“From now on, we only work at the Congressional Brothels.”
Posted on 08/09/2009 3:16:26 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Imagine what a different world we might live in if members of Congress rarely traveled outside their district or state and conducted the “peoples’ business” from a high-tech room in their home office that enabled them to debate, sit on committee, question witnesses and vote via teleconferencing. This idea for Congress and state legislatures is as old as the integrated circuit.
Such a system would eliminate the high costs of constantly transporting, housing, and protecting 535 politicians, their staffs and families. It would also force members of Congress to practice some loyalty to, and feel the unique pains of the voters who elected them. Most senators and representatives today are more loyal to each other–including those across the aisle–than they are to their own constituents. A stay-at-home Congress would be less likely to adopt an imperial mind set fostered by a fawning Capitol press corps and White House dinners in regal settings.
An Electronic Congress would reduce the pressure lobbyists and other special interest groups have on Congress because Congress would be decentralized. In such a setting a senator wouldn’t have to run public opinion polls. He could simply drive around his state for a week, mingle with the people, and he would get their unvarnished viewpoint.
The Electronic Congress could also drastically reduce the size and costs of congressional “fact-finding” trips to all corners of the globe. Instead of loading 20 senators, representatives, staff and family members on a jet bound for foreign destinations, send small teams of specially-trained bureaucrats with equipment that gives the politician a picture of what’s happening on the ground in Paris, Rome or Tahiti and two-way voice communications with natives on the ground.
The Electronic Congress would also become a super C-Span. Citizens and watchdogs could tap into the system and access the most minute actions and discussions of the legislative process. I’ve e-mailed Glenn Beck at: me@glennbeck.com. If he gets a few more e-mails he may look into this. E-mail addresses for senators and U.S. reps are at: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt. —Brad from Tennessee
I would rather we go to an “Electric Congress”. Democrats can vote yes by tapping the black wire and no by tapping the white wire. Republicans and vote yes by tapping the green wire and no by tapping the white wire.
I dunno.
I’ll think about it
I have been for breaking up Washington DC power for years. I think the government should not all be in the same place just like term limits should be applied. Congress should not get such big pension and perks. They are there to represent the people of America; not a selected few(them included).
I love it. With twice a year sessions for 2 weeks in DC.
The ONLY reason Congress is all together in the nation’s capital is because the Pony Express took too long back then. These are supposed to be our LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES, something most of them are assuredly NOT. Each has a “second home” in their districts.
“From now on, we only work at the Congressional Brothels.”
In the early 90s Rep John Kasich (R-Ohio) spent a lot of time putting together just such a plan. He’s pretty hard working and enthusiastic but couldn’t get any encouragement or support from anyone outside the class of ‘94.
If there is any chance they could electrocute themselves, I’m all for it !
Hey Brad I don’t like a damn thing about Electronic CCC-P. It sounds like a new version of CCCP without a dash.
My employer has us all on an eCampus portal that we sign up for Webex sessions. This has cut costs dramatically. In some cases the training requires us to be on site to train, but the majority of the training is all Webex sessions.
I am sure we can get a software engineer to design a cozy virtual airplane flight for Stretch!
Just in case...
I’ve been saying this for years Brad. If congress critters had to walk out the door and be face to face with their constituants on a daily basis things would change.
535 people plus staff for each, all removed from DC intantly, their homes and offices vacated. I wonder if that would have an effect on the DC economy?
This would be the very best way for a congressperson to stay close to their constituents and vote according to their wishes more often.
This move would save our nation billions of dollars annually.
Of course, nobody in Congress would allow for this to take place.
Plea hearings, parole hearings, depositions and other court business is being conducted via cameras. Along with corporate teleconferences and the training you describe, buyers can attend auctions electronically and bid on cars, livestock, etc.
Good Lord no, the crooks in DC would have all kinds of time to think up nonsense, a simple email could call everyone to vote, and legislation would be enacted.
I've a better idea:
ELECTROCUTE CONGRESS--CUT COSTS AND CORRUPTION!
Only problem I can see is this would allow the congress to stay in session longer than it does now. Personally, I can’t see us paying congresscritters for more than a month’s worth of work a year, so I sure couldn’t ask them to be in session longer than that.
I see a hacker oligarchy emerging...
[Only problem I can see is this would allow the congress to stay in session longer than it does now.]
Congress won’t vote for this idea anyway. It would have to be done by constitutional amendment which could include term limits, caps on pay and expenses, restricting junkets, and eliminating lavish retirement benefits. That’s easier said than done but the public is in the mood.
To be eligible to be a Representative, the politician should be required to spend over half of each of the previous two years, actually in the district they represent. Senators should be required to spend over half of each of the previous six years, in the state they represent.
I like the way your thinking SIR!
Throw in L.Neil Smith’s concept of letting constituents select which Congress Critter gets to represent them on a Specific Bill, and you’ve got something.
Should my congress-critter declare his intent to worship at the Church of The Profit Gore; I’d like the right to be represented by a “non-GREEN” from another State {on those issues}.
If 40% of those represented by Mr. Waxman, e-switched to a “Drill Here, Drill Now” Critter; Waxman could cast only 6/10s of Vote for His own bill.Some other Critters would be casting the other 4/10s....Yeah, I’m daydreaming, again. Daydreams are far more hopeful than Headlines.
Wow, have you been snooping in my brain? I’ve had this same idea. These people were never meant to be pampered elite living in DC and visiting “home”. They should live with those who are affected by the votes they cast.
Members of Congress are like cockroaches. Once established they are very difficult to remove. Tom Foley (D) spent 30 years in Congress. When the voters of Washington State imposed congressional term limits by referendum, Foley took them to federal court. The court found term limits to be unconstitutional. Fortunately, Foley got flushed in 1994 along with a lot of other political feces.
Wikipedia:
[. . .Foley repeatedly opposed efforts to impose term limits on Washington state's elected officials, winning the support of the state's voters to reject term limits in a 1991 referendum. However, in 1992, a term limit ballot initiative was approved by the state's voters. . .Foley brought suit, challenging the constitutionality of a state law setting eligibility requirements on federal offices. Foley won his suit, with federal courts declaring that states did not have the authority under the U.S. Constitution to limit the terms of federal officeholders.]
[. . .a simple email could call everyone to vote, and legislation would be enacted.]
That’s what they did in February on the “stimulus” act. The only real debate took place behind closed doors with agents of the White House, the unions and lobbyists telling these clowns what to put in the bill.
The wisest decision Al Qaeda made on 9/11 was to leave Congress intact.
There will come a time, my son, when the electronics will be so good we won't know if the Congressperson on the screen is real or not, and neither will the rest of their peers. Hence, your "advanced" idea is truly backward, an open invitation for the worst kind of mischief.
Sorry, I want them in one place. That way we can arrest them all at once if necessary. :-)
There are differing paper models for this idea. One was formulated after 9/11 so Congress could function if Washington DC was no longer safe. This is a PDF:
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21140.pdf
Interesting. If you get to wanting to gather intel for a committee electronically, IMHO you would as a Congressman want to be able to control the camera from home, not merely take the view given by some cameraman.While we're on the subject of electronic decision making by geographically diverse people, I would want the Constitution amended so that in the event of a presidential impeachment the jury of the president's peers would not be legislators known as "senators" but executives known as governors. That way if the charge was Clintonesqe and the defense was "It's just about sex," it would not be legislators but governors who would have to imply that they reserved the right to do the same thing if they voted to acquit.
I would note as well that we already have a version of your proposal in the "Presidential Debates." And journalism systematically puts its thumb on the scale by controlling the topics discussed and exactly who can speak when. Journalists would always reject any other approach which would cut them out of the loop and diminish the influence of their profession. But since journalists don't control the Internet, there is absolutely no reason why a Republican could not challenge his Democratic opponent to Internet debates in which the time would be divided by chess clock, the participants would not be forbidden to make/use notes, and the participants would not be disadvantaged if they limited themselves to virtual presence - so their campaign schedules need not be affected. So it would be practical to have many debates.
[. . .you would as a Congressman want to be able to control the camera from home, not merely take the view given by some cameraman.]
You're probably familiar with advances in the miniaturization of aerial drones and their cameras.
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