TERM LIMITS

A constitutional amendment creating term limits for both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is something that should be strongly considered.

Please continue reading to understand why I believe that something so drastic as an amendment to our constitution is necessary.

Two Hurdles:

1.We cannot count on our legislators to address this term limits. A new legislator would be excommunicated if they even mentioned term limits by senior legislators and senior staffers who currently utilize OUR legislative branch as a career. Even if term limit legislation was introduced, powerful career politicians would not allow proposed term limit legislation to even come to the floor for a vote.

Without term limits, voters won't simply vote out senior legislators because…

The two major parties have systems within the legislative branch to reward senior legislators with more (unequal) power to “bring home the bacon” to their own constituency. So local constituencies return the senior legislator to office to get their “lion’s share”. This allows senior legislators to build “bridges to nowhere” in order to bring money to their districts while more important business of the legislative branch goes unattended.

The forefathers saw elected office as a public service, not a career.[i]

Some situations change and we have to change to keep up. However, the longer legislators stay in office the more opportunities for corruption come their way and the more they are influenced by special interests.

So, due to these “hurdles”, a constitutional amendment from the grassroots[ii] is not only the best but probably the only way to bring about term limits.

Proposal:

A two term lifetime limit for all congressional/senate offices. No lobbying for a period of seven years for each term elected (even if office is abandoned early).

A two term lifetime limit for all Congressional/Senate staffers. (These people often become more powerful than the elected officials they serve under.) So, neither should staffing be a career.

Keeping current:
There is a "Convention of States Action" movement (President Mark Meckler). This organization seeks to decrease the power of the Federal government. I don't yet know that much about the organization but in so far as utilizing Article V of the U.S. constitution to create a constitution amendment for term limits, they have my guarded support. ("Guarded" support is given because some organizations wind up going to extreme- my support is limited to term limits)
To evaluate this movement for yourself, go to

http://www.cosaction.com/

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[i] So all retirement benefits too should be greatly reduced.

[ii] the common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc.; the rank and file.- Dictionary.com