A Return to Our Constitution

Back when this Country started, Congress was a part-time job. That is why we had Sessions, and the clause about the President being able to call Congress back should an important matter arrive. The people who had been elected to Congress would meet once a year for a while, and take care of the business of the United States Federal Government. Of course, the business of the Federal Government was pretty simple, seeing as how the Sovereign States of our union took care of their own business. Federal Government was charged with only a few things: Provide for the common defence and general welfare (Not an entitlement program) of the United States. Regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states. To establish a uniform rule on Naturalization. To establish uniform laws on bankruptcies throughout the U.S. To coin money & regulate the value threreof. To raise & support Armies (military) To lay and collect taxes to pay for all of the above. There are a few other items laid out in the Constitution, but these are the biggies. Refer to Article I, Sec. 8 for the complete list. Congress would meet and discuss any problems that may have arisen through the previous year, or address things that may need their attention in the future. Back then, each issue was discussed and voted up or down, individually. If they needed to make a decision (law) regarding the free flow of goods from Georgia through Alabama, they didn't add a bridge in Virginia and a post office in Rhode Island to the bill. The States took care of their own business and relied on the Fed Gov. to settle any disputes between the states and protect the entire group from any invasions. There are 2 important points I am getting at here: Part-time government by working people. The members of Congress were farmers or bakers, or lawyers, you name it. They had real jobs and took part in their own communities. They were affected by any laws they might enact while in session, and were able to see the effects of those laws on their communities/states, firsthand. The limited role of the Federal Government on the day to day operation of the individual states.

Many of us are always talking about corrupt politicians, or politicians getting to DC and becoming part of the pack. In today's Congress, they are so heavily involved in micro-managing all the minutia that it has turned into a full time job. The highest paid group of people in this country with almost NO regulations put on them, is Congress. They have worked themselves into this condition, and able to give themselves pay raises. They can travel to and from their jobs at no cost to themselves, and can justify a distant golf outing or mini vacation to basically anywhere in the world by merely making a speech or holding an hour long meeting on some topic that they make up. They consider themselves to be almost royalty. We pay for them to maintain at least 2 gorgeous homes (mansions in many cases) because they must be in DC for so long doing the work of the people. This can be changed. During the Clinton years, it was decided that one of the U.S. Departments was simply too big and costly, so they cut it's active full-time membership by 1/3 or more, and chose to rely more heavily on the part-time group in that department. Of Course, I am referring to our Military. The military now relies very heavily on the Reserves and National Guard (Militias as laid out in Article 1). Why wouldn't that work with Congress? Congress has, over the years, increased the power and scope of government, to a point that you literally cannot wipe your ass without some Federal Government regulation affecting that action. Toilet Paper, sewer, etc. Power corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely. I would say that we have bastardized our system so completely, that the only way the Government can get for itself, any more power, we must go to a full Socialist or Communist society followed closely by Tyrannical dictatorship. Anybody see any of that in the latest Adminstration? There are 2 cures for this dilemma: Armed revolution or cut back the power of our government. While the 1st one might be considered fun for some of us, I think we all would prefer the latter. The Constitution (despite what Libs will tell you) is all about what the Federal Government shall not do. The 535 elected members of Congress have gotten to a point where they simply do not function any longer. If you have a company that has a board of directors that can't even come up with a budget for the upcoming year, you get rid of those dysfunctional directors or go out of business. Term limits on each and every member of Congress is the ONLY way to fix this dysfunction. We don't allow a President more than 2 terms, why Congress. Rotating the stock so to speak, will keep us from getting jaded, career politicians who lose touch with their communities and life in this country in general.

We also need to make the members of Congress pay a portion of their health insurance just like the rest of us who work. Lifetime pay and benefits? BULLSHIT! How many of you realize, that a person can get themselves elected into a job that pays $150,000.00 or more per year, work in that job for as little as 2 years, and keep that pay for the rest of their lives? They don't even have to do anything for that benefit. They can merely vote Present and still get paid. Try going to work and standing in the middle of the floor and declare yourself present and do nothing else. How long will your employer put up with that shit? So, at the next possible opportunity, your employer fires you because you are doing a bad job, and you get to keep your pay and benefits for the rest of your life. Shit, I want that job! No more. 2 terms and you are out. If you want to get paid or have health insurance, I suggest you get a job. How much work would Congress do to actually free up the economy to improve job growth if they knew that in just a few years, they would have to earn a living in that economy? I bet it would make a huge difference. Much of the reason Congress is completely dysfunctional, is the members are afraid to vote on anything that could hurt their chances to get re-elected. The 2 term limit would at least allow us to have a voting representative for their 2nd term. Make the members of Congress pay their own way to and from work. Each of us have to buy and maintain our own vehicles and buy gas and food for lunch, etc. These people already have immunity to most of our laws while in session, they can at least pay their own way to work and back. I think this would help keep them in touch with the real world too. Term limiting every member of Congress would cure a lot of the evils plaguing our government right now, and I think it would go a long way toward returning us to a Constitutional Republic as laid out by our Founders. It is called Public Service. It should not be a path to self proclaimed/propagated royalty. Read the Declaration of Independence and look at your own representatives and see how many times they are doing what the Founders fought against. The Declaration of Independence contains the principles on which our country is based on. The Constitution is the means for achieving those principles. Term limiting our Congress and dropping the lifetime benefits will save our Government $ $Billions$$. Now to the 2nd part of this paper: Limiting the power of the Federal Government. While the 1st part of this paper will make great strides in limiting the power or reach, if you will, of the Federal Government by subjecting the lawmakers to those powers after their service. We need to look very hard at the 10th Amendment, and re-implement it fully.

Congress needs to consider the original purposes of the Federal Government as laid out in Article I, Sec 8 and apply the 10th Amendment in deciding the laws they implement. While a lot of the blame of Federal intrusion or overreach, I say the majority of the blame falls on the States. The States have become lifetime welfare recipients. The States themselves take the carrot being held out by Congress, in the form of Federal dollars for various things. Always forgetting that for every dollar you take from the Government, there are restrictive strings attached. Over time, the States have allowed us to basically come to depend on a Central Government that runs everything. Each of our States is supposed to be it's own Sovereignty. Basically 50 independent Countries working together for the common good. If California didn't have federal funding for welfare and unemployment, guess what? They would limit their welfare and unemployment outlays. If this causes other entitlement programs or infrastructure to suffer, they will do what it takes to make things work out. Isn't working? Elect a new batch of legislators to get the job done. If a bridge between Iowa and Illinois would help commerce between those 2 states, guess what? Iowa & Illinois would figure out a way to build it. You don't need the Feds to help, and that is not what the Federal Government is supposed to be doing. Congress needs to re-implement the 10th Amendment in everything they do, and each of the states of our Union needs to get off the federal teet and make themselves whole.