I was thinking back to last year’s townhall meetings, here in The United States: Although they were very inspiring to watch, it was also very frustrating to see the blatant arrogance of many of these so-called Representatives, who get elected by the people, to go to Washington D.C. and represent their districts and states; yet, over the years, it appears that Representatives have become such a part of The Washington D.C. machine, that they all but forgot to whom their loyalties truly belong.
After experiencing this disconnect, and public display of arrogance by many of these Representatives, I started asking people, how exactly should these Representatives represent us in Congress? After all, The U.S. Constitution is explicit as to how they are to be elected, but there appears to be no true definition as to how they should represent us. Therefore, after some further thought, I have come up with a few suggestions:
1. It is incumbent on the people of each district to respectfully define what they expect from their Representatives, and not let them go to D.C. thinking they are no longer accountable to their constituents!
2. Every state should lobby their respective state legislatures, to have the power of recall of Senators and Representatives, added to their state Constitutions… this would put each elected official on notice, that they work for the people; and if they forget that, or go too far off the rails, by consensus of the voters, they will be relieved of their positions.
3. I truly believe, there needs to be a U.S. Constitutional Amendment that sets term limits for all Senators and Representatives… this would guarantee that Congress is not a career position, and new people with fresh ideas can continually be elected to Congress. Until then, perhaps the states could set their own term limits on the people they send to Congress.
4. The respective states, or the people in each Congressional district should decide, how do We, The People, want our relationship to be with our Representatives in Congress? In other words, do we want him or her to do biweekly or monthly town halls at home? On Congressional bills, do we want them to vote what the majority (rules) of the district decides? And how can the entire district participate in the voting process of each bill? This would ensure that all voting citizens have a voice in Congress, as opposed to leaving it solely up to one person to make the decisions for an entire district of voters.
5. Possibly the most important: We, the people, need to continue educating ourselves in regards to The U.S. Constitution, so that we have a firm idea of the principles, laws, and limitations, our Representatives should use to represent our country, as well as our states. Familiarity with The U.S. Constitution also allows us to know what our rights are, as citizens, and voters, of The United States.
These are a few of my ideas as to how we can bring more power back to where it belongs, with the people of The United States, and not solely with a few hundred bureaucrats in Washington D.C. I encourage every citizen to ponder the same question: how do we, the people, of our respective states, want our representatives to represent us in Washington D.C.?
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Friday, April 30th, 2010 (url)
<a rel="nofollow" name="nj-state-recall" rel="nofollow">
In our New Jersey State Constitution, the voting citizens do have the power of recall:
Article 1, Clause 2b:
The people reserve unto themselves the power to recall, after at least one year of service, any elected official in this State or representing this State in the United States Congress. The Legislature shall enact laws to provide for such recall elections. Any such laws shall include a provision that a recall election shall be held upon petition of at least 25% of the registered voters in the electoral district of the official sought to be recalled. If legislation to implement this constitutional amendment is not enacted within one year of the adoption of the amendment, the Secretary of State shall, by regulation, implement the constitutional amendment, except that regulations adopted by the Secretary of State shall be superseded by any subsequent legislation consistent with this constitutional amendment governing recall elections. The sufficiency of any statement of reasons or grounds procedurally required shall be a political rather than a judicial question.
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 (url)
No longer can the people of the United States remain passive, apathetic, or complacent regarding our government and it's arrogance. We must be vigilant, less trusting, and more proactive in what goes on in Washington, DC. Our interest in what our government does or attempts to do, can only be rewarded with the type of country and freedom that we all love. Hold your government accountable for all that they do!
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 (url)
I totally agree Barb!
I think it would also be a great idea if states require a one month course in civics and "constitutional law," for anyone who is elected (Representative or Senator) to Congress. Everyone is required to take an oath to our Constitution, but there seem to be few that truly understand and uphold our Constitution… according to it's original intentions.