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Latest Answers http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/latest/%2A/19/%2A/%2A a view of answers sorted by date en When the Consitution's changed. It's hard to change the constitution. You got to get Congress to pass it by 75 percent, by two-thirds in the Senate and the House. And 75 percent of the states have to go along with it. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/when-consitution%2526%2523039%3Bs-changed.-it%2526%2523039%3Bs-hard-change-constitution.-you-got-get-congress-pa Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:53:30 -0600 Whitney J 1813 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org We’ve got to address the problem with debt in this country. The government has to stop running itself on a credit card and Americans need to get out of debt. And the exorbitant interest rates that are charged on these credit cards, I’d love to address because there comes a point where you got to say, at what point does it become loan sharking and the other part a fair and equitable reasonable amount of money to expect a return on the borrowed money, so anything we can do to help people get out of debt in this country should be a priority. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/we%E2%80%99ve-got-address-problem-debt-country.-government-has-stop-running-itself-credit-card-and-a Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:12:41 -0600 Whitney J 1764 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org There’s actually been a misconception throughout the country that members of Congress do not get social security.  The fact of the matter is members of Congress do get Social Security and we’ve had a debate in this country as people know over the future direction of that program.  My view is that it has been one of the most successful programs coming out of the post depression era, trying to make sure that the senior citizens in this country have dignity in retirement, have a source of income during their retirement, at least something they can depend on and that’s why it’s so important to maintain that a guaranteed Social Security and why many of us were extremely nervous President Bush’s proposal to privatize at least a component of Social Security.  And I think as you look at what’s happening in the financial markets today and stock prices, if you had a significant of your retirement, including your Social Security invested in the stock market and you were coming to your retirement period right now, you would really find yourself in a bind because the value of your retirement would have plummeted in recent weeks and that is why its so important that we maintain the security in Social Security. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bthere%2526amp%3Brsquo%3Bs-actually-been-misconception-throughout-country-members-congress-d Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:07:48 -0500 Whitney J 1702 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org I don’t know the answer to that. I was not in Congress at the time that that happened and I don’t know that anybody did. I don’t know how to answer that question. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/i-don%E2%80%99t-know-answer-.-i-was-not-congress-time-happened-and-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-anybody-did.-i-don%E2%80%99t http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/i-don%E2%80%99t-know-answer-.-i-was-not-congress-time-happened-and-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-anybody-did.-i-don%E2%80%99t#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:46:29 -0500 amukherjee 1536 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org One of the problems you have if your goals is democracy is usually runoffs, the history of runoffs, is they produce less people voting in a runoff elections than we’re voting in a regular election. So that people have won runoffs getting fewer votes than they had coming second in a regular election.  So if your goal is actually expanding the so called democratic process, runoff elections both in the United States and France have not demonstrated they actually do that. You got to come up with a better way than that. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bone-problems-you-have-if-your-goals-democracy-usually-runoffs%2C-history-runoffs%2C-the http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bone-problems-you-have-if-your-goals-democracy-usually-runoffs%2C-history-runoffs%2C-the#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:38:08 -0500 amukherjee 1534 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Well, term limits was part of the ‘Contract With America’, we had a vote on the floor that would have made federal term limits to 12 years, 6 terms, because there was a court case out in California that indicated that the state referendums like in Ohio were unconstitutional. It failed and as a result we don’t have federal term limits. And now that I’ve been here for a little bit I see that my opinion, two opinions, I think term limits has ruined the state legislature in Ohio and given us a lot of bad government. And B- when you have members that have been here 30-40 years and you say well, okay, I’m going to be here 12, you put your district at competitive disadvantage because this place runs on seniority, the longer you’ve been here -and in terms of committee assignments- the more you can get done for your district and I can do probably 100 times more than I could in 1994. Maybe it shouldn’t be that way, but as long as, what you don’t want to do is unilaterally disarm. And I mean if we all term limits, that’s why I supported it, that’s why I voted for it- but for somebody in Ohio to say ‘well, I’m going to leave’, then the guys in Michigan are just going to take it all up. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bwell%2C-term-limits-was-part-%2526amp%3Blsquo%3Bcontract-america%2526amp%3Brsquo%3B%2C-we-had-vote-floo http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bwell%2C-term-limits-was-part-%2526amp%3Blsquo%3Bcontract-america%2526amp%3Brsquo%3B%2C-we-had-vote-floo#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:41:30 -0500 Jodi Breisler 1505 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH): I do support the repeal. Number one I think the offsets are unfair since a retired worker with a private pension is not subject to the same offsets. Why should for example a state teacher be penalized because they have paid in to Social Security under a previous job. I believe we should repeal this government pension offset. Jodi Breisler: And is there anything even being talked about in Congress right now? Wilson: It is being talked about. As a matter of fact the Chairman of Ways and Means, Charlie Rangel of New York, basically offered up H.R. 82 that would repeal these provisions. I’m proud to say as a person who represents Southeastern Ohio that I’m a co-sponsor on this bill and I will stand tall for the people because I think they’re being unfairly penalized the way it is. Breisler: Now basically we’re just talking about people who are not getting the money they even put in to Social Security, is that the fact? Wilson: Yes it is and you know upon their retirement they should be entitled to both benefits. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be, especially since they paid in to Social Security. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3B%2526lt%3Bb%2526gt%3Brep.-charlie-wilson-%28d-oh%29%3A%2526lt%3B/b%2526gt%3B-i-do-support-repeal.-number-one-i-th Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:53:43 -0500 Jodi Breisler 1371 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Our committee has three goals and this is what we have been trying to accomplish: protecting taxpayer’s dollars from waste, fraud and abuse and making sure government works for the people third holding the government of this country accountable for their actions that’s what we have been trying to do in 2007 and 2008 during the time I have been chairman of that committee. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/our-committee-has-three-goals-and-what-we-have-been-trying-accomplish%3A-protecting-taxpayer%E2%80%99s Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:32:38 -0500 Sara Sciammacco 1340 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org