more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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



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