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Politics

Here’s my political contribution:

• What if we outlawed political parties and no candidate had a letter beside his or her name?

• What if we took all the money donated annually to politicians at every level of candidacy and instead donated all of it to cancer research?
 
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Here’s my political contribution:

• What if we outlawed political parties and no candidate had a letter beside his or her name?

• What if we took all the money donated annually to politicians at every level of candidacy and instead donated all of it to cancer research?
1. As many vote the party line, it could be confusing to voters if the party were not identified.
2. That would be great, but doubt if it would work. I'd rather see us go to something like the English system where campaigning is limited to a short period running up to the election.
 
1. As many vote the party line, it could be confusing to voters if the party were not identified.
2. That would be great, but doubt if it would work. I'd rather see us go to something like the English system where campaigning is limited to a short period running up to the election.
Exactly my point with #1. Eliminate parties and voters actually have to weigh candidates individually, the way they should, rather than just blindly voting for someone because of his or her party affiliation.Party politics does no one any good. People feel immediate disdain for the candidate of the "other" party without even considering that person, in most cases. When in reality, most of us have some views that align with one party and some that align with another.

As to #2, I know, but it just makes you think how much money we are wasting on mostly inaccurate and unfair political TV ads that do nothing to advance any part of our society. We have a congressional race here in which $8 million or more will have been spent between the two candidates, mostly just attacking each other with misleading claims. What is the point? I've never given a dime to any politician and never will.
 
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the amount of money spent on campaigns is embarrassing and a shame but what we have that we are now fighting a battle of where our country is going. both parties have moved to the edges, nobody is in the middle in either party. not sure i have an answer but really laugh at those countries which have like 15 parties, each with their own little agenda. have never given to either party but this time i did because where i live, cannot have open borders and sanctuary cities protecting criminals who should not even be in our country. we need border integrity, safety and security as well as new immigration laws and we need all of that quickly not slowly. this has been an issue for decades not years, decades and until trump had the backbone to stand up and tell it like it is, nothing was being done other than allowing millions in without any laws being enforced. trump won because of his strong stance on the border and immigration. voted early and often last week to offset all of the illegal votes but still may not be enough to beat back the blue wave, even here in tejas.
 
Here's my suggestion.....now hold on....

First, term limits for all in Congress, 10 years
Second, pay them all equally $20 million per year, each and every one of them. Sound like a lot doesn't it? That's $12 billion a year, a drop in the bucket compared to what they spend every day. I reason that this will eliminate lobbyists and special interest groups, and congressmen and women will no longer need to buy votes, or rack in large nest eggs of money for themselves or their future elections.

Then maybe, just maybe, they can spend their 10 years actually being productive and fixing the country.
 
everyone hits on lobbyists but if the government is passing laws which impact your business then you have to have people there who can make sure they don't put you out of business. there are lobbyists in dc for every aspect of our country, from teachers to wildlife, everything and it is because that every law that is passed may harm you. would like to get rid of them and the money too but not possible because of what legislation can do to an entity.
 
I respect what you are saying, but entities come and go, things evolve. Unless you're Amish, you no longer drive horse and buggies. If industries go belly up because they are unsafe to our welfare, so be it. If red toed frogs have to die to make way for meaningful improvements, so be it.
 
It's an interesting concept, Rick. I don't hate it. It would work if politicians weren't greedy, but they'd probably all want $40 million instead of $20 million. Still, might be worth a shot.
 
I respect what you are saying, but entities come and go, things evolve. Unless you're Amish, you no longer drive horse and buggies. If industries go belly up because they are unsafe to our welfare, so be it. If red toed frogs have to die to make way for meaningful improvements, so be it.

I assume that you meant red-eyed tree frogs (pictured below), not red-toed frogs, which have golden toes and are a favorite among the Amish. I suspect that very few people will actually understand the implications of your metaphoric examples and the entanglements posed by their situation upon not only Republicans and Democrats but also Independents and Libertarians alike. Though I'm sure your post was not intended literally or as it might have come across to proponents of Agalychnis callidryas and the critical existential problems we face as a result of the status of their interspersion, I still wanted to let you know that I fully appreciate the far-reaching repercussions and I thank you for bringing this dilemma to light, albeit parenthetically.
Perhaps, just perhaps, we can continue the impetus and now begin to bring about needed
changes to protect that which we all hold dear. Thank you.

Cute-Red-eyed-Tree-Frog-image-VH3-0110098.jpg


red-eyed5.jpg
 
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Here's my suggestion.....now hold on....

First, term limits for all in Congress, 10 years
Second, pay them all equally $20 million per year, each and every one of them. Sound like a lot doesn't it? That's $12 billion a year, a drop in the bucket compared to what they spend every day. I reason that this will eliminate lobbyists and special interest groups, and congressmen and women will no longer need to buy votes, or rack in large nest eggs of money for themselves or their future elections.

Then maybe, just maybe, they can spend their 10 years actually being productive and fixing the country.
Has anyone ever wondered how on $200,000.00 a year. Senators leave being millionaires?
Term limits will never get through because of the gravy train so many of our supposed representatives are
able to bring home.
It’s a shame how the media has climbed in bed with the politicians (particularly the left) and avoid doing
any investigative reporting on these facts.
 
Here's my suggestion.....now hold on....

First, term limits for all in Congress, 10 years
Second, pay them all equally $20 million per year, each and every one of them. Sound like a lot doesn't it? That's $12 billion a year, a drop in the bucket compared to what they spend every day. I reason that this will eliminate lobbyists and special interest groups, and congressmen and women will no longer need to buy votes, or rack in large nest eggs of money for themselves or their future elections.

Then maybe, just maybe, they can spend their 10 years actually being productive and fixing the country.

I think raises are more necessary for state legislatures. Its insane how little politicians will sell out their constituents on that level because they're receiving stipend like payments. Think you only get 20k a year in VA as a legislator.

I don't think paying people 20 million is going to get them to stop doing what they do when you still have citizens united. Most senators are already millionaires as well as many reps. Eliminate citizens united and a lot of these hyper partisan BS will begin to die down, although I feel that it opened a can or worms that will be hard to put back in. Publicly fund elections(Rather tax payers do it then business interest subsidize it instead) so you don't have to be a millionaire to run which will put normal people in charge who know what its like to live day to day and introduce ranked choice voting. Eliminate gerrymandering and a lot of these problems will solve themselves. Easier said then done.
 
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look at the money spent to try and unseat ted cruz here in tx. unbelievable and a lot of it came from california and ny, outspent cruz by an amazing amount. am sure cruz also got outside of tx money as well but irritates me that people outside this state or any state for that matter can influence an election in my state or your state. on the other hand, when trump ran, all the big republican money did not go to him yet he won so there is hope if you have the right message(s). all the changes suggested would have to come from existing representatives and senators and have to think that means will never happen. term limits is the real answer but again incumbents are not going to legislate themselves out of office.
 
I think raises are more necessary for state legislatures. Its insane how little politicians will sell out their constituents on that level because they're receiving stipend like payments. Think you only get 20k a year in VA as a legislator.

New Hampshire Legislature gets paid $200 every two years and is one of the least corrupt states in the nation. It isn't about the system, it is about the people. As America imports an increasingly third world demographic, it is inevitable that third world politics follow.
 
New Hampshire Legislature gets paid $200 every two years and is one of the least corrupt states in the nation. It isn't about the system, it is about the people. As America imports an increasingly third world demographic, it is inevitable that third world politics follow.

Which of these State legislatures are the most corrupt and is it because of 3rd world politics?

https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries

Please educate us on your definition of 3rd world politics.Who and How do you import a demographic?

What “system”does New Hampshire have which should be used by other state legislatures?

Sorry,but I’m uneducated about all that you have written.
 
how do we control the money? term limits will most likely never materialize but the current system (PACs) are terrible, not saying have the solution but it is about raising $$$$ and the amounts of money raised are embarrassing, we cannot have these billionaires on both sides with agendas doling out huge amounts of cash and other entities doing the same and camouflaging it by saying it came from little donors, a huge scam. somehow use a template where all candidates are receiving the same amounts of money and eliminate big money coming from folks in different states to sway local or state elections. the tv ads should be eliminated, just so intrusive and obnoxious, another thing which will not happen. one thing, if you lose an election, quit trying to change the electoral college, letting 16 year olds vote, letting criminals in prison vote, just so stupid but serious to some folks. we do need to clean up or the states need to clean up their electoral process, florida comes to mind where a political hack controls all election steps and is just ripe for cheating and corruption.
 
Which of these State legislatures are the most corrupt and is it because of 3rd world politics?

https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries

Please educate us on your definition of 3rd world politics.Who and How do you import a demographic?

What “system”does New Hampshire have which should be used by other state legislatures?

Sorry,but I’m uneducated about all that you have written.

The "system" New Hampshire has is drawing its legislature from a pool of people from New England. New Hampshire basically doesn't pay anything at all. Vermont and Maine both give salaries and per diems. Yet they all have equally uncorrupt legislatures. The salaries and per diems given in Maine and Vermont pale versus places like California and New York, yet they have far less corruption.

What I am telling you is the amount you pay your legislature is irrelevant. Decent people will produce decent legislatures no matter the salary structure or rules governing campaign finance. Bad people will produce bad legislatures no matter the salary structure or rules governing campaign finance.
 
The "system" New Hampshire has is drawing its legislature from a pool of people from New England. New Hampshire basically doesn't pay anything at all. Vermont and Maine both give salaries and per diems. Yet they all have equally uncorrupt legislatures. The salaries and per diems given in Maine and Vermont pale versus places like California and New York, yet they have far less corruption.

What I am telling you is the amount you pay your legislature is irrelevant. Decent people will produce decent legislatures no matter the salary structure or rules governing campaign finance. Bad people will produce bad legislatures no matter the salary structure or rules governing campaign finance.

Not sure what you said is understandable but that’s ok.

What are the comparable sizes of the annual State budgets (expense and capital)
and whether that may influence your “corruption” thesis.New Hampshire has the 2nd smallest state budget .Although there seems to be “corruption” in the New England states of Rhode Island and Connecticut.What’s that about?It seems to be a steady flow of”corruption “.Bad people live there and not New Hampshire, I guess.Is it their Italian or Irish heritage which causes this “corruption”.

Can you share with us the “corruption” statistics of each legislative body including any indictments which were handed down and for what offense.

That way we can understand the specifics of your premise rather than generalities.

State budgets:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_budgets
 
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there are bad people, corruption, in politics at all levels. there are also good people and those who want to do good. can say that about any field of endeavor.
 
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