Home > Politics, News & Issues > US Politics > Political Issues
Results so far:
| Agree | 37% | 129 votes | Total: 346 votes | |
| Disagree | 63% | 217 votes |
Agree
Created on: March 20, 2010 Last Updated: March 21, 2010
Congress is not merely broken, it is destructive to the American people.
So, why have a Congress at all if it does not listen to the people it is supposed to serve?
In Detroit unemployment is reaching a staggering 50 percent. The unemployment rate in other states also is escalating dramatically. Still, our Congress does little to resolve the issue.
Congress has lost its way. It does NOT act in the best interests of the American community. Congress has driven a wedge between itself and American citizens.
Rather than listen to and act in the best interests of the American majority, our Congress acts in the best interests of wealthy campaign contributors and rich lobbyists, who have purchased the best government money can buy.
It should be in everyone’s interest to create jobs. It makes no sense that President Obama and Congress continue to ignore the problem. Maybe it is merely the ongoing inertia of our Congress? [rhetorical] Or maybe there are more devious underlying issues?
Our Congress only acts on behalf of wealthy campaign contributors. As far as legislators are concerned, the rest of us can continue to suffer as long as their wealthy special interests have been placated.
Up until now our Congress has ignored our needs. There are no new jobs being developed and implemented. Legislators pretend to hear the people but the truth emerges by their actions and inactions.
So, why have a Congress at all, if it does not listen to the people it is supposed to serve?
Prolonged Unemployment Rages On — Why?
How hard is it to provide jobs to those American citizens who need and want them?
It would be simple enough to issue tax reduction incentives to businesses who wish to expand their enterprises by providing jobs to unemployed Americans.
Equally, it is easy for the government to develop federal jobs to build, repair, and maintain our depreciating infrastructures, e.g., bridges, tunnels, highways, dams, etc.
So, why are the President and Congress opting to do little or nothing? Why continue massive unemployment throughout the nation? Why do more for the people of overseas nation than our own? Why ensure the employment and health care needs of illegals before doing so for our citizens?
Apparently, the first priority of our Congress is to placate the needs and whims of wealthy special interests who contribute huge campaign dollars.
The American people need to contact President Obama and their Congressional representatives and demand respect and jobs. It is the number 1 priority of this nation to ensure that every American has work.
Bottom-line is that there is no reason for the continuing high unemployment throughout the U.S. Congress can and should start the chain of events that will cure the massive unemployment problem. Americans must demand Congress to resolve it.
The only thing Americans can do is for all the unemployed to rise up like a giant Tsunami and demand Congress to resolve the unemployment issue. Phone calls, letters, emails! And keep on banging down the doors until it is dealt with. There is no other way.
There is little doubt that Congress is broken, but can we repair it?
So, why have a Congress at all, if it does not listen to the people it is supposed to serve?
Learn more about this author, Peter Stern.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Disagree
Created on: September 18, 2007 Last Updated: September 04, 2010
The American political system as established in the Constitution includes a system of checks and balances. The underlying notion was that government was not a good thing in and of itself, and the risk of too much government should be guarded against.
Congress exists to express the will of the people, and as such it goes to the people every two years in order to seek their opinion through elections. If people feel they have been well represented, they send their congresswoman or Senator back to the House or the Senate to keep working. If the government has been acting (or failing to act) the way the citizens want, they can pick someone else to do the job.
The division of powers among the branches of government was deliberately designed to make it difficult to intrude into the lives of citizens through frivolous or unnecessary legislation and regulation. Every bill enacted into law in the United States (or anywhere, for that matter) is a direct infringement on the freedom of the citizens. A law to raise taxes infringes on our freedom to spend our money how we want. A law requiring us to wear seat belts while driving infringes on our freedom to hop in the car and just get going. And a law making it a crime to kill another human being infringes on our freedom to slay our fellow citizens at will. Obviously, some of these laws are clearly well worth the freedom we lose, and should be approved by Congress and the President. A law making it a crime to sell any ice cream but vanilla is clearly not worth the loss of our freedom to eat pistachio - and such a bill would not succeed and become law in the political system we have today.
The entire system of American government is designed, and intended, to make it difficult to pass laws, with the intention that only those bills mostly clearly in the interest of the people will succeed and become law. Calling Congress "broken" when it is operating as intended, is misleading and wrong.
Learn more about this author, David Thill.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.