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Old 09-08-2021, 11:45 AM   #2938 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by FL 4Motion View Post
I’m going to play devils advocate here, not bc I disagree completely with your sentiment, but bc imo it’s not a very realistic fix and actually may create new unforeseen problems.

Term limits, in theory and in some cases are good but conversely, it’s also good to have some well experienced folks around who know how the sausage gets made and how the cogs in the machine run.

A good option again in my opinion, would be keep the 2 term presidential limit, institute a 3 consecutive term limit on the house (6 years), then a minimum of one 2 year term away with a total of an additional 3 terms possible. Total of 12 years maximum and critically, NO retirement pension, this is a temporary public service like jury duty.

For the senate, this is where the career politicians can go, that way you get a better balance of old and new ideas/people. However, 30 years total should be mandatory retirement age here, but a pension is appropriate since it’s a full career of service.

Regarding bureaucrats, it’s low hanging fruit to hate on, but career civil service or military is what gives us competence and breath of experience. Maintaining accountability for all those folks so they can’t become or get away with the stereotypical lazy incompetent bureaucrat is a better answer.

You said the entire federal govt can

How can we maintain superpower status and compete with the EU, China, India, or Russia? This is the 21st century, a weak federal government would be the end of the USA and all the benefits we knowingly and unknowingly have, both security and economical wise.

A federal government modeled after the 17th or 18th, or 19th century can’t cut it in the 21st century. The fantasy of a man living off the grid not paying taxes, unbeknownst to the govt with acres of land and solitude is dead and has been for a long time now.

It’s better to focus on a more realistic goal of simply improving govt transparency, oversight and accountability. And making a goal to only pass and keep laws that are necessary and the least amount possible.

(See why I call myself a realist or moderate libertarian? .

Idealism gets butts off seats but it rarely actually accomplishes anything long term. Nothing I posted above is blood pressure raising or radical or controversial, but imo it would be effective and is more realistic than, “throw all the bums out, Fvck foggy bottom”.
I will agree with parts of this, the Unibomber managed to live off the grid for several years before he got caught, so theoretically it's possible. Term limits is a start, but the real problem lies in the 'bureaucracy' that is the Federal Government. You have a legion of un-elected people making rules and regulations, that are not accountable to the taxpayers (BATF is a prime example). I've been to my state capital and seen the 'waste, fraud & abuse' that happens there, and I can reasonably presume that the same level or worse, exsists at the Federal level. For example, in an office of 10 people (the DMV in Topeka), there will be 3 actually engaged with serving the public. The other 7 are either 'on break', 'out having a smoke' or 'just sitting on their backside, doing nothing'. I know they are supposed to be at work, because their computers are on, their trash is on their desk, but their backside isn't in the chair or at the counter. That's where I have a problem with government. I'm paying you (in a figurative sense, through taxes) to provide a service to me, the taxpayer, not sit on your kester and file your nails.

My proposition is to eliminate between 30 & 50% of the Federal 'workers' (I can't say that with a straight face... ) and encourage those remaining to actually put in a 40 hour work week by setting standards of production, with appropriate incentives or disincentives (boot out the door, if they fail to perform).

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

I'm not against a strong Federal government, I'm just anti-them poking their nose where it don't belong...
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