HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

I am sending this to virtually everyone on my e-mail list – that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between ('progressives' and 'post-moderns' are outside these parameters). Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends.  I want to promote a "Congressional Reform Act". It would contain seven provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those enlightened souls who drafted the Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Please send me your recommendations on how this proposed Act can be improved…. and/or how we can put this into action.

 I know many of you will say, "This is impossible."  Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government. All 435 members of the House are up for election this coming November, as are one third of the Senate. Now is the time when all Americans can join together to truly reform Congress - the entity that represents us, that serves us.

 We need a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. (These people could well become American heroes.)

Please propagate to your friends any ideas on how to get this done.

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 Proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011 (the short version)

 1. Term Limits: 12 years only – one of the possible options below.

A.     Two Six year Senate term

B.   Six Two year House terms

C.   One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms
 

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators serving their term(s), then going home and back to work.)

 2.      Congress (past, present & future) be required to participate in Social Security: At present, Congressmen may elect one of three 'retirement' plans:

•  Social Security,

•  the FERS basic annuity, a monthly pension based on years of service and the average of the three highest consecutive years of basic pay (permits 'full' pension after 5 years of elected service if pension request is deferred to age 62!),

•  the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), into which participants can deposit up to a maximum of $15,500 in 2008 and 16,500 in 2009. Their employing agency matches employee contributions up to 5% of pay.

 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan other than Social Security just as all Americans do. 

 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves 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 public.
 

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

 7. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1 January 2011.
 

      The American people did not make the present “Congressional Perks” system for our Congressmen. They
      have privileged themselves above that of their electorate in rewarding themselves with these special
      dispensations over the years. It’s time to revoke the special privileges our public servants have given
      themselves. And yes, they are all servants of the common people of our land.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators serving their term(s), then going home and back to work.)

Thomas Jefferson summed it up nicely when he admonished Congress with these words:

     “Public servants should not aggrandize themselves by service to the public.” and,

"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." Thomas Jefferson

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I firmly believe that accepting the above conditions should be prerequisite for any person aspiring to public service — especially to governmental service. Any Congressman / potential congressman should affirm they will abide by these conditions or be removed from office / not permitted to seek office. It is the only way to keep our elected representatives from “aggrandizing” themselves. If they were to balk at these conditions, I would ask them “Why do you find these conditions so egregious?”

Personally, I’ve seen quite enough of the self-serving gratuities and 'ear marks'... how kind to themselves to avoid the more common vernacular that we all understand as corruption. We can fix this! (see below)

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"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."    —Thomas Jefferson

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”  —Samuel Adams, 1776

"545 people are responsible for all of the U.S. woes." I refer you to a brief commentary by Charley Reese, first published in the Orlando Sentinel Star newspaper:
           http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18568.htm

It is time for freedom loving Americans to wake up and do something to stop this mess. A community (and country) can be only as good as its citizens make it. Wake up and get involved.

Stay informed . . .and engaged,                                                                                                                         

Arcinius