I'm sure this was not the intention of our founding fathers

[jms62]

1. Did our founding fathers intend for this to be such a lucrative career path?
2. Who do these people "represent"? Certainly not those whose income has stagnated and are in danger of their job being shipped overseas or replaced by an H1B with less of a skill set.


It looks like there is a ton of money to be made in making the rules of the game.

http://ballotpedia.org/Net_worth_of_...epresentatives

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jms62

1. Did our founding fathers intend for this to be such a lucrative career path?
2. Who do these people "represent"? Certainly not those whose income has stagnated and are in danger of their job being shipped overseas or replaced by an H1B with less of a skill set.


It looks like there is a ton of money to be made in making the rules of the game.

http://ballotpedia.org/Net_worth_of_...epresentatives

several years ago, i posted a link on here to an article about what group made money during the huge economic downturn caused by the banking and finance industry scandal.
obviously it wasn't the poor, or middle class. but the rich didn't benefit either. but one group did...
congress.
i know just recently they discussed changing their insider info rules...yeah, the fox guarding the hen house again.
no one has things loaded more in their favor than our elected representatives. incumbents pretty much are assured a win. they can stay for a lifetime, and make a ton of money.
note also that they 'snuck in' an amendment to the most recent budget, increasing 10fold the amount of money they could accept. they aren't even trying really to be clever anymore.

[timmgirvan]

Congress really sucks.........and I really have no idea what to do about it!

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by timmgirvan

Congress really sucks.........and I really have no idea what to do about it!

Quit voting for the incumbents, and get everyone else to do the same.
get your state to do what az did, and cali is doing with how their districts are drawn up, thus avoiding getrymandering. It was a great scotus ruling, all the states should take that gift given and do something with it.

[timmgirvan]

[quote=Danzig;1033684]Quit voting for the incumbents, and get everyone else to do the same.
get your state to do what az did, and cali is doing with how their districts are drawn up, thus avoiding getrymandering. It was a great scotus ruling, all the states should take that gift given and do something

We would be long since dead by the time that wave swept the land.....silly me...I was hoping for something in my lifetime!

[jms62]

[quote=timmgirvan;1033687]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Quit voting for the incumbents, and get everyone else to do the same.
get your state to do what az did, and cali is doing with how their districts are drawn up, thus avoiding getrymandering. It was a great scotus ruling, all the states should take that gift given and do something

We would be long since dead by the time that wave swept the land.....silly me...I was hoping for something in my lifetime!

Looks like they and those that own them have checkmated the system. From here we devolve into a third world where the victims will be villanized by those owning the media. But the flames will continue to be fanned for faux fight between the left and right ; white and black because we the people are not deep thinking enough to think through the headlines.

[Danzig]

[quote=timmgirvan;1033687]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Quit voting for the incumbents, and get everyone else to do the same.
get your state to do what az did, and cali is doing with how their districts are drawn up, thus avoiding getrymandering. It was a great scotus ruling, all the states should take that gift given and do something

We would be long since dead by the time that wave swept the land.....silly me...I was hoping for something in my lifetime!

I am too.

[Danzig]

I had the good fortune to be reminded of this wonderful writing by the father of our constitution. Theres an article about the gentleman from virginia, wondering why he has no memorial...i disagree, our constitution is a great memorial to a great statesman. At any rate, please read this paper by james madison:

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/found...ligions43.html

I think paragraph 4 is especially helpful in the current discussion regarding ssm and the assertions by some that people should be granted leave to discriminate due to their sincerely held religious beliefs (the discussion regarding this particular sin being their sole, sudden focus regarding marriagability is a whole other subject)....the specific part is about a third of the way down, where the sentence begins 'whilst we assert for ourselves....'
paragraph 8 also.....heck, a lot of it applies to so much regarding this subject of religion and its being foisted on us in the public square

[Danzig]

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”
― James Madison, Letters and other writings of James Madison

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by jms62

1. Did our founding fathers intend for this to be such a lucrative career path?

No. Enormous centralized government comes at an enormous cost.

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State."

~ James Madison, Federalist No. 45
http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa45.htm

The problem with federalism is that it offers insufficient opportunities for graft.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by OldDog

No. Enormous centralized government comes at an enormous cost.

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State."

~ James Madison, Federalist No. 45
http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa45.htm

The problem with federalism is that it offers insufficient opportunities for graft.

he'd have a fit if he saw how bloated the fed has become....and our standing army would be the icing on the cake.