Fair Tax Movement

I've always said TERM LIMITS on ALL jobs political as such should be levied and enforced then perhaps these so called public servants and the like would be better at what they do, would care more and could be held accountable by not being re-elected. Heck we limit the Presidents term so why not the rest of them? Ane NO MORE salary until their deaths either, once you're out of office/job then you go on SS like the rest of us peons....whats fair is fair.

For sure.

That's something else about government by telephone. We would get to decide how much to pay the people to run the government. Tht would put a stop to the way the congress raises their salaries and expects us to pay for it. And they might get a retirement bonus if they did a really great job, but it would be up to us. They should all have to try to live on the SS that the rest of us have to look forward to only if it has not been squandered by irresponsible politicians

Politics was never intended to be a career. It was originally designed to be a service.

smile

We have records of how our Congressmen and Senators vote. We do have the opportunity to vote in a different one if we're not satisfied with their voting record. It's not a lifetime job unless we keep voting them back in office.

A friend just got a new job with a company that sells subscriptions to a service that keeps track of all the bills and who votes and how. It is supposedly non-partisan.

I believe they do read our letters and at least keep track of how many are for and against a bill. One Democrat senator is refusing to go along with the rest in the Alito hearings because he said he is doing what his constituents have asked him to do. That's how it should be.

Daisygirl

Constituents are only one of many forces tugging at our elected representatives. Most of the others have more direct impact. There's the party, lobbyists, corporate campaign finance, the media, and pollsters, all with more immediate access which gives them greater influence. It is far too easy for the wishes of the constituent to get lost in the fray.

I wish I felt more positive about our elected representatives. I'm sure not all are corrupt, but it seems that far too many get power drunk and change for the worst once elected. Term limits might help, but it could also result in replacing bad with worse.

My government by telephone idea is really sort of tongue in cheek, but it would certainly give us more authority over our own destiny. Of course with authority comes responsibility and I'm not sure everyone is willing to tak that on. It is easier to blame the politicians for poor judgement than to make our own decisions.

But even as a threat, it might frighten some career politicans into compliance with the wishes of their consitiuents. It's time they understand they work for US.

I should write a play about that. ??

smile

[ January 29, 2006, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

It probably won't happen, but if the majority of Americans went to the polls and voted for a Ralph Nader, for instance instead of the two candidates forced upon us by the two predominate parties, what a message THAT would send...
I lived in Texas during the "reign" of ...sorry, having a senior moment...independent who ran and actually had some followers for a while...what was his name?? I knew what he was all about, and just couldn't vote for him. However, Ralph Nader had some viable points and seemed to know just what it would take to get the job done. (he did look way too much like Mr. Rodgers though).
I have a whimsical idea...do you think we could put a sack over the heads of the candidates until they are elected? I'm sorry, but I couldn't have stood 4 years of having to look at Kerry or Nader in the press every day. Clinton and Bush are bad enough and 4 yrs. of Hillary would be impossible! LOL
Case in point of how we are so molded by the media and how someone is presented to us. The press can make or break a candidate. Just as in the real estate business where curb appeal can make or break a sale.
Just look at magazines like the Enquirer or People or US. Take one look at Britney Spears cottage cheese thighs and she's not the diva anymore. Read about Chelsea Clinton's abortion or tragic love affair and desperation in private life, and the parenthood of the CLinton's is gravely questioned. Some of us wonder, if they can't successfully parent their only child, how can they run a country with compassion and wisdom.
We are greatly impacted by the media even to who we will vote for. If a third party candidate got as much air time or as biased press as one or both predominate parties, we might be swayed to vote for them.

In fairness to parents everywhere, should the Clintons quality of parenting be questioned when their adult daughter living on her own makes some bad choices? Can a parent be held responsbile for everything their child does when they move out and are on their own?

Sorry, I know it's off the topic entirely.

Absolutely not! Thank goodness! But her troubles started well before she moved out on her own. Because of the troubles I have experienced with my own daughter, I have followed the children of the presidential families and the governors' families.
Even in our own state, our governor Bush and his wife have had problems with their daughter taking Xanax and getting it fraudulently without a prescription.
These things do happen, but when they begin while still under parental influence it calls to attention, at least in me, the ability of the parents to rule and govern the larger population.
I think politicians aren't exempt from the same exemplary lifestyle that is expected from others in positions of power and influence such as entertainers and ministers/priests.

I'm cool with that Number5.

I think perhaps we are forgetting something here. The children of famous people, political or otherwise also see what their parents do and hear alot about them in the media. I believe some behave as their peers while others like many of our own children do as they please. Kids are kids no matter who the parents are BUT it is ALL parents responsibily to lead by example, good example, no matter who they are.

I totally agree with you Chatty but we are talking about a young woman who is an adult and not a child living at home.

She lived at home during her formative years did she not???? I rest my case.

I think it is something we all forget now and again -- children are watching and observing and absorbing what we do ALL the time. It's not everything in how a child turns out, but it is a significant part of their makeup. It's almost like they learn what's o.k. and what's not o.k. If they see their parents acting poorly, they think, at some level, that that is o.k.

Then are we saying that all the parents who have posted problems with their adult children here haven't done a good job? I know it's not how I feel. If an adult woman gets pregnant and aborts her child is her upbringing really at fault? If she chooses an unsavory profession or steals or does drugs as an adult is it really her upbringing? Her parents didn't tell her to do it and she likely knows her parents won't approve of her behavior but chooses to do it anyway. I've known several examples of children being raised in loving homes with strong moral values and religion who grew up and became very bad adults. Should the parents be held responsible for the choices these adults make?

Please forgive me if I left that impression. I certainly can't speak for every parent, just for myself. I will have to live for the rest of my life with the knowledge that I failed my youngest daughter when she was still at home with me.
When she was 11 she was diagnosed with clinical depression with suicidal ideation. She went into the mental ward of a local hospital and was put on trazadone, buspar and zoloft.
My little baby who we lovingly called our little "Ewok" because of her big round blue eyes. When I discovered a back pack filled with used pads and asked her about it, she told me she had started her period when she was 10! A year before and hadn't told anyone because she was so terribly shy.
The kids in Christian school picked on her and said they wouldn't be her friend unless she gave them her lunch or lunch money. It killed me to see her suffering emotionally and I had to scramble to find out how to best help her.
I made the mistake of going into super hover, sheltering mom who was willing to give her anything she wanted to make her happy.
I bought her the most expensive clothing, hovered over her all the time, threatened the kids at her school and their parents, home schooled her, went with her to counselling, cried with her, held her, made up little games the two of us could play, tried to get her interested in music, sports, dancing, anything, even 4-H!!
Nothing brought her happiness and joy. I thought I would die during these many many years. I love her so very much! I would give my life for her and in many ways, I have. What do parents do when they have a child with MS or MD or cancer? I feared losing her so much that I did. I didn't impose boundaries on her as she grew into a teen. I left the other two daughters to themselves way too much and they turned out great.
So I've learned a lot and wouldn't repeat my behavior again, not would I run for office. I own my mistakes and am reminded of them every day of my life. But, I wouldn't and couldn't run for office.

Having your father make such as a** of himself and a fool of her mother in front of the entire country must've had some negative effect on Chelsea. However, if she did have an abortion, how is that a bad thing if her parents and the entire Democratic party say abortion is no problem? And since when does ending a relationship and having a broken heart make you a bad person? I never did see anything written about this on Chelsea but from the info from Number 5 I have this to say: Geesh, the papparazzi is brutal - on one hand the liberal press wants legal abortion and on the other, they skewer a young woman who has one.

I think we should take responsibility for some of the issues our children have, especially if we have addictions, end up with bad men, or behave immorally. It doesn't mean we're bad parents, just not perfect. I acknowledged to my son that I now see how I could have been a better mom, but his response was "Don't ever say that again, you were the best parents of any of my friends." He will understand when his son grows up.

Daisygirl

Number 5, I posted immediately after you, and just want to say that many of us look back with regret at some of the things we did wrong when raising our children. It's very likely that your daughter would've done the same no matter what you did, so don't beat yourself up for it. I hope you will forgive yourself.

I heard of a study years ago of inner-city kids and what made some, even siblings raised in the same house, rise above their circumstances and others get involved in drugs and gangs. They determined that there is such a thing as a survival gene. Some have it and some don't.

Again, we certainly changed the subject. It would be very interesting to have dinner and a couple of glasses of Pinot with you ladies! I bet we could solve many of the world's problems!

Daisygirl

You know number5 we do the best we can with our children , they did not come with a manuel of how do raise them or keep them from bad friends . We had baby books on how to take care of them . We do the best we can and hope for the best . What is the old saying when they start to walk the walk away from you and they just keep going they don't walk toward us . Sometimes kids do give us a hard time ( I have been there) . As long as they know they are loved and you are there for then and to liston to them they will come back to you .

I have more to say , but will stop for now. I hope this helps too.

All we can do as parents is the best we can do. We can instill the best morals and principles in our kids and pray alot..."NO" Ladybug, no one is blaming anyone for how their child turned out. But truth is truth and a good foundation helps when these kids are faced with their peers in the outside world. Some parents are partly to blame because of their own lack of moral character but I haven't seen any of that in here from anyone. Do we make mistakes, yes we do and will continue to make them, we are only human after all...

I know Chatty, I cleared that up in a PM.

[ January 31, 2006, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: ladybug ]