Monday, August 26, 2013

Can We Please Term-Limit the Other Two Branches?

Sen. Patrick Leahy has been in office since 1975.
George Washington was and will always be this nation's greatest president.  Sure, Abraham Lincoln is commonly ranked the best by most historians (and for me, he was and will always be this nation's second greatest president) but Washington set the example.  Two terms and he was out of there.  It was only after FDR broke with tradition and ran four times did we get an Amendment that actually forced a return to the two-term tradition.

We need more forced traditions.

The Executive Branch, the most powerful of the three, has its limit, but what of the other two?

The Supreme Court has lifetime appointments.  They never have to worry about running for re-election, and rightfully so.  But a lifetime?  I say give them a long enough time to make their stamp, to judge with impunity, and then when their time is up, it's up.  They can retire sooner, but let them be appointed to one 16-year term.  Plenty of time. And then it's someone else's turn.

It would start with the new Supreme Court justice.  The current nine, or whoever the current nine are when the Amendment passes, could stay as long as they like.  The new kids though would go in knowing they could serve ten years or twelve years, or the full sixteen, but then it's someone else's turn.
Now to the legislative branch, the most corrupt of the three.

The House of Representatives is supposed to be for the people.  The numbers of reps locked in at 435 in 1911. At the time, it mean each Congressman represented approximately 212,000 people.  Now it's about 712,000.  I wouldn't mind adding more members of the House to reduce that number but no need to go crazy just yet.

Over time, gerrymandering has meant more and more members become entrenched. Their primary function is to raise money for their next re-election.  They have to be Reps for about a decade before they get real power, and "seniority" has become the siren cry of power. I say give them eight two-year terms. Plenty of time to "clean up Washington." Will it change their behavior much? Doubtful, but at least it'll be someone else's turn.

Now to the Senate. It was originally designed to represent the state's needs to DC, but since the passage of the 17th Amendment, the Senate evolved into a more elite class of Representatives.  Since their terms are six years, let them have three of them.  18 years.  Plenty of time to accomplish what they promised.

Again, this would only kick in with people elected after it passed. It's the only way the old birds in the Senate now would such a thing to move forward.

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