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more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 18:10:16 -0500
Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 15:33:50 -0700 From: "Robert M. McClure" <rmm () unidot com> Subject: Re: [IP] Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF X-Sender: rmm () unidot com To: dave () farber net At 04:51 PM 11/29/03 -0500, you wrote:
For some time now the US Congress has been steadily abandoning its reputation as a serious legislative forum in the widely understood sense of the term. Instead, it has been been transforming itself into a vending machine.
With all due respect, this is NOT news. The specific example deplore -- the Medicare bill -- is merely the latest in a long series of outrageous acts committed by both of our leading parties. The only thing to be said in defense of congress (and wasn't it Mark Twain more than 100 years ago that said, "It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.") is that most countries are at least as egregious and a lot of much worse. Lest I be deprived of the right to travel, I will not name them here. What I have *not* heard is any sensible proposal to change the situation. I think term limits would help, but would not really cure the problem. Appealing to legislator's altruistic instincts is clearly a non-starter. Any Congressman or Senator who does not vote his constituents self interest is very likely to be a one-termer, and the game is rigged so that only the most senior of members have any influence whatsoever. If anyone has any really good ideas, let them speak forth. Bob McClure ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF Dave Farber (Nov 29)