The current dysfunctional Congress is
the greatest problem America faces today.
All political polls show that
over 80% of the public have no confidence in Congress.
This is even lower than the confidence in our president.
Neither a Democrat nor a Republican President can help!
He or she will be married to half the problem
and avowed to fight the other half.
More of the same!
Read Bob's book
Red or Blue? This Book is 4 U !
Why is Congress destined to be even more ineffective in the future?
1. In order to buy votes for political majority power, Congress will continue to grow under Democrats and Republicans alike. Promised benefits will always exceed revenues. Therefore, the national debt will continue to grow.
2. The congressional seniority system concentrates power into about six to 12 representatives and senators. Representatives and Senators must age for over 20 years and must vote lock step with the powerful leadership before they have any significant influence for governance. After 20 years of drinking Potomac water, congressmen have no idea what is really happening throughout the country. Incumbency is the self preservation of power based politicians that consolidates political power to a small group dedicated more to their power than to the public good.
3. Because of the supreme power of seniority, incumbents have little chance of defeat. Of the 436 representatives only about 70 are ever contested at any two year election. That’s no choice. That's not the representative citizen government envisioned by the framers of the Constitution.
4. Term limits would correct most problems but Congress will never act to alter its power consolidation to the privileged few. The voters voted out the Democrats 15 years ago and now the very same representatives are back and in power. Some change! Republicans have shown in the 15 years they had control that government spending and power will increase just like under Democrats.
5. New candidates for Congress are sub standard. People like Bill Gates, Collin Powell, Jimmy Hoffa, Martin Luther King, Alan Greenspan and other proven leaders will never run for Congress because they will not waste 20 years of their lives in order to have any influence on legislation. For example, why doesn’t Jesse Jackson run for Congress? He would give up all power for at least 20 years. With term limits he would have a chance to influence governance within six years. Jesse Jackson, Jr. won election as a young man to Congress in a safe Democrat district. He has little real life experience and will only gain talking experience for the next 20 years. After this mental storage period and extensive drinking of Potomac water, he will be a powerful politician with no experience.