These two changes could make Congress functional
Congress is divided. No news there. I have two suggestions to help fix this problem, neither of which will happen. Interesting to contemplate, though.
The first is term limits, which everyone thinks would be good for the country and has been talked about many times. Of course, this would be impossible to attain, since no member of Congress would ever vote to terminate his or her career, which for many entrenched members is 30, 40, or even 50 years. People such as John Conyers, who would have probably died in office, except for the fact that he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.
So, even though we would lose some good members, overall it would be good for the country. It might also reduce the number of constant congressional investigations that seem to go on forever without anyone ever losing their job. It’s so tiresome and costs millions of dollars, with no results. So, one term, for four, six, eight years, whatever, but only one.
My second suggestion, which I’m sure will be met with derision and many guffaws, is that we elect only women to Congress. In my experience in a previous life as a supervisor of approximately 100 women and about 10 men, I noted that the women were much more willing to talk with each other in order to reach an agreement that was acceptable to both. This is what is needed in Congress and I believe that the feminine gender is more open to bipartisanship.
Again, this will never happen, but I believe it would benefit us all if it did.
I am now open to your opinions.
Wally Slate
Sun City Hilton Head
How to submit a letter
Send letters to the editor by email to letters@islandpacket.com or letters@beaufortgazette.com.
Or you may submit a letter online.
Letters to the editor must be 250 words or fewer and include your first and last names, street address and daytime telephone number so we can verify the letter before publication.
You are limited to one letter per 30 days.
Letters may be edited for length, style, grammar, taste and libel. All letters submitted become the property of The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.
Letters will be accepted only if they are typed into the body of an email, not sent as an email attachment.
This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 3:34 PM with the headline "These two changes could make Congress functional."