Ten Percent Approval Rating - Congress Fails: What Business Would Hire This Group?

Businesses seeking to sell to a government agency must usually submit to a bidding process. In other words, if a company sells widgets (or paper clips) to a government organization, the proposal, prior to signing a deal, must go through a rigorous procurement review.  This often daunting process typically includes an open bidding procedure. A company might make the world's best widgets, but if the sales proposal, required to sell them to the government, can't survive the procurement and bidding, the product will be passed over for a competing bid.

So, here's the question. Would the US Congress survive a government procurement procedure?  Of course not. 

Congress recently received a 10 percent public approval rating. 

The Columbus Press reports:  WASHINGTON — The public’s scorn for a gridlocked Congress continues to grow, with a new Gallup poll showing confidence in the legislative body falling to 10 percent, the lowest level Gallup has ever found for any institution.

Congress’ 10 percent rating in the survey was 3 percentage points lower than in a similar Gallup survey of the public’s views of major institutions conducted at the same time last year.

At this low point, (a misnomer - it's really a high "disapproval" rating), it's time our nation seeks competing bids.  

In other words, let's vote politicians out of office when they bring down the respect for government.  We must especially un-elect the likes of Speaker John Boehner, who seem to take disdainful pride in bringing down our confidence in the Congress. 

Let's immediately elect (ie "hire") people who will respond to the will of the people.

Here are some suggestions to Congress, to help improve its approval rating, before it tanks to zero (statistically speaking, a 10 percent low is very close to zero, given there's typically a margin of error of 4-5 percent).

1.  Support tax reform whereby super rich millionaires and billionaires are required to share their wealth through equitable income redistribution - ie. pay their fair share of taxes.

2.  Pass compassionate and benevolent immigration reform including providing a path to citizenship for all law abiding immigrants.  Prohibit laws requiring immigrants to live as indentured servants.  

3.  Sustain social safety net programs, especially:

• Social Security - funded by employer and employee payroll taxes that are recovered by beneficiaries at a retirement age determined to be 62-66 or older.
• Medicare - health insurance paid for by Social Security beneficiaries and guaranteed by the government.
• Medicaid - income assistance and health care for poor people including migrant workers and immigrants.
• Pell Grants - providing deserving college students with tuition assistance.
• Food Stamps - this benefit helps all Americans because the money received by recipients goes directly back into commerce and the food purchased sustains many farm budgets.
• Veterans Benefits - support for those who have served our national defense, and, as a result, their dedication may have exposed them to life shortening experiences (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Agent Orange, other toxin reactions, combat injuries and related disabilities).
• Infrastructure sustainability - funding for highways, bridges, airports and public safety projects that will expand access to trade and provide opportunities to create new jobs.
• National Wi-Fi networks - available everywhere, like electricity and clean water.  Internet commerce is essential to nearly every legitimate business; therefore, it's time for customers and businesses to have the ability to access the Internet, for free.
• Support for health related research - Americans must keep up with other developing countries, many of them already demonstrating rapid advancements in public health for the purpose of sustaining a healthy, viable and growing workforce. 
• Gun safety regulations - Preventable deaths by gun violence must be eliminated.  Guns really do kill people and Americans deserve protection from people who want to use guns for evil and incendiary purposes. Congress must pass sensible gun control regulations!

Surely, it doesn't seem like "rocket science" to focus the US Congress on how to improve its public opinion rating.  

Republicans are clearly responsible for this institutional disdain. Consequently, one can wonder if resistance to improving the disapproval is, somehow, weirdly strategic.  Does Congressional disapproval serve some unknown outcome, known only to the obstructionist Republicans?  One hopes not, but, who knows, for sure?

Certainly, with only a 10 percent public approval rating, the American people can't re-hire this ineffective group again. 

No business would keep this group on the payroll. In fact, any viable business would've already fired the entire bunch.  

Congress should legitimately be receiving unemployment benefits for only 6 months.  A Senator and Congressional member's annual salary is $174,000.  Surely, there are more qualified people worthy of this salary and care about will of the people, rather than obstructing progressive policies.