What if every lawmaker and public official were required to

[MineralMan]

hold an open office period for a couple of hours every business day? Open, meaning that any constituent could walk in and make requests, give their opinion, or make a statement. No filters. No pre-selection. Say from 1 PM to 3 PM, it's open office time. You just show up, wait your turn and walk in and discuss whatever you wish. In these days of Skype and other technology, such open office hours could be managed from, say, a congressmember's local office, even when the legislator is in DC.

No excuses. No absences. No opting out. You have to sit there and listen to the people you serve. Every officeholder has the same hours, so there are no meetings or other activities during that time. It is public hearing time. It's the time when you listen if you are an elected official. Listen. Not argue. Not anything. Just freaking listen. Every day. Same time.

[bobbieinok]

1. Cobliges and universities

They require profs to have office hours. Undergrad , private college where I taught required at least 1 hour a day 4 days a week.

[MineralMan]

2. Yes, something like that.

[Orsino]

3. Now we just need a Congress to implement this excellent idea.

Oh. Wait.

[JoeStuckInOH]

4. They get 25% less done, I'm sure.

Not that they're doing a lot... but if I were required to sit in a pointless meeting for 25% of my workday, everyday then it would be tragic waste of time.

[MineralMan]

5. Pointless? Really?

I don't think so.

[JoeStuckInOH]

6. You think any politician required to sit and listen to people complain

about anything and everything for 25% of the work day and forbidden... not speak back or argue but just sit and listen without reprieve would value that time? Those people would be ignored immediately.

An absolute waste of 25% of our leaders' time.

There are some good lawmakers out there and we need to be enabling the few good ones we have left. Not saddling them with the bitching and moaning of the multitude of citizens who would surely abuse the privilege of taking up their leaders' time.