Congressional Reform Act

[gaylasue]

I came across the following and thought it worthy to share.  I think it would work.


Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more Than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) Took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!  The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, Cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no Pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into The Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote them a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and Participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void Effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this Contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers Envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their Term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

[mh874892]

There are many good points in this. It is the closest attempt at a logical fix that I have seen. Something needs to be done soon, or this country will continue going down the crapper!

[Falconer02]

This is neat. Although it's on par with the whole Michael Moore idea that if the gov't wants to go to war, congress sons and daughters must be drafted and eventually be deployed to the frontline first. It's a great idea to stop unfairness, but I doubt it'll happen because that's what the system is currently built on.

[vmcutshall]

This is great and I am glad you shared it with us.

[falcon9]

This is neat. Although it's on par with the whole Michael Moore idea that if the gov't wants to go to war, congress sons and daughters must be drafted and eventually be deployed to the frontline first. It's a great idea to stop unfairness, but I doubt it'll happen because that's what the system is currently built on.

The proposed reforms are great, unfortunately it is the entrenched Congress which would vote them down.  Maybe a presidential decree or, a public mandate?

[trucktina]

There's only one way to fix the deficit long-term: 1) Stop the out of control spending. 2) Stop the automatic year-over-year increases in programs/department budgets.

Everyone screaming and yelling recently about the possible cuts in doctor reimbursements for Medicare and the military were simply increases that were less than expected. It's a scam to call that cutting, and it needs to stop!

[GramPolly3]

We are the victims of a dysfunctional government which no longer serves us. This past year of a Congress that is totally dedicated to defeating one person rather than winning for us has, I think, caused a lot of people to sit up and take notice. When we live in a country beset with unemployment, lack of jobs, homelessness and employed people live in fear of medical bills, it is painfully apparent that something needs to be done. I don't care which side of the aisle your representative sits on--they share the guilt.
Reform is necessary if we are to survive as a nation. I like many of Buffet's and Moore's ideas but until we wake up as a citizenry and demand that politics as usual be done away with, nothing will happen. This is not about Republicans or Democrats. This is about having representation that answers to us and not all the special interest money that has become invasive in our government.
When I see and hear of citizens all over the world demanding and enacting change in their country, often at great personal risk, I wonder where our backbone has gone.

[kords21]

A long time ago, Ron Paul put forth a bill saying that congressional pay should be cut with the rate of inflation. Strangley it never got anywhere. Go figure.

[Abrupt]

I still think a superior type of reform would be to put the federal government back in the refinement of the constitution.  As good as the above proposed idea sounds, it is only a band aid and would not fix the problems of corruption and influence at all and could very well even increase them (if you don't see why then think about it a bit).  As it is now, congress binds binds the people and businesses of the country (often well intentioned and sometimes purely political and for profit).  Many people seem to love the idea of regulations and always they are suggesting more.  What people forget is that when you bind someone to you, that you are also bound and influenced by their actions.  This makes you vulnerable to bribery and coercion and corruption.  It also tends to seal your fate with that of your subject.  Sadly few people every realize this and continue angrily beating the drums for more regulations as clueless and as simple minded as they can be.

[Cuppycake]

Any dolt with half a brain

Can see that humankind has gone insane

To the point where I don’t know

If I’ll upset the status quo

If I throw poison in the water main

 

[1goodputter]

Thanks for sharing.  Congress men and women should not receive a pension, should be subject to the laws they pass, and if Medicare and medicaid, which Congress passed, is good enough for We The people, it should be good enough for Congress.  We should use more wisely the term limit system already in place, namely voting.