Can we stop blaming one party over the other about our do-nothing congress?

[Katzndogz]

It isn't the fault of the political party. The political parties are just reflecting the divisions present in the general population.

 

[rightwinger]

Who said we think "government is an inherent failure" precisely? Are you working off stereotypes of libertarians? There's a difference between limited government and no government. Without government there is total anarchy. With too much government there is tyranny. Rather cut and paste to tell you the truth.

I do understand what libertarianism means. However, that is not how libertarians talk. I am hard pressed to find a libertarian who understands the importance of the federal government's role. There is too much talk on limiting its role. In reality, the federal government has shrunk in recent years.

Where has the government shrunk? Bush put in place one of the largest increases of government in recent years with the DHS and TSA. These are still in place with Obama. In fact, I can't think of any government agency, department, bureau, etc shrinking.

The Federal Government has shrunk by approximately one million employees in the last 50 years while our population has almost doubled

Total Government Employment Since 1962

 

[Foxfyre]

I do understand what libertarianism means. However, that is not how libertarians talk. I am hard pressed to find a libertarian who understands the importance of the federal government's role. There is too much talk on limiting its role. In reality, the federal government has shrunk in recent years.

Where has the government shrunk? Bush put in place one of the largest increases of government in recent years with the DHS and TSA. These are still in place with Obama. In fact, I can't think of any government agency, department, bureau, etc shrinking.

The Federal Government has shrunk by approximately one million employees in the last 50 years while our population has almost doubled

Total Government Employment Since 1962

And now show the amount expended for government in the last 50 years, and the amount of government functions that are contracted out but still subject to government specifications and control and work for nobody other than the federal government. Hint: At Kirtland AFB here in Albuquerque, at Holloman and Sandia AFBs, at Sandia and Los Alamos Labs, and the White Sands Proving Grounds here in New Mexico, the contractor personnel almost outnumber the official salaried federal workers.

As for a 'do nothing' Congress, thank God. Congress will be in useful session--i.e. both the Senate and House will have a chance to pass legislation--only five days this December. While it is deplorable that they are not dealing with issues that only the Congress can do, we can appreciate that them not passing legislation is saving us hundreds of billions of dollars and not imposing further government totalitarianism on us.

 

[Borillar]

I do understand what libertarianism means. However, that is not how libertarians talk. I am hard pressed to find a libertarian who understands the importance of the federal government's role. There is too much talk on limiting its role. In reality, the federal government has shrunk in recent years.

Where has the government shrunk? Bush put in place one of the largest increases of government in recent years with the DHS and TSA. These are still in place with Obama. In fact, I can't think of any government agency, department, bureau, etc shrinking.

The Federal Government has shrunk by approximately one million employees in the last 50 years while our population has almost doubled

Total Government Employment Since 1962

Looks like most of the reduction has been in the uniformed military from their peak during Vietnam. The rest of the government has been pretty flat employment wise.

 

[Foxfyre]

Where has the government shrunk? Bush put in place one of the largest increases of government in recent years with the DHS and TSA. These are still in place with Obama. In fact, I can't think of any government agency, department, bureau, etc shrinking.

The Federal Government has shrunk by approximately one million employees in the last 50 years while our population has almost doubled

Total Government Employment Since 1962

Looks like most of the reduction has been in the uniformed military from their peak during Vietnam. The rest of the government has been pretty flat employment wise.

Yes, almost ALL the reductions have been in the Department of Defense while everything else increases. And contracted work has probably quadrupled or more over the same period.

 

[Zander]

The less Congress does, the better. I don't need any more government "help"....

 

[Jackson]

We are the ones that are voting them in. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

 

[Jackson]

This Congress going down as least productive

WASHINGTON — Even the infamous “Do Nothing Congress” of 1948 did more.

Washington lawmakers this year have approved just 55 laws and, with only a handful of days left, will almost certainly go down as the least productive crop of legislators in modern history.

The two chambers combined have spent about 36 hours per week in session, yet they have only passed one law on average each week — and many of those have been relatively inconsequential.

Bridges have been named, veterans affairs hospitals dedicated, and old laws have been renewed. But little more.

“It’s embarrassing,” said Representative Rick Nolan, a Minnesota Democrat who served in Congress in the 1970s, left for 32 years, and returned this year.

Congress of 2013 on course to make history as least productive - Politics - The Boston Globe

Why aren't they part-time help? I believe that is what they were originally. They do not warrant the salaries they get, nor the perks they vote in for themselves.

 

[Zander]

This is GREAT NEWS!!

Congress should be a part time avocation, not a career.