Punishments for Congress

[Archbob]

Obviously, the threat of losing re-election is not enough for congressmen to do a good job and try to find compromises. I think we need far harsher punishments to give congress the incentive to do their job right like balance the budget.

What do you guys think that punishment should be.

There are roughly what 540 members of congress(combined between house and senate)?

I think a fair punishment for failing to balance the budget would be for every billion dollars they go over, they should be assigned one lash with a whip. Take the total number of lashes and divide by the number of congress people and each member of congress gets that # of lashes if they fail to balance the budget.

Or if they go over a certain amount(say 300 billion over), then you choose the three most worthless member of congress to fight a bear in a gladiator arena.

What do you think?

 

[bhsup]

I think it is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever read on CFC OT, and that's saying something.

 

[peter grimes]

There's nothing magically perfect about a balanced federal budget.

There are far worse derelictions of congressional duties than budgetary ones.

 

[Traitorfish]

I think it is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever read on CFC OT, and that's saying something.

I agree; it should be three bears, minimum. No fairness in giving them the advantage of numbers.

 

[Archbob]

There's nothing magically perfect about a balanced federal budget.

There are far worse derelictions of congressional duties than budgetary ones.

Well, of course, wars and stuff, there can be punishments for doing those stupid things as well. But the 14.7 trillion dollars we owe is going to be a problem.

 

[peter grimes]

Well, of course, wars and stuff, there can be punishments for doing those stupid things as well. But the 14.7 trillion dollars we owe is going to be a problem.

Not when the economy grows.

Clearly the international markets don't see the US as having a debt problem - we're still able to borrow money at just about the lowest rates possible.

I'm all for holding elected representatives responsible for their failures, but I'm not sure this particular debt situation merits that.

 

[Archbob]

This would make congressmen think twice before lobbying for wasteful funds for their own pet projects.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Lashings? Bears? Psh...

Make them read a piece of legislation in its entirety, then have an agent of the NSA recount several embarrassing stories from their personal life.

 

[peter grimes]

This would make congressmen think twice before lobbying for wasteful funds for their own pet projects.

Indeed - we might see the 'defense' expenses reduced to a more reasonable amount!

Those are the only pet projects that really matter - the stuff that's usually called earmarks is miniscule by comparison.

 

[downtown]

I'm starting to seriously come around to the idea of performance pay.

 

[illram]

In CA legislators don't get paid if they don't pass a balanced budget.

 

[Cutlass]

There are times when the right thing to do is not balance the budget.....

 

[DroopyTofu]

I suggest making Congressmen work to pay off the debt out of their own pockets. That discourage them from running up the debt but also actively lower the debt.

Alternatively, we could sell these Senator vs. Bear gladiator matches as pay-per-view cable events and use the revenue from this spectacle to pay off the debt.

 

[Archbob]

Alternatively, we could sell these Senator vs. Bear gladiator matches as pay-per-view cable events and use the revenue from this spectacle to pay off the debt.

Thats what I was about the suggest. I think the Pay-Per-View Sales would far outweigh their salary. I mean I'd far rather pay for this than Mayweather vs whoever he's fighting. I mean, the match wouldn't go on very long, the bear would probably KO them in the first round and then eat them in the second round. But I think it would be entertaining to watch Eric Cantor run around the ring before getting swatted by the grizzly.

 

[Crezth]

This would make congressmen think twice before lobbying for wasteful funds for their own pet projects.

It'd also make them think twice before lobbying for useful funds for necessary projects, but no plan is perfect.

This is a joke thread and I responded to it seriously. I hate myself.

 

[King Kalmah]

California has the right idea...

but we should do more....

since these individuals are supposed to have our best interest in mind and not backed by the highest bidder...

Maybe we could have them stand in a dunk tank and dunk them into a tub of feces?

 

[Kaitzilla]

Here's my short list:


Passing a 2000 page law that affects greater than 10% of the economy with less than 1% of Congress actually reading it first shall result in a computer randomly selecting a public school in DC from which food will be delivered to replace Congress' private dining area for one month.

The President toppling another world leader/country without a Congressional declaration of war shall result in a permanent $50,000 a year pay cut.

A year in which an actual budget is not passed shall result in Yoko Ono's greatest hits being played in entirety before the start of each session in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.

Congressional members found to be taking advantage of insider trading immunity shall send one apology card to Martha Stuart.

Every time a hearing is held over baseball or another sport due to the commerce clause, all congressional members must wave their hometeam's giant foam finger for the duration.

A congressional spokesman must appear on Groundhog Day each year and remind the country that Congress holds all monetary powers and that they were delegated to the Federal Reserve in 1913 and may be rescinded at Congress' pleasure. This must be performed by the longest serving Congressional Member.


Each time Congress passes a law that is later ruled unconstitutional, they shall be required to attend every U.N. general assembly meeting in person during the next recess to remind them of others who don't have our constitution.

Whenever Florida is still too close to call 1 week after a presidential election, Secretariat will be made an honorary Senator during the 1-month recess the following fall.



Every time someone says Ron Paul in the future, everyone has to take a drink.

Every time a married Senator gets caught with a prostitute, everyone must shotgun a 6-pack of Heineken.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Here's my short list:


Passing a 2000 page law that affects greater than 10% of the economy with less than 1% of Congress actually reading it first shall result in a computer randomly selecting a public school in DC from which food will be delivered to replace Congress' private dining area for one month.

The President toppling another world leader/country without a Congressional declaration of war shall result in a permanent $50,000 a year pay cut.

A year in which an actual budget is not passed shall result in Yoko Ono's greatest hits being played in entirety before the start of each session in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.

Congressional members found to be taking advantage of insider trading immunity shall send one apology card to Martha Stuart.

Every time a hearing is held over baseball or another sport due to the commerce clause, all congressional members must wave their hometeam's giant foam finger for the duration.

A congressional spokesman must appear on Groundhog Day each year and remind the country that Congress holds all monetary powers and that they were delegated to the Federal Reserve in 1913 and may be rescinded at Congress' pleasure. This must be performed by the longest serving Congressional Member.


Each time Congress passes a law that is later ruled unconstitutional, they shall be required to attend every U.N. general assembly meeting in person during the next recess to remind them of others who don't have our constitution.

Whenever Florida is still too close to call 1 week after a presidential election, Secretariat will be made an honorary Senator during the 1-month recess the following fall.



Every time someone says Ron Paul in the future, everyone has to take a drink.

Every time a married Senator gets caught with a prostitute, everyone must shotgun a 6-pack of Heineken.

I agreed with your idea until you brought in the Ron Paul thing. He's not voting for this crap

In all seriousness, while I don't actually support lashings or throwing people in a ring (Yes, I know this is a joke thread) I think it deserves to be considered more seriously than "The silliest idea ever." I mean, Bernie Madoff went to jail for life for stealing billions, yet Congress has "Wasted" far, far more of our money.

I could seriously get behind impeaching Bush (Retroactively) and Obama simutaneously and legally trying them both. Bush for Iraq and Obama for the combined addition of the NDAA, the new TSA bill, and the drone attacks.

(More an expression of outrage than a realistic suggestion.)

 

[Joecoolyo]

I'm starting to seriously come around to the idea of performance pay.

What would that entail?

 

[bugwar]

What I love about this topic is that Congress is doing exactly what the majority of the voters want.
Otherwise they wouldn't keep returning to office.

If you want to punish someone, go after the source.
The voter.