Another thing that my wifes aunt found and passed to us

[frkelly74]

F ONLY…………. Why would the Senate and House vote for this?.. They are not going to give up one dime



: FW: Congressional Reform Act of 2012

Please take the time to read this. This is how it should work.


*Congressional Reform Act of 2012*


Warren Buffet is 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 2012*


1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman
collects a salary while in office
and receives no pay when
they're out of office.


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.



3. Congress can purchase
their own retirement plan,
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 people.


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



7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void
effective 12/31/12. The American
people did not make this contract with
Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women 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.


Don't you think it's time?


THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!


Please pass this on to another 20 on your mailing list.


Please pass this on to another 20 on your mailing list.

[Hamish]

Sadly, it's all a pipe dream:

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/susan-milligan/2012/03/13/warren-buffett-and-the-mythical-congressional-reform-act

"Actually, it's not at all how you fix Congress. But more to the point, the fake "petition" is filled with inaccuracies about Congress.

Congressmen do not have "tenure." They run for re-election. If you don't like your congressman, vote him or her out. They do pay into Social Security, just like everyone else, and are not immediately vested with a full pension, as people oddly seem to believe. They are welcome to invest in separate individual retirement accounts if they like.

Congress has not been voting pay raises for itself. Generally, Congress gets an automatic cost-of-living raise, but has sometimes voted not to give itself even that. Since 1994, Congress has gone without a pay raise nine times (four of those times occurring in the past six years). And if the federal workforce gets a pay freeze, as is currently being discussed, Congress's pay is frozen as well.

Congress doesn't get free healthcare or even a special plan. Like all federal employees, they choose (and pay premiums for) a private healthcare plan from a menu of choices.

It's true that Congress as an institution doesn't abide by the same laws. They can hire and fire staff at will, for example. There is an argument that Congress should be held to many of the same laws they pass for everyone else, but some are not workable. Should a Republican be forced to hire Democratic staff, for example? That wouldn't be reasonable.

It's not clear what "contracts" the misinformed author of this bogus E-mail petition is citing. Congressmen cannot earn outside earned income while in office. What contracts would be considered void? Mortgages? Marriage licenses? This is absurd. And the idea that lawmakers receive no pay when they are out of office? What does that mean—that if someone serves one, two-year term, he or she can never work again? Are they meant to go on welfare instead?

And yet, this kind of E-mail is common on the Internet. Lawmakers say they frequently have to send E-mails to outraged constituents explaining that the characterizations of Congress are simply untrue. But the rumors keep coming back, forcing members and staff to constantly defend themselves against charges that have no basis in fact."

[x101airborne]

Oh, how I wish it were like that.
But then again, I think thieves should be shot.
Lord help me, I was born 150 years too late.

[MtGun44]

From discussions with a former Congressman, they do NOT get a immediate pension, he
lost his life savings in 2008 financial collapse and has nothing now for his retirement,
nothing or nearly so from Congress stint for 2-3 terms.

Never trust stuff you get in e-mail or on the net without checking it out. Seems like
much of the "wow look at this" stuff I get forwarded to me is malarkey.

Bill

[Artful]

I just want this one

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

[Wis. Tom]

So many things wrong with the govt. system, but this would be a good start. I think it comes down to accountability, for the founders of this country, have put checks and balances in place to keep everyone accountable for their actions, but most of them are now bypassed, voided, or ignored. They better start changing this direction soon, or you can put a fork in us, as we are done.

[bob208]

it is already law. it is in the constitution under the heading congress shall make no law. something abour exampting them selves form any law they pass. see where that one went.
like i have said before it is like letting the rats gaurd the cheese.

[frkelly74]

The perception is that they have special treatment, are above the law, and get perks and privileges. Maybe they just need to work on the perceptions instead of the shenanigans and grand standing.