them in to vote and act in accordance with the the platform they support. To do so would be contrary to our Republic which is also why our Republic is doomed.
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I would like not to leave this important function up to chance. I do think term limits, and campaign finance reform would go a long way towards making Congress functional.
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ENS (Join to see)
Should America implement strict term limits on every seat in government? | RallyPoint
There are a growing number of "Career Politicians". Isn't it time to impose term limits on them?
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ENS (Join to see) - The problem with short term limits . . . is organizations like the Congress need some form of institutional memory ( older established politicians ) or the organization becomes feeble and weak . . . like a parent with Alzheimer's . . . and the organization will shrivel up and die at the hands of competing organizations . . . like an overarching dominant presidency determined to do whatever it wants to do. Sandy :)
MSgt John McGowan
ENS (Join to see) - Growing number of Career Politicians? surely you are jokeing. look at the numbers and age of some of them. Then look at their total worth.
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SSG Ray Elliott
1LT Sandy Annala - In my opinion they are already a feeble and weak organization, who refuse to negotiate across party lines for the common good. They all fear loosing party support in subsequent elections, and what we have is a do nothing Congress locked in political gridlock.
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Hmmm. Tempting. Very tempting. This would save a lot of time, money, and agony, and I doubt we would get any worse than what we've been getting.
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Jury Duty | Sebastian Maniscalco: What's Wrong With People?
"What's Wrong With People?" is now available on Amazon! http://amzn.to/1zIjwUx Check out my upcoming tour dates at http://sebastianlive.com/ Follow me on Twi...
ENS (Join to see)
Absolutely not! Though as COL Mikel J. Burroughs suggested, Senate DOES need term limits!
Check out this video on jury duty, and this is how I see it working:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmSDRra7wUk
Absolutely not! Though as COL Mikel J. Burroughs suggested, Senate DOES need term limits!
Check out this video on jury duty, and this is how I see it working:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmSDRra7wUk
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PO1 John Miller
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Sebastian Maniscalco is hilarious. You should check out his shows. A few of them are on Netflix in fact.
Sebastian Maniscalco is hilarious. You should check out his shows. A few of them are on Netflix in fact.
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