The United States Government is supposed to be "Government of the people, by the people, for the people". When it is election time, several people, including liars and hypocrites, make promises to the American people, saying what they think we want to hear, so that they can get elected. Specifically, I'm mainly speaking of those that are elected to Congress, and to the White House.
Unfortunately, from time to time, liars and hypocrites get elected to the White House, and do such a poor job, and ignore the will of the people, that we wish that they were never allowed to take office. So, what recourse can the American people take? If the majority of the people would want the person immediately impeached from office, they would have to convey that to the members of the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate to persuade them to take such action.
But what other course of action can the people take? What can we do to make reasonably sure that the person(s) we elect to the White House (and Capital Hill) keep their campaign promises, and enact the will of the majority of the people? What about the forfeiture of their retirement pension and other benefits?
In 1958, Congress passed the Former Presidents Act, which gave retired Presidents a pension of $25,000 per year, an office, and a staff. Congress has increased the pension several times. Former Presidents now receive a pension that is based on the annual salary of a cabinet secretary, which is more than $160,000. Former Presidents have historically been given a generous allowance for office and staff. For example, former President Bill Clinton (who seems to have done a good enough job) was eligible to receive funds for an office and staff for over four years after he left office.
What should an undesirable former President receive? Suppose that they did such a poor job, and ignored the will of people after they took office? How about establishing on the November presidential ballot, what benefits the outgoing President should receive? If the President did such a poor job, what about forfeiture of all pensions, office staff, and Secret Service privileges? If the total votes cast are 200 million, and less than forty percent approve of what the former President did, why should they get the same benefits that a more popular President would get? They should get no benefits at all, meaning that the American people do not have to pay for their retirement, and no Secret Service benefits.
If the voting approval percentage is at least forty percent, but less than sixty percent, perhaps the former President should only receive the benefits of a pension and the Secret Service. If the voting approval percentage is more than sixty percent, then the outgoing President receives full benefits.
In the "real" world, when an employee does a poor job, they get bad reviews, no merit compensation, and are often told to "leave". Why not have the same in government? If we inform our members of Congress, that this is what we want, perhaps we will have less "undesirable" people in elected office, and maybe they will "do the will of the people". What do you think? If there is a waiting "penalty" for abuse of office, would that spare the American people (and the world) of such an ordeal?
Herman Cummings (Herman Cummings is the author of the book "Moses Didn’t Write About Creation!")
If the American people believe that the President to whom it is obvious you have referred has done such a terrible job, then they should pressure the Congress to impeach and remove him. I know that's what a lot of my friends on the left would like to see, but it's also obvious that y'all haven't been successful in convincing enough members of Congress to do that -- which means that your position simply isn't popular enough.
What really got me was the conclusion, that such a former president ought to forfeit Secret Service protection. I'm sorry, but that's like asking for an assassination attempt.
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Dana Pico (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 164 comments)
on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 4:29:51 PM
I really don't think a man who stole two elections, lied us into a war where his friends get rich, who spies on us, and eats cake and strumbs a guitar while 1500 people die deserves my tax dollar for anything. As far as the secret services goes, I'm sorry he doesn't bloody well care what happens to the men and women he sends into harms way why in god's name should we worry about what happens to him when he leaves office. He has made America the laughing stock of the world, he has tanked our economy. My blood boils everytime I have to pay for him to fly around and spread his propaganda. My tax dollar would be better spent on feeding the hungry and keeping our old people warm in the winter.
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beccy (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 87 comments)
on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 9:26:25 PM
"If we inform our members of Congress, that this is what we want, perhaps we will have less 'undesirable' people in elected office, and maybe they will 'do the will of the people'."
And if this type of review/approval process were implemented, there'd never be any political manipulation of it, right? President X is elected to office while his party controls both houses of Congress. Mid-term elections result in his party loosing both houses. The opposing party-controlled Congress doesn't like the three vetos the President rendered on their bills and decides to yank his pension pay. Hopefully, this action will get the President to approve the Congressional bills.
See? It just doesn't work because it perverts the system of checks and balances, making Congress too strong.
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Tom Murphy (3 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1767 comments)
on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 6:23:11 PM
You want popularity polls to decide who gets a pension? Do you ever watch Jaywalking on Leno? Most people in this country do not even know who the president or vice president is let alone what state is east of CO.
I saw on YouTube a series of hilarious interview's by a Canadian reporter who showed that most Americans are totally ignorant about politics, history, and geography. Do it yourself. Next time you go to Wal-Mart ask the clerk who the vice president of the US is. Ask them to name 3 people running for president. Ask them to name three significant things Hillary Clinton has accomplished in her life. The Canadian interviewer even got people to agree to the US invading Saskatewan (it is a Canadian province). And you want these people to decide who gets a pension or not? Bush does not need the money. Neither did Clinton.
IF you wrote that the pension system used by Congress is a load of BS I would agree with that. Work a couple of years as a Senator or Representative and you are set for life. I had to work 21 years to get the meager pension I have (and am grateful for). Most congresspeople and presidents are millionaires so it doesn't matter to them financially so why give it to them in the first place.
The Clintons had nothing when they left Arkansas for DC and now are worth 50 million bucks and are still living off the American People. Hillary only wants back in the White House because there are a few things there she'd like that she didn't get to steal the last time she was there.
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Mad Jayhawk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 399 comments)
on Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 1:07:10 PM
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