Friday, November 26, 2010

Don't clean up Washington, clean it out

It made news recently that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal called for Congress to become part-time:
"When they live under the same rules and laws they passed for the rest of us, maybe you'd see some more common sense coming out of Washington, D.C." he told the conservative publication. "Instead, you got a permanent governing political class."

Jindal, who once served as a congressman, cited Mark Twain in his proposal.

"We used to pay farmers not to grow crops, let's pay congressmen to stay out of Washington, D.C.," he said. "Mark Twain said that our liberty, our wallets were safest when the legislature's not in session."
Heck, I've been advocating a part-time Congress for a while. But I'd take a slightly different approach.

First, I'd go along with a part-time Congress. After a Congress is elected, one 90-day session, and then adjournment sine die.

I'm not so sure about term limits. If someone does a good job part-time, let him stay at it. With it becoming a part-time job, we might not end up with so many Congressman-for-life situations. I'd skip term limits.

Next, I'd clean out Washington. It's the seat of government. And, with a part-time government, we don't need so much going on there. We certainly don't need anyone living there. No housing. None. No one would own a house or an apartment in Washington. Because no one would live there.

The District of Columbia was set aside for the seat of government, and should be that and nothing more.

Sure, there are a lot of people that live and work in Washington, DC. There shouldn't be. Yes, it would be difficult to have to get a real job. I hate it for them.

And, well, I'd stop there. For now. I mean, with a part-time Congress, and no reason for a bunch of people living there, that pretty much solves most of the problems coming out of Washington.

But, maybe I'm a little too optimistic. What do you think? What would you do to clean up Washington. Or, better, clean out Washington?

2 comments:

  1. Basil, I gotta hand it to you...when you "dream," you dream BIG!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pay Congress not to legislate?

    HELL yeah! Can I get a little check box on my income tax form for that?

    ReplyDelete

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