TY Lives in the Far North, Giving an occasional new perspective.

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   Comment by Uplander on 29 October 2007:

   Wouldn’t we all be better off if they went home and stayed there.
   Consider that. Maybe it’s not such a facetious idea. We certainly have the technology for most of the Business of Congress to be done from the Senators and Representatives Home State offices.
   Imagine. If they all stayed in their home states where their Constituents live they would be:
   Closer to the people they work for,
   Outside the Beltway,
   Farther from the Lobbyists

   It would be harder for lobbyists and special interests to ‘make the rounds’ in their quest for specialized pork.

   The Congress People wouldn’t have to maintain those expensive apartments at the Watergate. They could leave a smaller detachment of staff in Washington.
   We could probably sell one or more of the congressional office buildings, the Rayburn etc. Office space in the home precincts would probably be cheaper.

   With the existing technology and security ‘Daily Business’ could be done over WAN (Wide Area Network) and also run Conference and committee business the same way.
   These would be ‘Live’ face to face real-time activities.

   It would of course be necessary for the members to be in Washington for some occasions, The State of the Union, Some swearing in ceremonies requiring a ‘Hand on the Bible’ and such. A Congressperson being Censured would be required to be on the floor of their respective Chamber, but the vote could be remote.

   As they do today, C-Span could carry the unclassified feeds for roll call votes.

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