ThisIsCommonSense.org

“Vote for the Crook: It’s Important.” Years ago, a citizen-​led campaign used that slogan. The point was to support Edwin Edwards for governor of Louisiana over David Duke Edwards, seemingly always under indictment for corruption; Duke, the former Ku Klux Klansman. Not much of a choice. That’s why it may surprise some folks that Louisiana is the only state without the citizen initiative process where legislators passed term limits on themselves. Of course, it came on the heels of numerous prosecutions of legislators and some ferocious lobbying by citizens.

Now, six years after 76 percent of Louisianans voted for term limits, there is legislation to repeal them even before they’ve affected a single legislator. The governor, previously a term limits supporter, wonders if the legislators might repeal his limits the state really needs him for another term, or two. In New Orleans, there are term limits on the mayor and council. But now comes Mayor Marc Morial. No, he’s not against term limits. Not at all. He supports term limits, well, for other lesser human beings, anyway. For himself, he wants an exception to the two-​term limit, so he can seek a third term. He says it’s because the schools are slowly deteriorating.

Hmmmm. Wasn’t he supposed to prevent that during the eight years he’s already been in charge? Mayor Morial is calling his effort: “Just Three.” Opponents are calling it: “Just Me.” That’s the slogan for career politicians everywhere.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Maybe it’s not too late this time. But we have to act fast. We have to rise up as one united people and shout from the rooftops: “Hey, we want to be able to buy TOP-​loading washing machines! Viva la revolution!”

Yeah, that’s right. The Department of Energy wants to outlaw washing machines that you load from the top … you know: the easy way. Of course, front-​loading washing machines cost a lot more. And front-​loading washing machines don’t have that agitator gizmo that churns up the clothing the way top-​loading washing machines do. So the front-​loading machines aren’t as good at cleaning your clothes.

Nine out of ten consumers prefer top-​loaders. But somehow the front-​loading washing machines are supposed to be environmentally superior. Just like the new toilets that don’t flush as well as the old toilets are supposed to be environmentally superior to the old toilets that are now illegal. What environment are the policymakers talking about? Obviously, not the environment right inside your home.

Anyway, the Department of Energy had almost succeeded in imposing this dirty business on us, but thanks to the efforts of one lone congressman, self-​limited Michigan Congressman Joe Knollenberg, the period for public comment is being extended. So click into energy​.gov and send the Department your comment. And send a copy to your congressional representative while you’re at it. Tell them you don’t need the government’s help to clean your dirty laundry. Tell them the government should worry about its own dirty laundry. After all, they’ve got plenty.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Got a problem? Blame term limits. At least, that’s how many critics of term limits think. Take Ohio, for example. After term limits kicked into gear there, politicians being forced out of office are often deciding to take their leave early. Why?

Well, in Ohio they don’t hold special elections to replace representatives who quit before their term is over. Instead, a temporary appointment is made. And guess who makes the appointment? By law, the party of the exiting legislator has that privilege. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that as things stand now, almost half of the 33 state senators currently serving started out as appointees. Twenty-​five out of 99 House members started out as appointees. These partisan appointments impose an unfair disadvantage not only against candidates from other parties, but also against candidates of the same party who will now have a harder time pursuing their party’s nomination come the next election.

But critics of term limits like the Beacon Journal are saying that this kind of partisan end run around term limits is caused by term limits itself! Incredible, isn’t it? All these partisan appointments are indeed a problem. But the appointment law was in place long before term limits came along. And term limits are hardly to blame for the last-​gasp power lust of the career politicians. Solution? Change the law to put an end to these politically motivated special appointments. Use your brain. Or do citizens have to mandate that by law as well?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

We wouldn’t let the criminals decide our nation’s policies on law enforcement, would we? So why are we letting incumbent politicians in the Congress decide the campaign finance rules? Needless to say, there’s more than a little conflict of interest there.

Some in the media are applauding the Senate’s passage of McCain-​Feingold, the so-​called overhaul of campaign finance. But there was one clear yardstick used by the Senate in considering the various issues of their “reform”: what’s best for the continued reelection of us poor little ole career politicians? That’s why the first thing they did was to give themselves added advantages against any challengers who spend lots of their own money.

In recent years, multi-​millionaire challengers have sometimes been able to defeat incumbents. Next, they went after groups that run issue ads. This legislation would ban term limits groups and others from running ads that dare to mention an incumbent’s name within 60 days of an election. Of course, incumbents don’t like being criticized; so they want to outlaw our speech. Our Congressmen are split on raising the contribution limits with some incumbents thinking it helps them and others thinking it helps challengers more. Gee, who thinks the goal of campaign finance reform should be to make it easier for incumbents to get reelected? Raise your hand.

Senator McCain says of himself and others in Congress, “We are all corrupt.” Why then should we have campaign rules written of, by, and for the corrupted?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Don’t worry. They were just talking. The House Administration Committee has been discussing just discussing, mind you a little scheme called per-​diem reimbursement, which would allow congressman who live more than two blocks down the street to collect $165 a day in “expenses” whenever they show up for work. Up to $25,000 in extra tax-​free cash a year.

A spokesman for the Committee, Jim Forbes, is upset that Congress has been criticized for plotting this nefarious maneuver, which would be imposed by a House rule rather than legislation. Forbes says, “It’s a pay raise but…not an expenditure to taxpayers. If [Congress] would have done it, which won’t happen now, but if they would have, it would have been at the expense of their own budget. It was also a voluntary thing … if it had passed [members] would not have been mandated to take it. It was on a voluntary basis.”

Did you get all that? According to Forbes, congressional budgets somehow don’t come out of taxpayer pockets. So the pay raise is not something taxpayers have to worry about. Also hey, relax it would have been completely voluntary. Have you ever turned downed a salary increase? No? Well, it’s completely voluntary, you know. I’m sure your boss would be very happy to let you work for less money, or maybe even for free. Just something they were talking about. It’s not going to happen. Not right now, anyway. Well, I have a suggestion: Stop talking about it!

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. And you’re no doubt a monkey’s uncle, too. I’m talking about the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection Act, the excellent retirement system Congress just set up for chimpanzees. No, really, I kid you not. This is Washington.

The National Taxpayers Union calculates that we taxpayers are spending $45,000 a year per chimp. Not a bad retirement program. In fact, it certainly beats Social Security. These are chimpanzees once used in federal government research who have now entered their golden years. They do have to be cared for, of course. But $45,000 a year? Some in Congress would like us to believe that they’re saving us money because in their wildest imaginations, they dreamed of spending even more. But hello guys, earth to Congress, come in Congress yoo hoo!

Yo! this is more dough than the most prestigious universities in the country charge. Just send the chimps to Harvard! Who voted for this ridiculous waste of our tax dollars? Well, it passed both the House and Senate without a recorded vote. So virtually every congressman can say he or she didn’t vote for it … but of course, it passed. Isn’t it funny that chimps get a lot better retirement program than the chump taxpayer?

Well, we chumps are in the same boat with the chimps in one respect. Neither of us have control of our own retirement money. The politicians are in control. And that’s another problem.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.