A Good Idea!

This came over the transom today and I have been thinking about it.  My conclusion is that this is a good idea.  Several things contributed to that decision.  1)  Robert Byrd was in Congress for FIFTY-SEVEN years!  2) Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan are "young" guys who show every sign that they want to emulate Robert Byrd, and they have never worked anywhere except the government. 3) The debacle we have just witnessed was due directly to the fact that Congress is a damn good job, and that doesn't even include campaign contributions.

So my vote is to pass this along and see if there really might be a ground swell to take back Congress.

So here is the email I received.

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-------- Original Message --------

--- On Fri, 8/12/11, : ----- I have totally cleaned this e-mail from all other names, sending it to you in hopes you will keep it going and keep it clean. This is something I will fight for and I hope you all read it all the way through. You will be glad you did. 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. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are 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 are void effective 1/1/12. 8. 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 get 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. It is time. THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete. You are one of my 20+. Please keep it going.