On Aug 11, 2011, at 3:36 PM, John D wrote: > A friend who usually sends me forwarded email of a "conservative" > nature just sent this. And damned if I don't agree. >
Bad idea...these sorts of things are generally rooted in deep ignorance. > Keep this going. Let Congress sacrifice like the rest of us. This is > an excellent idea. > > No matter what your political party, I think we are all pretty sick of > Congress’s shenanigans. Maybe if they were brought down a peg, they > might feel more like taking better care of the American people instead > of themselves and their next election chances. I think this email is > filled with excellent ideas, so I am passing it on. > On the contrary, they are caring very well for the people they represent. Since Money == Speech, their constituency is those who pay for their campaigns. > 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. And we were shipping 18-year-olds off to die by the thousands in a war they had no say in.... > > 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 Damned teabaggers always too damn lazy to do things the right way "There outta be a law!" > > 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in > office and receives no pay when they are out of office. Tenure? There is no congressional "tenure"; we hold elections every two years. Want to toss the bums out? Do it the democratic way: elect someone else. > > 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. Well, this is moot anyway, since only a handful of members are getting the congressional pension: congress has been on Social Security since the early 80's... <http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/pensions.asp> > > 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all > Americans do. > "All americans' ?? You're giving up on Social Security that easily? > 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional > pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. Only if the rest of us get these nice annual raises.. > > 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in > the same health care system as the American people. That would be, as in most cases, provided by their employer...meaning the same goddamn health plan they have now. > > 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American > people. > Document cases where this is true? > 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective > 1/1/12. > What? You want to throw out one of the foundations of capitalism (contract law)? Good luck getting any contracts of your own honored in that environment. > The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. > Yes we did. This is where is falls into stupid teabaggery. WE HAVE ELECTIONS! FEWER THAN HALF OF US BOTHER TO VOTE! We get the Congress we vote for...literally. > > THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! No. THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!: <http://tinyurl.com/3zjlxwg> Democracy is hard and requires you to work...quit looking for shortcuts. -- Bruce Johnson "Wherever you go, there you are" B. Banzai, PhD -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "StrataList-OT" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/stratalist-ot?hl=en.
