Letter: Congressional term limits are a must

An election is coming, you can tell by increasing robocalls and email newsletters. Iowa's congresspeople are hitting high gear 'communicating” with us, sending us their views and lists of all the things they have done for us. But all of this is one-way, there is no acknowledged listening on their part.

The only way to engage with them is to go to their website, fill out a form with your suggestion or question, and submit it. You are asked to categorize your input based on subject. There is no direct email and their phones are answered by interns and pages taught to screen by topic and spew a response.

Both of Iowa's Senators and my representative appear to be using software to scan the text you input into these messages and generate an automated response, thus 'communicating” with you on your issue. Town hall meetings are a sham, inviting and asking their supporters to come and ask loaded questions allowing them to deliver the same responses found in their emails. Joining a conference call while listening to 500 other people on the phone isn't two way communication.

The statistics on chances of defeating an incumbent are staggering. It's nearly impossible to unseat an incumbent. It's time for congressional term limits to put these people representing us to work instead of figuring out ways they can shut us out, pad their pockets and accept exorbitant lifetime pensions. Make representative term limits an issue they can't avoid. Tell them today.

Kelly Ungs

Marion