The office of President.
Last
post set forth the idea of a one term president for six years. I
proposed that it was sufficient time to put forth an agenda which would
either sink or swim. It would not be put into a venue
as it is now where the current office holder runs on the idea that he
needs more time to complete and carry out his agenda and those who are
all stupid and in for the freebies reelect that individual knowing not
that he could care less about them but only about the power which the
office brings.
The power of the office is the next item up for discussion and one which the convention needs to
address. It is time we Rethink the office of the President.
It
appears that the office has taken on an "air" of royalty to it which
flies in the face of of the founders original intent . Pomp and
protocol, inspired by a past that none can relate too have no place in
the exercise of authority in the government in the 21st century. Along
with this comes compensation for the office during and after his time in
office. It is not unusual that by the time an individual reaches the
office of the president that he may have already held several government
positions- governor, senator, representative , or may have wealth in
his own right. How is the
presidents pension to be determined when he is entitled to multiple
retirement plans? The president , like other politicians make money off
his experiences during and after his time in office, through books,
lectures, consultations fees and more. The presidents retirement
benefits which include Secret Service protection for him and his family
members, the cost of maintaining a private office, travel, his widow's
pension and the "royal" funeral, need to be aligned to the respect for
the office, but also to the living standard of the average American. As
as with the average American, his pension should start at the retirement
age defined for all by Social security.
The
country has absolutely no need for a royal presidency. The president
should not act as or give the impression of being a beneficent monarch.
The first lady or whatever it may be in the future is not and should
not be considered an extension of the president.
The
limits of executive power and the methods of exercising it need to be
defined. Secondly what is meant by "executive
privilege. "Executive waivers" not only allow the president , but
other federal administrators as well, to selectively enforce laws. These
are certainly questions too serious to be left to the fuzzy notion of
who is entitled to act. Should the country decide to allow them? If so,
what restrictions should be imposed.
We
need to move from the 19th century captivity concerning political
continuity. The validation of votes for both the president and the
congress should result in a swift succession of power rather than
wasting time with the "lame duck" situation which allows shenanigans of
all manner of things most of which are immediately erased upon the next
president and or congress taking office. Currently there is 11 weeks
between Election Day and Inauguration Day and it only extends influence
beyond any useful term of office. Midnight rulings are but one example.
Carter left behind 24,000 pages, Clinton , 26, 000 pages and Bush was
not far behind. No leader of any other modern country celebrates
himself as does the US President because that is what they think the
people want or are told that they want. Such fantasies reflecting toward
a royal aura is not the function of the presidency.
Doing
away with the notion that the president is the Commander in Chief of
the military is past time. Military action takes place much faster and
in so many different ways that political decision lags behind or slows
the action necessary. Turning a man who has never served or have
refused to serve in the military, as it has occurred in recent years, to
command those who have volunteered is sheer demagoguery. The
practice carried on by kings, dictators-all commanders in chief, or
posing as them needs to be changed since
there is a better way. Allowing a so called commander in chief to
arbitrarily dictate torture, assassinations and other arbitrary action
against friend and foe is ridiculous and this country is getting too
close to such and exercise of executive power.
Two
other issues need to be addressed as well. One is "president for life".
President is not a title for life nor was it ever intended to be yet we
continue to address every
former person who has served in the White House as president.
Unfortunately this carries over to congressmen and to the justices. It
borders on creation of a class of nobility. We don't need it. Lastly,
Presidential libraries are nothing more than self-aggrandizing
monuments. They should be paid for by the individual or by
contributions, and those contributions should hold no tax exemption for
it smacks of influence buying.
The
records belong to the people of this country and should be in a
location where they are accessible to the public who paid for them
dearly. The Constitution does not support such grandeur.
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