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Are we ready for another Contract with America?

MaggieD

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1994 Contract with America:

Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

What other points should be included?
What should be the penalty for failure?
Are we ready for that THIS year? 2012?
 
1994 Contract with America:

Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

What other points should be included?
What should be the penalty for failure?
Are we ready for that THIS year? 2012?

Sorry Maggie, although a few people might like it to happen.
It simply will not happen.
None of the crooks elected or standing to be elected will if elected ever do something that a few people want.
 
I believe the government already has a contract, The Constitution.
 
1994 Contract with America:

Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

What other points should be included?
What should be the penalty for failure?
Are we ready for that THIS year? 2012?

How about even remotely finishing the first one?
 
I would rather see laws that restrict lobbying. That would solve a lot of the current problems.
 
I would rather see laws that restrict lobbying. That would solve a lot of the current problems.
You're exactly right but the catch is that lobbying is applied to the rights of free speech, assembly, and redress and it would be extremely tricky to do any meaningful reform that also happens to be constitutional.
My opinion is that to successfully reign in lobbying it will take a majority in congress with the fortitude and desire to word a lobby reform bill that would give the people at large control back and stand up to court scrutiny. What I think would have to happen is that professional lobbying would have to be designated as a commercial venture and therefore less protected than political speech freedoms than people gathering to speak to politicians independently.
 
Here's the latest version I've seen on what the Republicans are offering to America.

Excerpted from “The Republican Tea Party Contract On America
[SIZE="+2"]F[/SIZE]or the better part of the past year, Republicans have tried to come up with a new agenda for the American people with mixed results. However, with the Tea Party now the most potent force in Republican politics, and with the recent launch of the Tea Party Caucus on Capitol Hill garnering the support of Republican leaders like National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Pete Sessions and Republican Caucus Chair Mike Pence, the Republican Party agenda has become clear. Republican leaders and Tea Party-supported Republican candidates can now rally around the "Republican Tea Party Contract on America" as the blueprint for how they would govern.

1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)

Put insurance companies back in charge, repeal tax credits for small businesses, allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions and to drop coverage when a person gets too sick and make prescription drugs for seniors less affordable.

2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether

Turn the guaranteed retirement benefits of America's seniors over to Wall Street CEOs …

3. End Medicare as it presently exists

Phase out and end Medicare as it presently exists …

4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil

At a cost of nearly $700 billion, extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and big oil …

5.6.7.8.9.10.
 
Here's the latest version I've seen on what the Republicans are offering to America.
As a Tea partyer the Republicans do not represent me as a whole and neither do the Democrats, the tea party I belong to doesn't have republican in front of the name. So i don't know what your trying to start here or trying to label our party as republican but, your off the mark. Leftist propaganda will not work with this party although propaganda does work well with brain washing the leftist always has..
 
@Chappy you and I both know that this is just the democrats over simplifying what the Republicans are all about now, even if it is for the most part true. Although, many of those ideas they put forth are whacky ideas made by "Republicans" like Rand Paul that most Republicans distance themselves from because even they know the ideas are stupid.

Here is the actual contract from the tea parties. Some of it is reasonable enough, although I still am baffled that most people don't realize Bush tax cuts don't directly effect them. Here are some more whacky ideas though.
 
Here's the latest version I've seen on what the Republicans are offering to America.

Actually all you did was mask a link back to Democrats.org. A bit disingenuous, eh....??



.
 
You're exactly right but the catch is that lobbying is applied to the rights of free speech, assembly, and redress and it would be extremely tricky to do any meaningful reform that also happens to be constitutional.
My opinion is that to successfully reign in lobbying it will take a majority in congress with the fortitude and desire to word a lobby reform bill that would give the people at large control back and stand up to court scrutiny. What I think would have to happen is that professional lobbying would have to be designated as a commercial venture and therefore less protected than political speech freedoms than people gathering to speak to politicians independently.

Well you guys better do it soon... your congress is rapidly degenerating into a corporatocracy.
 
1994 Contract with America:

Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

What other points should be included?
What should be the penalty for failure?
Are we ready for that THIS year? 2012?

How about the following:
Re-assert Congressional authority over aspects of the federal government to regain checks and balances with the Presidency.
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass tax breaks and tax credits.
Make it compulsory for all federal laws to sunset after 20 years.
Allow all federal laws to be repealed via a national popular initiative that requires a majority nationwide and a majority within a majority of the 50 states.
Repeal of the PATRIOT ACT.
Call for alternative voting systems to allow third-party voters to have a greater say in the federal government.
But an end to no-bid contracts that stifle competition among government contractors.
75% of all federal taxes generated from a state be spent within that state.
Put age limits (but not term limits) for Congressmen and Senators.
Greater accountability for defense spending.
 
hmm, how about (given past experience) also:

Require all signatories to swear to this course under oath in such a manner that perjury cases can be successfully brought against them if they later 'change their mind' or 'realize things are more nuanced than that'.

you gotta give these people incentive. carrot and the stick.
 
1994 Contract with America:

Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

What other points should be included?
What should be the penalty for failure?
Are we ready for that THIS year? 2012?

All committee proceedings should be televised on a c-span like network, unless there is a national security interest.
 
As a Tea partyer the Republicans do not represent me as a whole and neither do the Democrats, the tea party I belong to doesn't have republican in front of the name. So i don't know what your trying to start here or trying to label our party as republican but, your off the mark. Leftist propaganda will not work with this party although propaganda does work well with brain washing the leftist always has..

i'm not so sure. the average tea partier will vote republican, and you know that. rightist propaganda is certainly working on that group, isn't it?
 
@Chappy you and I both know that this is just the democrats over simplifying what the Republicans are all about now, even if it is for the most part true. Although, many of those ideas they put forth are whacky ideas made by "Republicans" like Rand Paul that most Republicans distance themselves from because even they know the ideas are stupid.

Here is the actual contract from the tea parties. Some of it is reasonable enough, although I still am baffled that most people don't realize Bush tax cuts don't directly effect them. Here are some more whacky ideas though.

why are you baffled? i think that's normal. you don't see multi millionaries out there marching with the tea partiers......wonder why that is?
 
except no one has ever claimed the bush tax custs affected only those making over 250k, have they? so what is your point?

Oh good. So you know that almost everyone's taxes will go up if there's no extension of the Bush tax cuts. Can I ask if you're for or against letting them expire?
 
Oh good. So you know that almost everyone's taxes will go up if there's no extension of the Bush tax cuts. Can I ask if you're for or against letting them expire?

why didn't you answer my question? what's your point?

i am for letting them selectively expire. the marriage deduction should remain, as should the child tax credit. i have no issues with investment income tax, and yes, i have investments. i also have no problems with estate tax, it's an overblown issue. as for the tax brackets, i think increasing the top tiers is warranted.

we need tax revenue, and we need to reduce spending. the bush tax cuts never really generated additional tax revenues, as people claim. the sad fact is we do need to raise taxes. clinton had pretty much the right economic recipe.
 
Oh good. So you know that almost everyone's taxes will go up if there's no extension of the Bush tax cuts. Can I ask if you're for or against letting them expire?

I think we should let portions of them expire. Personally, it wouldn't hurt me much if my taxes went up a few %.
 
@mellie you do know that Obama has proposed that only the top bracket tax cuts be phased out, and that the tax cuts in the lower brackets be made permanent right? This is what I am talking about, the constant belief that Obama is going to punish the middle class and poor.
 
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