Did you know that Benjamin Franklin once proposed that nationally elected officials not be paid? He believed public servants would be just that -- servants of the people.
How far we've come from that ideal. Today, many of our federal officials run for office to enrich themselves, both in terms of money and power. They continue, year after year, sometimes for decades, to use their position to line their pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer.
The solution? Term limits. Limiting the terms of office for federal officials will deincentivize the pursuit of federal office as a lucrative career. It will keep big-money lobbyists from forming lasting relationships with Congressmen, and it will encourage true public service.
As one Nebraska businessman explains in the video below, our Founders never imagined that Congress would be full of career politicians.
"To those who think that elections themselves are enough as a form of term limits, I would simply say that when approval ratings hover around 10 percent and the reelection of incumbents is over 85 percent, something must be wrong," he said.
The solution? A Convention of States. A Convention of States can propose a constitutional amendment that would limit the terms of office for federal officials. The best part -- it's called and controlled by the states, not Washington, D.C.
