How To Fix Congress

[Col Hogan]

This is floating around the internet...something to think about...

I think it's not a bad place to start the discussion on how to reform Congress...


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

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.

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

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.

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

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

[AZGrizFan]

There's about as much chance of THAT ever happening as there is of hell freezing over.

Particularly now with global warming....

[native]

I misinterpreted your thread title. I say cut 'em with a dull knife and, as a courtesy, use a hot brandin' iron to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.


....Oh, and all that other stuff you posted...

[TheDancinMonarch]

This is floating around the internet...something to think about...

I think it's not a bad place to start the discussion on how to reform Congress...


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

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.

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

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.

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

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

+100 with minor changes. But most importantly "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."

[93henfan]

I'm surprised you guys want Congress to be paid more. They've voted against a raise for themselves two years in a row, yet you guys want them to get CPI or 3%? Shame on you all.

[AZGrizFan]

I'm surprised you guys want Congress to be paid more. They've voted against a raise for themselves two years in a row, yet you guys want them to get CPI or 3%? Shame on you all.

A raise is fine for Congress. Just not the other 2.5 million gov't sponges.

[HI54UNI]

I have a much simpler plan. Shoot them all and start over.

[CitadelGrad]

I have a much simpler plan. Shoot them all and start over.

Welcome to the no-fly list.

[AZGrizFan]

I have a much simpler plan. Shoot them all and start over.

Welcome to the no-fly list.

It ain't the bad, 54. I've been on it for years.

[Cap'n Cat]

Hoagie,
I admire your enthusiam, but you're missing a fundamental point. There must be some reason why these people you loath keep getting reelected. It ain't their doing, it's the idiots who vote for them. Speak through the ballot box.

Me, I think almost the complete opposite. We need "professionals" in Congress for continuity, otherwise we're spending 3 years learning the job and the rest of the time campaigning for the next term. Your populist rants are cute, but defy reason. This kind of shit you propose is a recipe for disaster.

GObama!!!

[Col Hogan]

Hoagie,
I admire your enthusiam, but you're missing a fundamental point. There must be some reason why these people you loath keep getting reelected. It ain't their doing, it's the idiots who vote for them. Speak through the ballot box.

Me, I think almost the complete opposite. We need "professionals" in Congress for continuity, otherwise we're spending 3 years learning the job and the rest of the time campaigning for the next term. Your populist rants are cute, but defy reason. This kind of **** you propose is a recipe for disaster.

GObama!!!

It's those idiots who need the term limits...so they can't vote for the idiots they keep electing...

How many times have we seen a national poll that rates members of Congress very low...only to see a more local poll where people love their guy/gal...

I must disagree with you about the need for professionals...that is how we got into the mess we are now in...what we need are people who know they don't have a chance of making this a career...who want to serve the people, not themselves...

The "process" will be learned a lot quicker than you think, because without professional politicians, the process can be simplified...it's the political parties and their "seniority" systems that complicate the process much more than necessary...because that's how they maintain power...

If it's good enough for the President (term limits), than it's good enough for Congress...and I have to admit, that's a change in attitude for me...

[TheDancinMonarch]

We need "professionals" in Congress for continuity, otherwise we're spending 3 years learning the job and the rest of the time campaigning for the next term. Your populist rants are cute, but defy reason.

Like the "professionals" we have now who don't read what they vote on and have to wait until the law is enacted to see how it will work? Sounds like a plan to me.

[GannonFan]

Hoagie,
I admire your enthusiam, but you're missing a fundamental point. There must be some reason why these people you loath keep getting reelected. It ain't their doing, it's the idiots who vote for them. Speak through the ballot box.

Me, I think almost the complete opposite. We need "professionals" in Congress for continuity, otherwise we're spending 3 years learning the job and the rest of the time campaigning for the next term. Your populist rants are cute, but defy reason. This kind of **** you propose is a recipe for disaster.

GObama!!!

It's those idiots who need the term limits...so they can't vote for the idiots they keep electing...

How many times have we seen a national poll that rates members of Congress very low...only to see a more local poll where people love their guy/gal...

I must disagree with you about the need for professionals...that is how we got into the mess we are now in...what we need are people who know they don't have a chance of making this a career...who want to serve the people, not themselves...

The "process" will be learned a lot quicker than you think, because without professional politicians, the process can be simplified...it's the political parties and their "seniority" systems that complicate the process much more than necessary...because that's how they maintain power...

If it's good enough for the President (term limits), than it's good enough for Congress...and I have to admit, that's a change in attitude for me...

The thing is, with term limits, you're almost giving more power to the political parties because now you are relying on fresh candidates to enter the process and get their name out there. Political parties are very good at being able to give fresh faces the money and the exposure they need to have a chance to be elected. Once you remove a person who could be elected on their own (i.e. an incumbent who can run on a very public record) then you run the risk of just giving more power to the political parties. You could just have party flunky after party flunky getting the office.

I have no problem with term limits, but I'd put the ceiling much higher, roughly 20 years. Either way, though, unless the voters do more than vote a name or vote a party, you're going to keep ending up with a large number of uninspiring people holding public office. Term limits or no term limits does nothing in terms of educating or improving the electorate.