Comments on: Would less of a Legislature do more?

By: Chrisfrommactown

Chrisfrommactown — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:57:09 +0000

Kinda funny that a Democrat would call for fewer Senators and Legislators. Sounds like a ploy to dilute the power of the eternal Republican majorities.

By: Jed

Jed — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:45:22 +0000

Reggie,
You must be Irish, right? A chicken in every pot, some pot in every chick and a king on every throne! Before long we’ll be marching off to conquer Huchinson!

By: Regular

Regular — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:36:29 +0000

I think it’s time for King or a Queen.

Let’s do away with Topeka and open up Wichita as royal court. :)

By: Jed

Jed — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:45:34 +0000

I’m preparing to toss my hat into the ring for the Governorship. I will be running on an Anarchist ticket. Rather than shrinking state government, let’s go the distance and eliminate it altogether!
My campaign slogan: “Do you really believe that what we have is better than no government at all?”
My campaign promise: “If I run for a second term, you may consider it an admission of abject failure.”
My qualifications: What qualifications does it take to turn out the lights and lock the doors?
All politics is local anyway, so let local bodies handle local problems and let the feds handle the national and international ones. Cut out this expensive, ineffectual, interfering and unnecessary middleman and run our own lives!

By: Monkeyhawk

Monkeyhawk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:37:56 +0000

“JWink” –

It’s counter-intuitive, but there’s a strong case to be made to increase the salaries of legislators.

Someone who depends year-round on an assembly line isn’t likely to chuck it all for 90 days per diem paid to the lawyers, bankers, executives, and farmers who now pack the Legislature.

For all the whining about “professional politicians,” I come back to thinking about other fields of work. If I need brain surgery, I’d just as soon have a “professional” surgeon in charge. If someone’s gonna drill my teeth, I’d prefer a “professional” dentist does it.

It’s always seemed odd to me when CONs rail against “professional” politicians (albeit, only those professional politicians they disagree with).

By: brian_nuevo

brian_nuevo — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:33:07 +0000

Well, if the goal is reducing legislative waste, how about doing away with it altogether?

We have the technology now to do direct popular votes on every issue in the State….

By: JWink

JWink — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:18:54 +0000

Senator Steineger is on the right track but needs help with his thinking. We are in a recession and, according to news reports, have been for a year. I see the benchmarks I watch dropping their prices.

Decreasing the number of Kansas state senators and house members would mean less democracy, less of a voice of the people on legislation. Entrenched state bureaucrats would gain power.

So, the best solution would be to immediately LOWER the pay of Kansas senators, representatives and state employees in an amount necessary to balance the state budget. Salaries and perks should be reduced by a minimum of the percentage of recessionary deflation, about 11% immediately.

It’s NOT the taxpayers responsibility to guarantee full employment at an ever increasing amount of pay. I know this would cause one gigantic squeal from those affected but I doubt if many would quit their jobs in protest.