Forum Post: This is how we'll FORCE congress to fix our budget! Spread the word
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 23, 2011, 8:40 p.m. EST by DamagedLiberty
(20)
from Elmwood Park, NJ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I am not usually a fan of passing on emails, but this one is just too good!
Here's what Warren Buffett said:
"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC.
"You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.
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, e-mail, cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.
Spread the word around to your friends and family.
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/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 1/1/12. 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.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!
If you like this, do spread it around and get it done!
Deficits are necessary in a recession. The balanced budget is the reason we are slashing unemployment and stuff. This is a teabag issue.
I completely disagree. Most of our funds go into non productive programs.
Get rid of these programs and we will ave a budget surplus that we can AFFORD to invest back in the economy
They are nonproductive just because you dont need them because you are a 1%. Austerity in a depression has never worked. The deficit will be brought under control when we have more good jobs and good wages.
Wow what an elitist answer to say "you don't need them because you are a 1%".
Wake up brother (or sister), we are all in the same boat.
I've been operating a small business in the green field, I earn before taxes about $80,000 a year. This depression has been affecting my work quite a lot.
I don't need these programs because:
1-I live a VERY healthy lifestyle. The last time I fell sick was 5 years ago because I was living a very unhealthy lifestyle.
2-I've been saving in my money since the age of 15 (I am now 28), leaving me extra funds for rainy days.
3-I don't need Social Security to cover me in the future, I'll manage that on my own. I also don't need an imposed medicare system that ONLY promotes big pharma and big insurance! I'll focus on living healthy and not live off dangerous medical procedures and dangerous drugs promoted by the medical industry.
4-I do need an insurance ONLY for emergency. And I have to pay a premium on my medical costs because the system in the US got it to be so expensive.
So get off your high horses when you say "you are the 1%". That's what will limit OWS.
By calling people who are not in the movement (YET) "the 1%", you are alienating them and the movement.
Most Democrates AND Republicans AND Tea Party are being affected by the crisis and the corruption in DC. We are all in this together.
oh so you are morally superior to people who need doctors. yeah right.
Lol, don't let your anger cloud your reading.
Reread what I said: "4-I do need an insurance ONLY for emergency. And I have to pay a premium on my medical costs because the system in the US got it to be so expensive. "
Stating how I live my life doesn't mean I believe it is better than how others do. It's a choice I made.
I do believe doctors have an important place in society, just not the way our system set up our healthcare industry.
We can definitely reduce the size of these programs that mainly benefit Big Pharma and Big Insurance. Are you a fan of these 2? I wouldn't think so.
They are the ones driving up the cost of our defunct medical system in the US. And they are helped by programs set up by our beloved leaders.
Another big spending that we definitely DON'T NEED? All the war spending that started during Bush and continued during Obama.
We the people...The 99%...Should have a choice whether to enter these programs or not.
We the people...The 99%...Should focus on making our politicians accountable for their action.
We the people...The 99%...Should make sure we stop all this corrupted spending, and get it to a level that will actually offer us all a GREAT service.
Peace
What about a 2 term cap on congressional seats like they have with the president? It makes no sense for an individual to hold a seat for 30 years. We need new blood and new ideas flowing into the capitol rather than keeping the ones that are set in their ways acting like a clot in the aorta of our country.
I agree, but how do you get it enforced?
Good point...I am not sure if this is the role of the Supreme court...But they seem to be sitting on their asses not doing their jobs...
Especially with all the new unconstitutional laws passing through congress, the Senate and the President's desk!
The people have to demand it. And we arent quite there yet. Unfortunately it will have to get much much worse to get the majority involved.
Maybe because the people are not aware of how the system works...I myself have just started to get a hang at how our political system works.
But with the Tea Party, and now OWS, there seems to be a popular movement in that direction. Whether we like the tea party or not isn't the question here, but they did manage to get their way in Congress.
Unfortunately, many of their congressmen didn't live up to their promises. Obvious examples are the extension vote of the unPatriot Act!
I think that is great. I do think, however, that life is still too cozy for most to really get active.
Hate to say it. But, you might be right. Seems like the majority of people active in OWS in one way or another where negatively effected by the economic crisis and some to a large degree. Even though I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people in the US in one way or another have seen or been effected the negative effects of our broken system before 2008. I know I have.
Well, it's a matter of time before things get really rough in the country. We already are beyond 20% unemployment rate, and we still haven't really dealt with the core of the 2008 crisis, just the symptoms.