They don’t even know the laws they expect you to follow
Since so many laws get passed and so few seem to know a thing about them, I proposed a bill a while back:
No Senator nor Representative in The State can vote for or against a bill unless said legislator can pass, with at least 85% proficiency, a multiple choice exam about the bill in question.
I wasn’t kidding. Here’s why:
Even the members who sponsor bills often are not very familiar with the bills. One thing that becomes very apparent as you watch videos from the Tennessee Legislative web site is how many bills are “carried” by a single lawmaker. These are the lawmakers who sponsor the bills and push them through the committee process. Some lawmakers carry over 100 bills. There is absolutely NO WAY a single lawmaker can be knowledgeable about this many bills. They must rely on expert witnesses and lobbyists who, in many cases wrote the bill. Many sponsors automatically defer to expert witnesses.
This may be a representative democracy but we have to be wary of exactly who our legislators are representing.
Ayup. So, how do I go about proposing a bill?
I also think congressmonkies should be required by law to do their own taxes.
May 1st, 2007 at 9:11 am
>>I also think congressmonkies should be required by law to do their own taxes.
That’s brilliant!
May 1st, 2007 at 9:15 am
It is, but I can’t take credit for it. I think Dave Barry proposed the idea.
May 1st, 2007 at 11:18 am
“I’m just a Bill,
I say I’m only a Bill,
And I’m sittin’ here on Capitol Hill…”
Remember how the cartoon had a constituent calling his congressman and the congressman saying, “You’re right – there oughta be a law.” And he started right in on writing it.
Were it that easy…
May 1st, 2007 at 5:10 pm
What you say? Barrel shrouds anyone? Watch until the end for epic pwnage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rGpykAX1fo
May 1st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Why only 85%? If you carefully crafted a law, or you were to carefully consider voting on it, would it not be your solemn responsibilit6y to become intimately familiar with it. so as not to overlook some violation of your constituents?
I say make it at least 95%. Hell, start at 110% (throw in some basic American history) and negotiate down. If they fail once, they can go home for a month, read their own bilge for a while, come back, and try again– if these people are smart enough to be lawmakers, surely they’re smart enough to know what’s in the laws they’re vomiting out on us like so many drunken frat boys. Who says we need a lot more laws anyway? What, we’re far too free as a People right now?
May 1st, 2007 at 9:15 pm
I concur on the part about “congressmonkies” doing their own taxes. The tax code is absurd.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 am
This is a good idea, but…
You’d never get a quorum…no bill would ever get passed.
Wait a minute, it’s an EXCELLENT idea!