Something to really think about.

[joea]

We as a nation need this. Everything below is a good (some are great) and was sent to me by one of the Icons in the Aeronca world. It said to forward it, and I will but wanted as well to put it here so our Aeronca family might do it as well.

Joe A

~~~~~~

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, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

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

I'm 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. 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 1/1/12.

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, 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.  Maybe it is time.
 
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

[MikeB]

Joe,
Think I'm on the same mailing list with the same icon as you. These are good points that I certainly can't argue with. I swear the ones we have in congress now couldn't organize a two horse parade. The budget was supposed to be completed last fall when the Dems had the presidency and both houses of congress but they put it off until after the election for political purposes. In Wisconsin we have 14 of our 'representatives' running away to Illinois so they didn't have to vote on a budget proposal. Several years ago I spent some time on the local school board as I had kids in school and thought it my 'civic duty' .. We had lots of tough votes and some were unpopular but we had to make them and we did. Back when I was a shop manager the workers were evaluated on the amount of work accomplished in time (flat rate).

No wonder the approval rating for congress is in the teens. I suggest no pay as nothing is being accomplished.

MikeB

[jc pacquin]

Also: Congress will dispense with:Doctor on duty at all times, at their disposal. They acquire their own health care, No more freebies like reduced rates on prescription drugs, haircuts and whatever. AND....They ARE NOT allowed to leave congress and be a lobbyist for ANYONE and this SHOULD apply to ex military ALSO! So far they simply dismiss what the American public wants and do only what major corporations and their lobbyists want. IE: defense, drug companys. big oil, etc. JP

[CptKelly]

Joe,
I'm with you on the amendment, but it will never fly. No congressman is going to vote to end his own pension, it ain't gonna happen.

Mike

[WWhunter]

Ditto what Mike said. I have been living here in the Washington DC area for a few years now. I can tell you that the majority of the people here are completely out of touch with reality. They don't see what this great country of ours is going through outside the confines of the city area. The amount of money made, and the arrogance of the people here is uncalled for!
WW

[jc pacquin]

with respect let me say Mike B. is WRONG! The Democrats PROPOSED a budget last fall. Mitch McConnell said the republicans would fillabuster it and that it would NOT pass. Mitch McConnell also stated just after the current President was elected that they would veto ANYTHING he proposed and their main aim was to not allow him to be reelected. These are the facts. You are of course entitled to your own opinion but not YOUR OWN facts.JP

[MikeB]

JC,
I guess you and I will just have to agree to disagree. Proposal is not bringing anything up for a vote. I can and have voted both ways but generally lean to the conservative side. People need to be responsibile. There's plenty to blame in both parties for congressional disunity. No reason except large egos for not getting anything done. If these people worked for me when I was running a shop, they'd have their walking papers and be out on the street.

I'd rather talk Aeroncas .

MikeB

[jc pacquin]

Mike you are absolutley correct! BOTH sides need their walking papers. A fellow named David Broder passed away recently. He was a long respected reporter for the Wash. Post. He once remarked that both sides used to be for the most part, pretty good friends after hours. Today they spend little time in Washington. Usually they are trying to raise money at home, meeting with lobbyists to raise money, or on a golf outing with a drug company, etc. JP

[Captgrumps]

We have the best representative/politicians money can buy..And what they can buy with that money--votes--

[joea]

Again, we need to cut the money out of it. Give our reps a basic salary, no retirement (they have the same Social Security we have) and no health care (again they can have the same thing we have) and so on.

Limit them to two terms then they go back home, never to serve in Govt again. Its this "lifetime in govt" crap that is ruining it, along with the massive amounts of money and so on.

[CptKelly]

Unfortunately, the only way to impose these ideas is by a revolution. Even though I completely agree, Congress, will NEVER vote this in.

Mike

[Holcombe]

Constitutional ammendments are passed because enough people are pissed off enough to make it happen.
As for term limits, problem is that you then get stuff being done by the perminant staff people because they are the only ones around long enough to figure out how to get things done.
As to the "No law that doesn't apply equally to themselves" bit, RIGHT ON!

[joea]

Unfortunately, the only way to impose these ideas is by a revolution. Even though I completely agree, Congress, will NEVER vote this in.

Mike

Am fairly close to agreeing with the above. Sad to say but the people in DC could care less about what we want. We have been telling them for over a year to "STOP SPENDING" and they have not listened...

Joe A

[Jerry Eichenberger]

I won't attempt to respond to all of the thoughts raisded here, but only term limits.

No disrespect to anyone, but term limits for legislators, either in Congress or at the state level are stupid. Here's why:

Running this country takes experience. To limit a representative's time in office to any number of years. let's say 12, is like telling the Fortune 50 companies that their entire board of directors can have no more than 12 years of business experience, or an airline captain can have only 12 years of flying experience.

Regardless of which political party you consider to be yours, most of the great statesmen in the 20th century were career politicians - Harry Truman, Jack and Teddy Kennedy, Vern Rayburn, Everett Dirksen, to name just afew really good people, of both parties, who served long careers in Congress, and did the country a lot of good.

I just don't understand those who react emotionally to this issue without thinking it thru.

[joea]

Sorry Jerry but totally disagree.

This country was founded on "farmer statesmen" and the institution of Congress and the Senate was never designed to have someone get elected there then stay the rest of their lives.

These reps who are elected then spend 20,30 even 50 years of their lives sucking off of the public dole are one of the biggest problems we have today. They have in most cases never held a real job and keep voting themselves raises and more benefits.

IMHO they need to come to DC, work for US and the country for one or two terms, then GO HOME and get a job, never again being employed by the local, state or DC government.

You are a lawyer and see things a bit differently. We all are different but in this case there is no way that I want to continue the sham that we have now called "our government" in DC.

Joe A