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A Call for Universal Term Limits in the Federal Government (amp Beyond) hide this posting unhide
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Fellow Citizens,
Have you noticed that the politicians keep promising change or reform but all they seem to do overall is intensify the wrongs of the status quo? We cannot put in power the same type or elect the same incumbents again and again.
There is a formal plan to prevent us from constantly repeating this situation where we have an entrenched, virtually permanent class of career politicians ruling over us as we do now.
Think about it: Do you want in the future someone who has just been at the White House for eight years as vice president to become president? How long in office were they before that? Was there ever a significant break where they had to live under the regulations they passed like the rest of us? Do you really want someone to serve as a senator for twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight years who becomes a more loyal resident of D.C. as opposed to their own home state? There is not much fear of breaking promises as re-election for them is favored. Must we tolerate the dementia or dying officeholders who have stubbornly reigned uninterrupted for decades?
We lack the ability to call for snap elections for a new government like the parliamentary systems do. Recent surveys have indicated a desire by noticeable proportions to vote all of Congress out and start anew. So imagine if there was a plan in place to automatically refresh the House every two years and limit senators to only one full six-year term. A plan that ends the unfair incumbent advantage that has allowed Congress members to serve for marathon decades via slanted-to-win elections every cycle. And what if that plan also had a proposal to limit the consecutive terms held for a particular office by a political party itself plus some spacing between the number of one's unsuccessful runs for office in order to maintain variety? "Shiver me timbers!" would say the pirating politicians because that means real change! New parties and independents would have a turn at governing and previous parties would have to actually compete with them to get back to power. Political machines would be put in check if not broken.
The oligarchs will try to dupe you against term limits in general by saying it will remove needed experience from governing. Actually limits will create a larger pool of candidates to choose from who have previously held office. This will also inject real world experience into the system. During elections we can concentrate more on passing policy torches as opposed to cults of personality. It is way past due to limit the perpetual ride on the public-office carousel by the empowered few so that more of us can have a go.
Here follows a link to such a plan for the federal level. Once you read it you will see by its very structure and by the accompanying arguments how much we really need it. Actually, you will wonder how we have survived so long without it and how its absence has become a threat to us now.
http://www.commonwealthparty.net/tft.htm
We suggest you download a copy of it for when the powers-that-be decide to censor the internet. Suggest it to any 'States Convention for Amendments' via Article V which is being put forth by various legislatures now. We also advocate similar term limits for other governing bodies.
Your consideration of these efforts is appreciated.
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