They'd find a way around it like allocating tax dollars to create a high paying position for their spouse or just having their crackhead son make the millions
That's the catch, oftentimes they themselves will have "clean IRS records", but after they leave office suddenly they're getting paid hundreds of thousands for "speaking gigs," or their family members get some cushy jobs.
That's not quite right. Its more "We wrote this bill, support it and we'll donate to your campaign. Don't support it and we'll donate to your opponent."
Even reps who might not want to take lobbying money are made to do it if they want to remain in office. What we need are not just limits on lobbying, but campaign SPENDING limits.
It may surprise many on this site that a system whereby government officials are elected is precisely what the ancient Athenians used the term “oligarchy” for and was considered by them to be undemocratic because it allowed positions to be bought.
Besides the fact that the rulers are corrupted by back door promises in exchange for campaign financing, the system engenders a select class of elites and their cronies as the only potential rulers who, without term limits, cannot be easily removed. In other words, political systems with elections lead to a “rule by a few”. Most people today think oligarchy refers to “rule by a few”, but there are not many that know it originally referred exactly to any electoral system.
The ancient Athenians, the creators of democracy, had a very different idea of what democracy was than the modern definition. It was NOT voting as a selection method for your government.
I will leave you to your own research if you want to find out more.
In any event, it can be argued that corruption is inherent to the system of electing people to government, whether you call that system democracy, representative democracy or a republic.
Today those systems are regarded as democracy throughout the world, even though it was considered to be undemocratic by the very creators of the original democracy.
Why do we even need "representatives" in the modern day and age? Every single American should be able to vote for every bill. The technical limitations are solved. The "representatives" don't even write, hell even read the bills they sign. So what is their purpose anyway?
Get term limits and suddenly lobbying becomes a worse investment. Right now you suck Mitch’s dick 10 years ago and the gravy train suddenly has fewer brakes than the Trump train.
Honestly, lobbying should be illegal period.
Preach. They shouldn't be able to make a dime outside of their salary while working for the government.
THIS THIS THIS!!!!!
They'd find a way around it like allocating tax dollars to create a high paying position for their spouse or just having their crackhead son make the millions
That's the catch, oftentimes they themselves will have "clean IRS records", but after they leave office suddenly they're getting paid hundreds of thousands for "speaking gigs," or their family members get some cushy jobs.
How's this even controversial?
The problem is really how lobbying works,
Ideally it should be, 'here is a proposal and all the reasons your state would benefit from it'
what it ends up being is "here's ten million for your campaign if you push this bit of legislation"
That's not quite right. Its more "We wrote this bill, support it and we'll donate to your campaign. Don't support it and we'll donate to your opponent."
Even reps who might not want to take lobbying money are made to do it if they want to remain in office. What we need are not just limits on lobbying, but campaign SPENDING limits.
It may surprise many on this site that a system whereby government officials are elected is precisely what the ancient Athenians used the term “oligarchy” for and was considered by them to be undemocratic because it allowed positions to be bought.
Besides the fact that the rulers are corrupted by back door promises in exchange for campaign financing, the system engenders a select class of elites and their cronies as the only potential rulers who, without term limits, cannot be easily removed. In other words, political systems with elections lead to a “rule by a few”. Most people today think oligarchy refers to “rule by a few”, but there are not many that know it originally referred exactly to any electoral system.
The ancient Athenians, the creators of democracy, had a very different idea of what democracy was than the modern definition. It was NOT voting as a selection method for your government.
I will leave you to your own research if you want to find out more.
In any event, it can be argued that corruption is inherent to the system of electing people to government, whether you call that system democracy, representative democracy or a republic.
Today those systems are regarded as democracy throughout the world, even though it was considered to be undemocratic by the very creators of the original democracy.
Why do we even need "representatives" in the modern day and age? Every single American should be able to vote for every bill. The technical limitations are solved. The "representatives" don't even write, hell even read the bills they sign. So what is their purpose anyway?
Term limits would have fixed that.
Guess who votes on term limits? Yup.
Get term limits and suddenly lobbying becomes a worse investment. Right now you suck Mitch’s dick 10 years ago and the gravy train suddenly has fewer brakes than the Trump train.
Nobody should be a career politician. You serve a few years then get the fuck out.
Remeber, its the politicians that take the lobby money. We need to replace them all, no exceptions.
Trump has no financial motivation to stay in politics...
Contrast this with someone like Rubio that gets his first big paycheck from getting to the Senate.
They need to do:
Only way this happens is convention of states.
Lobbying = legal bribery
Government is a travesty at this point
If elections are fixed, what is the lobbying money used for?
Trump banned lobbying in 2017, tho. Of course, laws are for commoners only.