How to Fix Congress

A friend forwarded this idea for a congressional reform package from the Internet. I’m sure it is making the rounds and many of these ideas have been out there for quite some time and are not new. Take a minute and look over this proposal:




Congressional Reform Act of 2010

 


1. Term Limits.12 years only, one of the possible options below: 
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.
 A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. 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.

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

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

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

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

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

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


I agree very much with the last statement. In our history, government has stopped being BY the people and FOR the people. It has become a government by the wealthy and powerful for the wealthy and powerful. Even if someone elected to congress does not go in wealthy, the majority seem to come out wealthy and set for life with government pensions, healthcare, perks and connections not available to the average citizen.

It takes a lot of money to be elected to national government and as we have just witnessed with the recent mid-term elections…MONEY talks. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations and unions to funnel unlimited funds into campaigns and not have to disclose donors have left the door wide open to special interests with hidden agendas. Our election process is for sale to the highest bidder. Those with the most wealth, power and connections get to stay in power and consolidate even more power as they make politics a career, an unholy, but lucrative profession. Their goal is to keep being elected and enjoying the perks and power of their office. Their masters are no longer the people of America, but those special interests who funded their campaigns.

So again, how do we fix congress? We stop making it a career. We limit the amount of money that can be spent and shine a light on who is contributing to the campaign. Finally, we shorten the time they can campaign and make public debates mandatory for all candidates at taxpayer’s expense.

Just one fly in the ointment… to pass this legislative reform act, the people who would have the most to lose by passing it… would be the ones voting on it.

Food for THOUGHT…