One idea to fix Congress

This topic has 27 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 10 months ago by bopahull.

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- 02/10/2017 at 10:33 AM #26627
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  Utah
  Participant
  
  If anyone votes straight party lines, they are ineligible to run for re-election.
  
  Also, if you don’t vote on >75% of the issues, you are ineligible for re-election.
- 02/10/2017 at 10:43 AM #26630
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  UtahUteGuy
  Participant
  
  There is only one way to “fix” congress, and that is to somehow eliminate gerrymandering.
  - 02/10/2017 at 11:10 AM #26637
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    Utahute72
    Participant
    
    When Arnold was governor in California he proposed using a separate, independant body do redistricting and it was voted down by the democratic majorigy.
    - 02/10/2017 at 11:25 AM #26642
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      Newbomb Turk
      Participant
      
      So, once again, it’s all the Democrats fault. Got it.
      - 02/10/2017 at 11:41 AM #26646
        
        ironman1315
        Participant
        
        No, I think he’s saying that it is both parties’ faults depending on if they are in power or not.
        
        02/10/2017 at 12:00 PM #26649
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        Utah
        Participant
        
        I think Newbomb was being funny…I think. If he was, it was fantastic and I laughed out loud. If he isn’t…
        
        02/10/2017 at 12:10 PM #26652
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        Newbomb Turk
        Participant
        
        I’m funny how, you mean I’m funny like I’m a clown? I amuse you?
        
        02/10/2017 at 12:16 PM #26654
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        Utah
        Participant
        
        Yeah, why not? You? I don’t know you. But your post? Yeah, it amused me. I gave it the side eye, it batted its eyelashes at me. I asked it for coffee. It accepted. One thing led to another, stories were told, feelings were fostered….
        
        All told, I left my time with your comment a better man. More solidified in my ideas. More confident in my abilities. And, yes, I did leave with a sense of wonder and amusement.
        
        02/10/2017 at 12:22 PM #26656
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        Newbomb Turk
        Participant
        
        Psst….that’s a quote from “Goodfellas”
        
        02/10/2017 at 12:27 PM #26657
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        cjd1
        Participant
        
        Psst….that’s a quote from “Goodfellas”
        
        My response…I got it. lol That is one of my all time favorite scenes in a movie. I watch it on YouTube often.
        
        02/10/2017 at 1:00 PM #26661
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        Utah
        Participant
        
        Aw man, my snowflake is showing through. I’ll watch this this weekend.
        
        #ashamed
        
        02/10/2017 at 1:38 PM #26671
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        PorterRockwell
        Participant
        
        you gotta say that in your best Joe Pesci voice
  - 02/10/2017 at 1:29 PM #26666
    
    deleted
    Participant
    
    Great idea…
- 02/10/2017 at 10:57 AM #26632
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  ironman1315
  Participant
  
  Your first idea wouldn’t work or at least would be a wash so that you could get rid of the big bad republicans because bipartisanship happens, even on substantive bills. (http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/lawmaker-news/271859-bipartisanship-in-congress-some-progress-still-a-long-way). And so long as they can prove on one issue they crossed party lines boom, there goes that. Also, it could very well be unconstitutional.
  
  Your second is problematic because there are a metric s**t-ton of issues that are being voted on at any given instance some substantive, some procedural, some pure fluff. Also, committee hearings can and do conflict with floor time. Further, committee hearings is where the real work gets done anyway. So, if your “issue” is pure floor debate it doesn’t get at the heart of the issue. Also, Congress would never pass a bill like this because it’s terrible policy. And without Congress passing there is no chance a state can pass this bill and pass constitutional muster.
  - 02/10/2017 at 11:04 AM #26634
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    Utah
    Participant
    
    FAKE NEWS!!!
    
    Don’t bring your facts in here.
    
    OK, so my ideas suck. Back to the drawing board. ha ha.
- 02/10/2017 at 11:07 AM #26636
  
  bopahull
  Participant
  
  I propose not paying congressmen and senators for days they actually vote, and any new law passed would require the removal of one old law.
  - 02/10/2017 at 11:12 AM #26639
    
    bopahull
    Participant
    
    Goes for state legislatures too.
  - 02/10/2017 at 1:31 PM #26667
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    deleted
    Participant
    
    No way. They do lots of other things than sitting around voting on stuff. Time spent reading bills is necessary if we want them to read the bills they vote on.
    - 02/10/2017 at 8:23 PM #26773
      
      bopahull
      Participant
      
      exactly, more days reading fewer days voting.
- 02/10/2017 at 11:29 AM #26643
  
  Utahute72
  Participant
  
  Just saying I liked the idea, and that it’s both parties.
- 02/10/2017 at 11:58 AM #26648
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  Puget Ute
  Participant
  
  Public funding for campaigns. Overturn Citizens United. Ban direct and indirect donations to candidates. Increase congressional/senatorial pay to $1M/yr, with a distinct ban on gifts from lobbyists. 5-yr separation between being a congressman and becoming a lobbyist (DJT is working on this one right now, because the revolving door from Congress to K Street is nuts).
  
  This is a good start.
  - 02/10/2017 at 12:02 PM #26650
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    Utah
    Participant
    
    I like those. I think the funds thing is HUGE. For example, with youtube, twitter, periscope, etc, put caps on how much you can spend on a campaingn.
    
    For local campaigns, $750,000.
    
    For statewide campaigns, $1,000,000.
    
    For presidential campaings, $10,000,000.
    
    I purposely put the local as the highest, in proportion, because those “should” be the most important. Those are the campaigns where real change happens.
  - 02/10/2017 at 12:20 PM #26655
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    ironman1315
    Participant
    
    I think public funding could work but we’d have to increase revenue from somewhere.
    
    I think Citizens United should be overturned or Congress should require open disclosures.
    
    You can’t ban individual donations per the SCOTUS. You’d need an amendment for that or the court to overturn 40 years of case law.
    - 02/10/2017 at 1:20 PM #26663
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      Puget Ute
      Participant
      
      An Open Disclosures law would be paramount. And that might be the only one that is actually workable.
      
      At the Federal level raising revenue wouldn’t be a problem at all. And you wouldn’t even need to preclude very many back door sweetheart deals to essentially be revenue-neutral.
  - 02/10/2017 at 1:33 PM #26668
    
    deleted
    Participant
    
    Yep. Enough corporate money in election finance. I’d even let individuals donate as long as it were a fairly patry amount of money (i.e. $100).
- 02/10/2017 at 12:46 PM #26659
  
  Riot West
  Participant
  
  My solution:
- 02/10/2017 at 1:29 PM #26665
  
  deleted
  Participant
  
  Arbitrary and capricious. I’d love it if they voted 100% if I liked 100% of the bills.
- 02/10/2017 at 3:08 PM #26703
  
  jrj84105
  Participant
  
  Have your party count off and divide into two equal groups of odds and evens.
  
  February 11- vote 2/11 as National Odd Number Day. Odd half of party votes Yay, and Evens vote Nay.
  
  Speaker/majority leader votes Nay. The odds have now all voted against party line.
  
  February 12- vote on 2/12 as National Even Number Day. Odds vote Nay, Evens Yay and speaker/majority leader Nay. Evens have now voted against party line.
  
  February 13- National Speaker/Majority Leader Day. Majority leader votes Yay, odds and evens vote Nay, and the speaker/Majority leader have now voted against party line.
  
  The same bills are recycled annually.
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