I almost named this "Neighborhood Elections", but then I realized the village I live in is lacking in neighborly character.
Elections are only 48 hours away, I have been home from university exactly that long, and we are right in the middle of a heated election for the Board of the association. The usual campaign flyers have been distributed--comically one was delivered to our door last night telling my mother not to vote for herself because she was a liar and a thief.
Tempers are really flaring, and old festering wounds are being gouged and freshly salted. A few years ago when my mother was serving on the board as president she was the unlucky member of a board which had to replace the roofs, fences, and repaint the buildings, all in one year. Being slightly obseesive compulsive about the failures of leadership, I blame what happened to my mother, on the delinquency of previous boards to establish an account to pay for new roofs, when they were needed. So when it came time to do all of this necessary work, it naturally fell to the board to collect assesments to pay for them over a period of roughly two years. Fences and trelaces were rotting too and initial quotes put the assocviation in a position of paying to replace some sections and boards or everything.
To ensure that we got the best quality my mother consulted her boyfriend, a onstruction worker, and he said to use a certain type of wood that was chemically treated, and would give us a lot of years, so long as there was a fresh coat of paint every now and again. So the wood was inspected, and turned out that we needed it all replaced, which was better since we wouldnt need replacements for some now and some later, just finish it, do it right, and dont worry about it for a few years. Well these contracts take longer than a year to complete, and somewhere along the line the opposition group came in and said we were doing it all wrong and screwing up the community. No sooner had they stolen the election away than they backed out of the contract to replace the wood, and messed up the way assesments were going to be collected, and some roofs didnt get completed till about last year before hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Luckily just in time. But they cause such a scandal that the company doing the fences threatened to sue, and the management company was sueing for lible because of defamation of character by the idiots who got elected.
My mom was voted out, but not because what she was doing was bad, but because the enemy used scare tactics to get people to vote for the condo nazis. The other problem is that the people who dont care dont vote, yet they do care when something goes wrong. For some reason people forget to vote when things are going good for them.
So here we are at another annual election, where the condo nazis are digging up old propaganda and using it to scare people. As unofficial campaign manager for my mother and those who are one our side, and wish to see the slimey cold hearted tyrants thrown out of the neighborhood, we have decided not to involve ourselves with too much campaigning, other than word of mouth, simply because we would rather win this election without putting too much work into it, and simply letting the votes reflect just how many people the nazis have made mad.
They certainly have racked up a lot of opposition simply by being the good "responsible" board members they claim to be on their flyers.
Thats the Report. I'm Jason Weakley.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
an open letter to Sen. Bill Nelson (D), FL
After getting a letter from Bill about his efforts in Florida concerning the disaster of Hurricane Wilma I decided to write him a letter. Below is the main body of his email, and it was follwed by other blurbs of information about how to get help, phone numbers, etc.:
"I have been traveling in Florida over the last several days, first in anticipation of Hurricane Wilma and, now to assess the damage and the response. I’m being told by local officials that the Federal government failed to preposition enough water, food, ice, and generators in the affected areas, and that the lack of power in vast areas is drastically exacerbating supply shortages, and hindering efforts to deliver assistance to storm victims. I’m urging FEMA to quickly provide more generators to areas hardest hit and encouraging Florida utilities to exceed their current estimates for restoring power to 75% of affected areas by November 8."
Sincerely,
Bill Nelson
U.S. Senator
Well, I had to write him back, I do appreciate any effort he makes to improve the lives of others, though I believe such efforts should be from him personally, and not as a member of government. My letter:
Dear Senator Nelson,
Monday was my first day of classes after the hurricane hit my county and the county my school is in. I am sure that you have put a great deal of effort into making personal contact with the effects of this disaster, however I am surely able to say that my experience is much more personal, having ridden out the storm in my home and then helped my neighbors and church members clear debris and repair their homes.
As a political science major at [university] I am always keenly interested and critical of the way human beings perceive the role of government. In my political theory class on Monday we were right in the middle of discussions about the state of nature, the base nature of man, and the role of government. Our discussions revolved around the writings of John Locke, and a little of Thomas Hobbes.
Specifically when we considered the effects of price caps on gasoline and generators, I was certain that such actions by government, though possibly well-intended, actually have the opposite effect of helping people. I would challenge you to consider a bipartisan position with Mel Martinez, as the sensible Senators from Florida, who want to do a better job for all Americans when it comes to disaster relief. If Floridians can’t come up with a solution, from our vast experience with disaster, no one else can.
What I propose is a lifting of price caps on essential items, simply allow businesses to charge whatever prices they wish on water, gas, generators, etc. The incentive for companies, even private individuals to make money off selling their goods will encourage them to come to Florida, or any area directly in the path of a hurricane, and sell to whoever is willing to pay. No one from Florida (North), or Georgia, or the Carolinas who owns a personal generator would dare think of driving down here to sell a generator at regular price... it simply isn’t worth the effort. Yet if they were allowed to sell their product for any price they wished, in a free market place, the simple laws of supply and demand would determine the real market price and thus open the affected area up for greater stockpiles. 7 days before a storm, prices might be 200% what they should be, but as days move along, and the wealthy who can afford such prices have made their purchases, demand will go down, and prices will go down, 5 days before a storm prices may very well be at 150%, and so on and so forth, as the storm gets closer and we are at the day before the storm the seller of the generator my only make a 20% profit but its enough to break even once the cost of transportation is factored in. This pre-storm effect will be beneficial, and possibly the post-storm situations will not be so bad, everyone looking for the supplies. The very good part of all this will be that gasoline producers and oil refiners, an industry very much in trouble and need of growth if we are to lower gas prices, would see the opportunity to make extra money if they knew they could before and after a storm. By keeping prices low, they have no incentive to produce more -- this causes the shortage -- aren’t price caps designed to do that? Yet they do exactly the opposite.
Mr. Nelson, I read the Op-Ed pages and letters to the editor of the Sun-Sentinel just days after the hurricane, I encourage you to do the same, I think you will see many ideas which have their root in Locke, Hobbes, Mill, Rousseau, and other political theorists of the 17-19th centuries, and I hope that you being an American understand that the foundations of our wealthy nation were, and very much still are (in the hearts and minds of the people) a Lockian philosophy of the role of government.
Sincerely,
Jason Weakley
"I have been traveling in Florida over the last several days, first in anticipation of Hurricane Wilma and, now to assess the damage and the response. I’m being told by local officials that the Federal government failed to preposition enough water, food, ice, and generators in the affected areas, and that the lack of power in vast areas is drastically exacerbating supply shortages, and hindering efforts to deliver assistance to storm victims. I’m urging FEMA to quickly provide more generators to areas hardest hit and encouraging Florida utilities to exceed their current estimates for restoring power to 75% of affected areas by November 8."
Sincerely,
Bill Nelson
U.S. Senator
Well, I had to write him back, I do appreciate any effort he makes to improve the lives of others, though I believe such efforts should be from him personally, and not as a member of government. My letter:
Dear Senator Nelson,
Monday was my first day of classes after the hurricane hit my county and the county my school is in. I am sure that you have put a great deal of effort into making personal contact with the effects of this disaster, however I am surely able to say that my experience is much more personal, having ridden out the storm in my home and then helped my neighbors and church members clear debris and repair their homes.
As a political science major at [university] I am always keenly interested and critical of the way human beings perceive the role of government. In my political theory class on Monday we were right in the middle of discussions about the state of nature, the base nature of man, and the role of government. Our discussions revolved around the writings of John Locke, and a little of Thomas Hobbes.
Specifically when we considered the effects of price caps on gasoline and generators, I was certain that such actions by government, though possibly well-intended, actually have the opposite effect of helping people. I would challenge you to consider a bipartisan position with Mel Martinez, as the sensible Senators from Florida, who want to do a better job for all Americans when it comes to disaster relief. If Floridians can’t come up with a solution, from our vast experience with disaster, no one else can.
What I propose is a lifting of price caps on essential items, simply allow businesses to charge whatever prices they wish on water, gas, generators, etc. The incentive for companies, even private individuals to make money off selling their goods will encourage them to come to Florida, or any area directly in the path of a hurricane, and sell to whoever is willing to pay. No one from Florida (North), or Georgia, or the Carolinas who owns a personal generator would dare think of driving down here to sell a generator at regular price... it simply isn’t worth the effort. Yet if they were allowed to sell their product for any price they wished, in a free market place, the simple laws of supply and demand would determine the real market price and thus open the affected area up for greater stockpiles. 7 days before a storm, prices might be 200% what they should be, but as days move along, and the wealthy who can afford such prices have made their purchases, demand will go down, and prices will go down, 5 days before a storm prices may very well be at 150%, and so on and so forth, as the storm gets closer and we are at the day before the storm the seller of the generator my only make a 20% profit but its enough to break even once the cost of transportation is factored in. This pre-storm effect will be beneficial, and possibly the post-storm situations will not be so bad, everyone looking for the supplies. The very good part of all this will be that gasoline producers and oil refiners, an industry very much in trouble and need of growth if we are to lower gas prices, would see the opportunity to make extra money if they knew they could before and after a storm. By keeping prices low, they have no incentive to produce more -- this causes the shortage -- aren’t price caps designed to do that? Yet they do exactly the opposite.
Mr. Nelson, I read the Op-Ed pages and letters to the editor of the Sun-Sentinel just days after the hurricane, I encourage you to do the same, I think you will see many ideas which have their root in Locke, Hobbes, Mill, Rousseau, and other political theorists of the 17-19th centuries, and I hope that you being an American understand that the foundations of our wealthy nation were, and very much still are (in the hearts and minds of the people) a Lockian philosophy of the role of government.
Sincerely,
Jason Weakley
Monday, September 26, 2005
The Fall of an Empire
I am not a pessimist. I consider myself optimistic, and a realist. However, there are signs of America’s falling world position. The national debt is now $8 trillion dollars and is sure to surge to almost 8.5 within a year’s time. The events surrounding Hurricane Katrina show us an ominous portrait of ourselves. We can send hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf, but we can’t respond to a national disaster in time.
I must go off on a tangent here… for one thing, the Federal Government has no authority to be rebuilding anything. I don’t want to sound heartless… (I have already donated to the United Methodist Committee on Relief), but the job of rebuilding is up to the private investors. Look back in history… private money rebuilt the cities of Chicago and San Francisco. We have come too far from our roots in John Locke’s political theories – popular ideas that shaped the founding of our nation and survived for almost 100 years until the Civil War when the Era of Big Government began to show its ugly head.
War is the breeding ground for larger government. Since the Spanish-American War to the four terms of F.D.R. to the Iraq War and the Patriot Act… our government assumes too much power. Where is the right to control the major part of your life through local government? We all know that Congress doesn’t listen to us. We only get two choices for president. Come on, admit it… even when you’re not burning up about the mistakes and shortcomings of the “other party” you can’t stand a lot of what your party stands for since it doesn’t represent your immediate needs.
Would you rather give the IRS about 50% of what you give them now? Would you rather have many of the social programs and other functions of government in the tighter control of YOUR OWN HANDS by giving them to the State Legislatures? Take education for example… it’s a state-wide program without any competition. If you don’t know already, the certification of teachers is not effective nor efficient. They learn how to take a test to get the certification, not how to teach. I went through the public school system of Broward County Florida, one of the most populous counties in one of the top four stats for students in the country. Why do you think private schools do better, why are parents looking for school vouchers for these schools? It’s because private schools don’t blindly reject teachers without certification. Obviously, if you’re a fake it’s found out pretty soon wouldn’t you say? Cities should have control over their schools and the system needs to be designed for competition – competition for % of students with GPA’s over 3.25, 3.5, and 3.75. How many students does the school have in honors societies, how many read above their level, how many compete in academic competitions across the nation? These are the things schools should compete for, and get funding from the state.
This is the same argument for all aspects of government though. The old joke, what is the opposite of “Progress”… the answer being “Congress”. It’s true! These people don’t know how to run a country. Let them make Laws not Legislation. Laws are broad guiding principles that guide the means to an end. Legislation is goal setting, its stuff you can accomplish; it’s the “ends of the means”. Universal healthcare would be legislation, “thou shall not murder” is a law. If you wanted universal healthcare… pass it in your own state! I won’t pay for it. And to force me to pay your hospital bill by using the power of the IRS and FBI to coerce me into it is morally wrong.
The unrestrained power of Washington will destroy this nation from within unless people like you and me start voting these long time incumbents out of office, and start running for the positions ourselves… but please God, make sure they have a good education on the economics and political science of our Western traditions.
I must go off on a tangent here… for one thing, the Federal Government has no authority to be rebuilding anything. I don’t want to sound heartless… (I have already donated to the United Methodist Committee on Relief), but the job of rebuilding is up to the private investors. Look back in history… private money rebuilt the cities of Chicago and San Francisco. We have come too far from our roots in John Locke’s political theories – popular ideas that shaped the founding of our nation and survived for almost 100 years until the Civil War when the Era of Big Government began to show its ugly head.
War is the breeding ground for larger government. Since the Spanish-American War to the four terms of F.D.R. to the Iraq War and the Patriot Act… our government assumes too much power. Where is the right to control the major part of your life through local government? We all know that Congress doesn’t listen to us. We only get two choices for president. Come on, admit it… even when you’re not burning up about the mistakes and shortcomings of the “other party” you can’t stand a lot of what your party stands for since it doesn’t represent your immediate needs.
Would you rather give the IRS about 50% of what you give them now? Would you rather have many of the social programs and other functions of government in the tighter control of YOUR OWN HANDS by giving them to the State Legislatures? Take education for example… it’s a state-wide program without any competition. If you don’t know already, the certification of teachers is not effective nor efficient. They learn how to take a test to get the certification, not how to teach. I went through the public school system of Broward County Florida, one of the most populous counties in one of the top four stats for students in the country. Why do you think private schools do better, why are parents looking for school vouchers for these schools? It’s because private schools don’t blindly reject teachers without certification. Obviously, if you’re a fake it’s found out pretty soon wouldn’t you say? Cities should have control over their schools and the system needs to be designed for competition – competition for % of students with GPA’s over 3.25, 3.5, and 3.75. How many students does the school have in honors societies, how many read above their level, how many compete in academic competitions across the nation? These are the things schools should compete for, and get funding from the state.
This is the same argument for all aspects of government though. The old joke, what is the opposite of “Progress”… the answer being “Congress”. It’s true! These people don’t know how to run a country. Let them make Laws not Legislation. Laws are broad guiding principles that guide the means to an end. Legislation is goal setting, its stuff you can accomplish; it’s the “ends of the means”. Universal healthcare would be legislation, “thou shall not murder” is a law. If you wanted universal healthcare… pass it in your own state! I won’t pay for it. And to force me to pay your hospital bill by using the power of the IRS and FBI to coerce me into it is morally wrong.
The unrestrained power of Washington will destroy this nation from within unless people like you and me start voting these long time incumbents out of office, and start running for the positions ourselves… but please God, make sure they have a good education on the economics and political science of our Western traditions.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
The Ghestapo strikes again
The woman has done it this time... She reported my dog not being on a leash to the neighborhood management company. I have received a certified letter, costing about $5, telling me that repeated calls were made regarding several incidents of my dog not being on a leash, and that I did not pick up after him. All I have to say to that, is if they are going to lie like that, and spend $5 to make a deal about this... Then they have got themselves a war.
The process of these notifications is based on nothing. In all actuality the Board could send a ficticious letter to anyone they don't like, claiming any violation they want, and after the third offense, they can fine me or any other person $100, per offense, but no more than $1,000. And since these people are nothing more important than a neighbor living a few doors down... Their powers over other neighbors are considerable, dare I say unconstitutional.
I plan to challenge them this week with a letter demanding evidence of the incident. Without any proof on their part, how can they claim to have the authority to fine me?
We shall see what they say when I present this letter, and then soon I will also try to pass a bylaw that limits their terms in office, and make each position on the board directly elected by the people. Currently the five member board, once elected, decides amongst themselves who will hold what office. That is undemocratic, and has hurt this neighborhood for too long.
The process of these notifications is based on nothing. In all actuality the Board could send a ficticious letter to anyone they don't like, claiming any violation they want, and after the third offense, they can fine me or any other person $100, per offense, but no more than $1,000. And since these people are nothing more important than a neighbor living a few doors down... Their powers over other neighbors are considerable, dare I say unconstitutional.
I plan to challenge them this week with a letter demanding evidence of the incident. Without any proof on their part, how can they claim to have the authority to fine me?
We shall see what they say when I present this letter, and then soon I will also try to pass a bylaw that limits their terms in office, and make each position on the board directly elected by the people. Currently the five member board, once elected, decides amongst themselves who will hold what office. That is undemocratic, and has hurt this neighborhood for too long.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Illegal Immigration linked to Terrorism
It is a terrible tragedy when innocent people lose their lives to barbarians like radical Islamic terrorists. From the New York attacks, the Madrid attacks, and today's London attacks terrorism is affecting our world more and more. The greater tragedy is that not a single world leader, or anyone in the governments of Western nations are doing anything to protect national borders.
The outrage in America is President Bush's absolute refusal to protect our border with Mexico. President Fox of Mexico was in Scotland with the G8 Summit where the most important issue to the citizens of these powerful nations (I was not aware Mexico had become a powerful nation) is the security of our homes, communities, and primarily our borders!
When the Minutemen Project began in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border, President Bush called his fellow American's vigilantes. Technically speaking these citizens were vigilantes by definition of the word... But George made it sound like they should be punished for doing what Washington D.C. refuses to do. However, just today Bush made a public statement to all Americans to remain "vigilant" into he face of terror. Hypocrisy? Memory loss? A new speech writer? President Bush has back tracked his own words to the point of tripping over himself.
I feel terrible for the families of Londoners who lost a loved one to the "particularly barbaric" attacks, as Tony Blair phrased it. In a country with near 65 million residents, they have a much higher percentage of Muslim citizens, many of whom publicly protest the nation they live in.
Border security is as important in all European nations as it is America. But somehow, the mind boggling reality persists month after month... While politicians in Washington sit on their rear ends the people are left defenseless, ostracize for their patriotism and left to do the work of a government. The business of defending a nation has been left to its people while politicians pork barrel and raise taxes along with their own salaries.
I'm an American citizen, and I demand my government act.
The outrage in America is President Bush's absolute refusal to protect our border with Mexico. President Fox of Mexico was in Scotland with the G8 Summit where the most important issue to the citizens of these powerful nations (I was not aware Mexico had become a powerful nation) is the security of our homes, communities, and primarily our borders!
When the Minutemen Project began in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border, President Bush called his fellow American's vigilantes. Technically speaking these citizens were vigilantes by definition of the word... But George made it sound like they should be punished for doing what Washington D.C. refuses to do. However, just today Bush made a public statement to all Americans to remain "vigilant" into he face of terror. Hypocrisy? Memory loss? A new speech writer? President Bush has back tracked his own words to the point of tripping over himself.
I feel terrible for the families of Londoners who lost a loved one to the "particularly barbaric" attacks, as Tony Blair phrased it. In a country with near 65 million residents, they have a much higher percentage of Muslim citizens, many of whom publicly protest the nation they live in.
Border security is as important in all European nations as it is America. But somehow, the mind boggling reality persists month after month... While politicians in Washington sit on their rear ends the people are left defenseless, ostracize for their patriotism and left to do the work of a government. The business of defending a nation has been left to its people while politicians pork barrel and raise taxes along with their own salaries.
I'm an American citizen, and I demand my government act.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Neighbors and Condominium Associations
Personal experience and a love for the principles America was founded on is what drives my website, WeakleyReport.com Today was one of those days where experience can further add to the content of my website, and to your benefit as well.
Earlier this afternoon I had just arrived home from work and was particularly exhausted this day, and wanted to shower and relax. I was on the phone with a friend, and opened the door to let my dog walk in the yard. My dog is small, 12lbs, and 8 years old and the yard is not very large but there is no danger of him darting off into the street. Still on my cell phone I am no more than 20 feet from my house and one of the General Staff of the Third Reich creeps along in her car, window rolled down, and proceeds to interrogate me from across the street about the location of my dog's leash. This is not the first encounter I have had with this woman, who has never run for the Neighborhood Board but somehow finds it as her responsibility to assert her superiority over the rest of the neighborhood that is not over the age of 55.
A small argument followed, with my friend on the phone suddenly turned speechless while the back and forth goes on. I threatened to call the police and file a report, which I did as soon as I had taken my hot shower. Her harassment is now on record.
If you live in a homeowners association or a condominium association and have had your share of encounters with "Condo Nazis" please comment here or get in contact with me. I would love to hear your stories.
One component of my website which I have not had the time to begin is a section devoted to local politics, focused specifically at Florida and the oppression of Condo Boards.
Supreme Court decision of 1995
This is the first of several instalments you will see over the next weeks and months concerning the need to appoint judges to the Supreme Court that will decide constitutional cases, and overturn others that are unconstitutional.
In the past eleven years this has been the longest serving court without a replacement in America's history. It has delivered decisions on a range of issues that challenge the spirit of the Constitution and Liberty. One case in particular is that of U.S. Term Limits, Inc., v. Thornton in which the court ruled on an issue of Term Limits for federal representatives which were being legislated by at least 20 States in 1994. The case overturned the States' rights to do that in 1995, a decision that is not entirely supported by the framework of uor nation. If the definition of "United States" is that of a union of fifty individual and sovereign nations (also known as states). And that each state has its own representatives of the people living withing those states, sent to Washington D.C. to govern the territories as a whole nation... then why can the citizens of these states not determine the length of service for their representatives.
Keep in mind that the Constitution is not a Rocket Science manual. If you can read, and have event he poorest of high school educations, you still have an education that allows you to understand our nation's most important legal document. If you do read the first Article you will see that the Electors from each state (the members of the Electoral College responsible for electing the President) must have the same requirements as the members of the most populated legislative branch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the citizens of each state determine those requirements? In this same paragraph, just above, the "People of the several States" chose their representatives every two years. The constitution does not mention a word about requirements, other than being 25 years old and seven years a citizen of that particular state he will represent. The 9th and 10th amendments clearly challenge the position of the Court in 1995 when it ruled that Arkansas citizens could not limit the terms of their representatives, when clearly that have a similar power over restrictions when it comes to Electors.
Our Supreme Court needs to return to a position of protecting the constitution, not pandering to Congress or the President. They are independent from the other two branches of our government, charged with the responsibility of keeping the laws of this nation alligned with the spirit and meaning our Founding Fathers wrote them with.
WeakleyReport.com encourages you to write your senators, and even though the House has no say in the appointment of Judges, you could write them also since these people live and work and play golf together. BUt write your senators and tell them you want justices that wont legislate from the bench, and who support OUR freedoms.
In the past eleven years this has been the longest serving court without a replacement in America's history. It has delivered decisions on a range of issues that challenge the spirit of the Constitution and Liberty. One case in particular is that of U.S. Term Limits, Inc., v. Thornton in which the court ruled on an issue of Term Limits for federal representatives which were being legislated by at least 20 States in 1994. The case overturned the States' rights to do that in 1995, a decision that is not entirely supported by the framework of uor nation. If the definition of "United States" is that of a union of fifty individual and sovereign nations (also known as states). And that each state has its own representatives of the people living withing those states, sent to Washington D.C. to govern the territories as a whole nation... then why can the citizens of these states not determine the length of service for their representatives.
Keep in mind that the Constitution is not a Rocket Science manual. If you can read, and have event he poorest of high school educations, you still have an education that allows you to understand our nation's most important legal document. If you do read the first Article you will see that the Electors from each state (the members of the Electoral College responsible for electing the President) must have the same requirements as the members of the most populated legislative branch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the citizens of each state determine those requirements? In this same paragraph, just above, the "People of the several States" chose their representatives every two years. The constitution does not mention a word about requirements, other than being 25 years old and seven years a citizen of that particular state he will represent. The 9th and 10th amendments clearly challenge the position of the Court in 1995 when it ruled that Arkansas citizens could not limit the terms of their representatives, when clearly that have a similar power over restrictions when it comes to Electors.
Our Supreme Court needs to return to a position of protecting the constitution, not pandering to Congress or the President. They are independent from the other two branches of our government, charged with the responsibility of keeping the laws of this nation alligned with the spirit and meaning our Founding Fathers wrote them with.
WeakleyReport.com encourages you to write your senators, and even though the House has no say in the appointment of Judges, you could write them also since these people live and work and play golf together. BUt write your senators and tell them you want justices that wont legislate from the bench, and who support OUR freedoms.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Happy Fourth
Juat wanted to wish all our readers a Happy 4th of July. Be safe on this holiday and enjoy being with family and friends.
As always we are interested in what you want to read about at WeakelyReport.com, so let us know what issues you are interested in this time of the year when we remember our nation's history and celebrate our freedoms.
As always we are interested in what you want to read about at WeakelyReport.com, so let us know what issues you are interested in this time of the year when we remember our nation's history and celebrate our freedoms.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Term Limits for Congress?
In recent months the United States Congress has received some of its lowest approval raitings in decades. Political news programs are not so quick to point out some of the obvious truth about why Congress appears to be doing so poorly. Some people are not all lost however since I have heard a few voices say that Congress has lost all touch with the American people.
It does look as though Congress has lost America's pulse. They dont know where we stand. This can be attributed to two causes, but ultimately back to one main cause. The first is that Americans do not get involved in politics. They o not write thier Congressmen... they dont vote... and we dont write the newspaper. And when we do protest its usually organized by some large Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or social policy group with millionair funders protesting some issue that frankly more Americans could care less about.
The second cause for Congress' poor approval ratings is that Congressmen have been in Washington for so long, they forgot (if they ever knew) what their average neighbors back home really want from government. Many Senators and House members stay in office for decades because they have been around long enough to vote on bills that assure they receive the right funding from lobbyists come re-election. Some people say that these Congressmen are re-elected by the people because the people want him back in office... bull shit! These men and women get go back to Washington because they could afford the advertisements on TV, the large hordes of people waiving signs on the street corners. They can afford to throw lavish fundraiser parties and basically present the image that they will win just because their campaign is flashier that the next person's -- forget issues, forget policy, forget character... unless you want to spend thousands smearing your opponent.
What this country needs, besides a massive overhauling of reform for campaign finance, is Term Limits on Congress. You can read about proposed ideas for Term Limits at www.WeakleyReport.com and find out more about the abuses of power from our own Congress.
It does look as though Congress has lost America's pulse. They dont know where we stand. This can be attributed to two causes, but ultimately back to one main cause. The first is that Americans do not get involved in politics. They o not write thier Congressmen... they dont vote... and we dont write the newspaper. And when we do protest its usually organized by some large Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or social policy group with millionair funders protesting some issue that frankly more Americans could care less about.
The second cause for Congress' poor approval ratings is that Congressmen have been in Washington for so long, they forgot (if they ever knew) what their average neighbors back home really want from government. Many Senators and House members stay in office for decades because they have been around long enough to vote on bills that assure they receive the right funding from lobbyists come re-election. Some people say that these Congressmen are re-elected by the people because the people want him back in office... bull shit! These men and women get go back to Washington because they could afford the advertisements on TV, the large hordes of people waiving signs on the street corners. They can afford to throw lavish fundraiser parties and basically present the image that they will win just because their campaign is flashier that the next person's -- forget issues, forget policy, forget character... unless you want to spend thousands smearing your opponent.
What this country needs, besides a massive overhauling of reform for campaign finance, is Term Limits on Congress. You can read about proposed ideas for Term Limits at www.WeakleyReport.com and find out more about the abuses of power from our own Congress.
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