Received in an e-mail from a friend….not a bad idea really, except for the obvious fact that Congress would have to pass this into law, and there’s only a slightly better than zero chance that any of our career politicians would so willingly make changes that would return our politics and government to the people- they’d miss their corporate overlords way too much!
The Congressional Reform Act would contain 8 provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Congress has the lowest approval rating of any entity in government. I would surely think that the voting public could get their arms around something like this. Something that would create and sustain real change and hope.
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, serve 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.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am and is filed under Common Sense, Democracy, Government, Politics, Reform.
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January 11th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
I would add: One term in office. One term in jail.
January 11th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
AMERICA
FOR THE PEOPLE
BY THE PEOPLE
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
We had a great Christmas with my sister and son Scott coming to Iowa. The weather was a mild one over that time though the weather bureau over-sold another “blizzard” that did not materialize. They are acting like the WHO now.
Back a few days ago I received an e-mail including the “Congressional Reform Act of 2010. That is the topic we have been discussing for years in this family dating back to the economic research Scott and I did while we were in DC (90-94)
The line items are certainly consistent with the spirit of our Constitutional Republic and appear to be fair and equitable.
It is my opinion that the fundamental problem we seek to remedy is in the hearts of those who seek to be elected AND the monopoly that has been given (or taken) defacto, by both parties; Republican and Democrat.
I may be reaching a bit, but I hold that the current batch of politicals running the Federal and most State governments are not a mirror image of the majority of people in America. It’s not my image. I hold that the government I was born under is a Republic governed by the Constitution. It is a Constitutional Republic designed to govern Americans; a group made one by unity of purpose and belief.
The American people no longer have a government.
By that statement I mean that we have government which responds to the 40,000 (Registered) lobbiest in Washington, all with check-books out ready to buy the next obliging political to do their will. The same goes for states. The cost to obtain a public office is high. The politicals understand this and use it to their personal advantage. The political monopolies (Democrats and Republicans) know this and use it to their advantage to take the reigns of power and influence dispensing largess in appreciation – the well know “Pay offs” of special laws, contracts and government positions etc.
So where does all this lead? I read the last chapter in the bible so nothing will surprise me though I am disappointed for our off-spring who will never see America as we saw it and were taught to understand it. Our vision is no longer reality.
Can we get the politicals to vote against their personal interests? That indeed would be a miracle.
Can God heal this nation? Of course He can. Will we broken before Him so that he will do His work? That’s the big question, isn’t it?
If we could pass laws, set new standards and provide devastating penalties for those who transgress the clear responsibilities of being a servant of the people, would that change the hearts of the people? hmmmmmm probably not. What would they use to establish the core of their values of “right and wrong”?
The Congressional Reform Act of 2010 represents positive and desirable goals to be achieved. What is missing is the methodology to implement the goals. Perhaps the Tea Party sees this act as an incentive to vote their people into “service”; I don’t know. At this point in my life I have very little confidence any “new” political group would do better than what we have — or to say it another way; do less damage to America. Besides that, any enterprising Democrat or Republican politician who thought they could win a public seat under the new banner would soon join up.
However: (this is the place where I get to throw in my two-bits of worldly wisdom to a problem which clearly needs divine intervention)
HOWEVER, if the problem is:
1) Hearts of man that cannot be trusted to withstand the corrosiveness of power and money
2) The gravitating of special interest groups together to “influence” public servants with money and perks
3) The polarization of politicals to special rights (monopolies) in picking candidates (filtering out people who will not go along with the system)
4) High cost of election process which eliminates 99% of Americans
5) Selective destruction of opponent’s reputation by buying investigations, TV accusations and flat out lying with no accountability
6) Public Media allowing themselves to be used by one side or the other (for a price)
These dastardly deeds can be moved against by specific actions and set in law by a Constitutional Amendment. Would that be immutable? Probably not; mankind has an unbelievable capacity to get around the law but anyway, here’s the plan.
Make individual election to ALL public service positions a function of “filtered” lottery.
1) Address the economic hurdle giving access for American Citizens to serve.
The State would provide for the costs of the selection process by special taxes.
Only Citizens of the US would be taxed. No qualified person would be exempt.
The Federal government would provide for the costs of the selection process by special taxes.
AGAIN; Only Citizens of the US would be taxed. No one would be exempt.
What would the selection process cost? I estimate that the selection/training process for both taxes would be under $2.00 (current currency) per tax payer.
NOTE: The cost of supporting the public servant during their service would also be paid for by a special tax and identified as such publicly. Salary and compensation could be specified by the Congressional Reform Act of 2010 for Federal positions. States would specify compensation in their constitutions.
2) The “filtered” lottery would do away with the so called PARTY system monopoly and diminish the corrupting role of lobbiest in State, County, City and Federal elections. Lobbiest fund their willing candidates in complicity with both Democrat and Republican parties at this time. Sometimes they field candidates in both parties so as to have a sure winner.
THE PRELIMINARY ELECTIONS ARE SUBVERTED AND FLAWED! Most thinking adults are aware of this and are powerless to do anything meaningful about it. They cannot compete with full time, paid lobbiests.
The “Filter”
a) Adult citizens of the US (born of American citizens in the US or of naturalized US parents)
b) Minimum of 50 years of age
c) In good health
d) Demonstrates (1950 level) 8th grade academic competence:
Reading, Writing, Math and linear thought (comprehension)
e) Speaks, Reads, Writes English at or above (1950) 8th grade academic competence level
e) Demonstrates ability to master required knowledge and skills to fulfill the appointed position
f) Has no history of Felony conviction
g) Has no history of mental illness
How will the knowledge and experience of serving in a public position be imparted to the new selected servant?
CANDIDATE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
The training process will be required for each position according to the constitutional mandates of that position (State, County, City, Federal). The time required to educate each candidate will be defined. If a selected person cannot or will not meet the mastery level of competence required he/she will be dismissed. This possibility would require “alternates” to be selected for the honor of being a public servant.
The training staff and or overseeing committee (State, Federal) would be selected by lottery also. The training staff and overseeing committee would have a specified length of public service similar to other public servants.
EXPERIENCE: The selected person (persons) will complete the training as specified. The newly selected and trained person would work for one year as assistant with the currently performing public servant for on-the-job experience.
HOW IT WORKS
The length of tenure for each position is known. The training/experience of each position is known. Lottery selection, filtering, training and experience can occur as appropriate to meet the time constraints of the positions.
Positions of special responsibility within states, county, city or the Federal government will be filled by lottery of the appropriate public servant; example, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee would be selected at random from serving Senators. Ambassadors and other special positions would be selected from the filtered lottery at large.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Anyone attempting to influence public servants by bribe or personal gain immediately or deferred into the future will be, upon 30 days of conviction, hanged in a public square of the appropriate jurisdiction or in the case of Federal public servant, hanged on the mall in Washington D.C.
Any public servant convicted of betraying the trust of his position and or breaking his oath to support and defend the US Constitution will be dismissed in disgrace. His/her picture placed in every Post Office and Public School as Disgraced Servant with dates and account of his/her infraction attached.
For any public servant convicted of accepting a bribe to influence a public service decision, the penalty would be death by hanging in a public square.
At this time in America’s history it appears to me that whoever can figure out how to get nominated and elected to public office, given the money, support of political party and other splinter groups (unions, special interest groups, etc.) wins. There does not appear to be a criteria that the candidate be American in philosophy or opinion. There is almost NO indication that they take the role of public servant seriously. Though they all take the “oath of office” the decisions they make, the laws they propose and pass and the policies they create for the most part do not reflect the clear limits laid forth in the US Constitution. Very few politicals take financial responsibility for the nation seriously.
In my opinion we have a Rogue group of career politicians running the nation with little regard to America and what it stands for. Take notice of the families that have fielded several generations of politicians. Have we created a new class of American?
Your comments are encouraged and appreciated.
James R. von Feldt
jjvon@netins.net
January 11th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
loses* not looses. Please.
January 11th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I’d remove the term limits but other than that I think its a really good idea. If you don’t like your legeslator vote him out. As long as we have a two party system you’d just be cycling inexperience power hungry assholes through as opposed to having experience power hungry assholes. On top of that the few decent guys (Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich) would only have 6 years to accomplish anything at all.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Interesting but there are some drawbacks.
1) Term limits – They are a DANGEROUS double edge sword. Just look at the current situation the State of California is in. Some of the toughest term limits around and nothing gets done because if you try to start anything in the legislator you are out of office by the time it’s ready.
Instead of having term limits there should be limits applied to where a Senator/Congressman can seek employment AFTER there terms are up. No working for ANY corporation that has/had lobbyist or business with the Senators/Congressman’s office.
2)I like the idea of NO TENURE OR PENSION.
3)& 4)I AGREE that ALL member of BOTH Houses will particapate in Social Security.
5)I think ANY pay raise should come from a vote from that Senators/Congressman’s HOME state. And should be PAID by that HOME state.
6)I agree that Congress should NOT have there OWN PRIVATE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. It’s UNCONSTITUTIONAL and UN AMERICAN.
7)This is should be targeted at Corporate Lobbyist who pay off Congressional Family members with cushy jobs as board members for some unknown disease. No Congressional Family member will have ANY business relations with known lobbyist and their contractors.
8)This is a little dangerous and can cut booth ways, lots of experience as well as double dealings are passed on by personal meetings. I think a more detailed approach is needed.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
If there was no tenure the only individuals who could afford 6 or more years off of work would be the super wealthy or retired. That is not a very fair distribution of “the people representing the people” when the demographic is very limited.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Politicians aren’t the real enemy, and the legislation you have proposed and outlined here is little more than a strawman that would likely do more damage to our political process than you could possibly imagine. The *REAL* enemy of our political process is lobbyists. If you only get one term in office, then you can take all the lobbyist money you want under the table with no long-term ramifications to your political career, and laugh all the way to your off-shore bank account when your career is done in a couple years.
In short, a politician will only live so many years, where as a lobbyist firm can exist indefinitely as long as there is money to be made.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
This would never pass with the current elected officials. It could pass if enough ordinary citizens (patriots) who don’t want to be “politicians” got elected by promising to sign this into law. While their at it, they could also work on repealing so many of the stupid laws enacted by previous sessions. Our country has to get back to the constitution or our way of life and our children’s and children’s children are doomed.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:23 am
If you want to be taken seriously, please correct the typo in article 6. Congress will *lose* their health care coverage. Not loose it (as in, I loosen my pants when I read this).
January 12th, 2010 at 3:15 am
[…] Real Change and Hope…CONGRESSIONAL REFORM ACT 2010—Serving in Congress is an honor, not a ca…commonsenseworld.com […]
January 12th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Term limits for legislators are a bad idea.
They would further empower lobbyists and administrators.
treat the cause, not the symptoms.
To get rid of the deadwood, enact election reform.
Competitive redistricting eliminates “safe seats”, ensure a nice steady rate of churn (as intended).
Public campaign finance levels the playing field by taking big money out of political campaigns.
The fairness doctrine uses the public airwaves to serve the body politic.
PS- Term limits for executive positions are okay.
January 12th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Politics in America, as well as just about everywhere else, has evolved over the last 200 years. We are at the place we are now because of the effects of long lines of decisions and reactions that occured over many years. Any well-read and educated person knows that you must understand this history in order to make changes whithout total revolt and chaos.
Changing the couse of this will either be done through the recognition that we must get on a new course or the complete overthrow of the government. The ladder is somewhat out of the question but the former is do-able. Changing the course of this means we set in motion new standards by which we judge our politicians. Changing the course of this means we begin to phase out the status quo through laws that will go into effect gradually, not all at once.
To really get back to citizens that can govern themselves we don’t need some ill-conceived movement that is sent around by email, we need to understand how we got here and how we might affect the future right now.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I wholeheartedly agree with this premise – and it remains just a premise until enough American citizens ‘wake up’ to the reality of our capitalistic process. I am actively speaking out now because it is the only possibility for us to come together as a nation.
Michael Moritz
January 20, 2010
January 23rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Awesome! Just got a new phone and I can read your blog on my phone, it didn’t work on my old one
January 30th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I just found this and am liking what I see
time to clean house hey?
Maybe some of the lobbiest problem could be solved if our law makers governed from their own state instead of within Washington. Maybe 1-2 full sessions a year? This could also save tons of tax payer money, after all we pay for all that transportation. Make it harder on all the special interest as well? In this day and age with technology there has got to be a better way for things to get done.
I’ll be keep an eye out on this!
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Along with this we need to have campaign reform. In order to run for office a candidate has to have access to millions for a campaign… this is what has led to widespread corruption. Let’s give honest Americans from all walks of life an opportunity to serve this country and not have to bend their values in the process. Campaign reform should limit the amount of money that any candidate can spend, and we should consider subsidizing all campaigns with our tax dollars. It sounds like another expense, but ultimately it could save us much more… including our integrity.
March 26th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Sadly, although most feel pressure will cause congress to vote against the interests of the politicians, that won’t happen. Incumbents have too much at stake to change. REMEMBER you don’t live in a DEMOCRACY….the U.S. is a REPUBLIC. Had we a democracy many of the policies and issues would be decided by a plebesite as is the case in Switzerland.
March 31st, 2010 at 4:26 pm
All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.
Thomas Jefferson, in his First Inaugural Address, 1801
Is there a problem with placing a tax on the gratuity a politician receives from lobbyists ?
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:05 pm
“Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government,” –> lots of this is because of the crappy economy, though
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1476/unemployment-presidential-approval-ratings-1981-2009-reagan-obama
anyway, 1. term limits — the founders didn’t say anything about term limits so it’s sorta weird to assume they wanted it but didn’t include it:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/the_folly_of_term_limits.html
besides, this takes a constitutional amendment
2. no tenure: there’s problems attracting non-rich candidates now, and this’ll only make rich, self-funded candidates run the show.
3. congress should join social security:
they are already a part of social security — this is a variation of an old chain email myth:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/pensions.asp
4. they do? the idea behind this though — that congress gets riches thrown at them by the government after serving in congress — is false……… most of them are rich though and can live nicely after serving in congress — making the “little guy” congressman feel more pain than the billionaire politician seems sort of dumb.
5. pay raises are actually automatic, according to some complicated formula. they should be making the politically painful choice to vote…
6. THIS HAS BEEN CALLED “THE MYTH THAT DOESN’T DIE” (and is in other chain emails)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/the_proposed_28th_amendment.html
7. they are subject to the same laws …….
8. huh? congressmen aren’t running around, enriching themselves by making contracts with businesses — they do that after they leave congress. that sucks, but getting rid of contracts violates the constitution’s contract’s clause………………….
April 29th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Hi,
Here is a plan that should get implemented. This was emailed to me. The writer is unknown. It is appearing all over the internet. Someone should turn this into real legislation, that would give me some Hope and Change I could believe in!
Thanks
Peter
Trade Events
June 16th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I’ve advocated similar stuff for years. Not that it would ever come close to passing; I figure the only way is this: Grandfather all presently serving in to the current system. There is no way they will give up what they have. By letting them keep it, they have no reason to oppose it, especially if it became popular enough and they were pressured.
Another option, no more elections for congress. Randomly pick a name of all eligible people in the district. If your name comes up, you go to DC and serve your term. You are beholding to no one, and you can’t run for re-election. Go, and vote your conscience.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Received in an e-mail from a friend….
hmmm, just who wrote this? I mean, this is how scams play out. Vague, non tracable references. I like what I’ve read here. It’s too good to conjur up thoughts of things we might find on Snopes.
If you want to be taken seriously, sign and date your work.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
This is terrific, but what happens to the petition after it has been “closed”? I doubt that if the petition is sent to congress for “action” anything would be done. So what next??
August 16th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Yes, I agree with Ruth
What happens now? Who is our leader and what’s his or her name?
September 29th, 2010 at 9:51 am
I like this.
p.s.
6. Congress looses their current health care system
should be
6. Congress loses their current health care system
September 29th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
We must present this to every Congressional candidate, and get their commitment to present and back this in the next Congress.
October 11th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Since Congress would not likely pass a reform act such as this on their own, it would need to be done by referendum.
It’s long overdue.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
How can we push this forward? I think the time is very ripe and may not come again for a very long time.
Does anyone out there have the means to propel this into a media frenzy?
We need to have the medias take hold of this issue.
October 17th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
I would like to see only 4 years in office period – just like the president. And have to account for the Special Interest’s and Lobbiest Donations every dollar should be accountable. So we know what you stand for and who has you in our GOVERNMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Lobbiest and Special Interests should also be Identified and thrown out of our government – Our forfathers did not want this for the American People.
October 22nd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
For the FACTS about this idea, see:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-phony-congressional-r_b_771808.html
January 21st, 2011 at 12:05 pm
I’m praying for this to pass. When Congress becomes part of the people then they will act as part of the people! we didn’t vote you in to line your pockets and act superior but to work for all of us. My retirement check is taxed 45%. I struggle to make ends meet and work a job after retirement to makes ends meet but to keep from paying more taxes I have to have 45% taxes taken out so I won’t owe the government any “MORE” money!!!!
March 6th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
And may I add that we could save over 40 million dollars a year if we cut pay to $100,000 a year! I’ve heard members of congress talk about how well off citizens are making $50,000 a year so time to put their rhetoric to the test!
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:39 pm
I believe this would be a grand step toward equality and unity.. A positive attitude adjustment of Congress and sort the tainted sitting too long……..
April 29th, 2013 at 8:45 am
In order to make this law we will have to establish the “Common Sense Party”. Elect people that are willing to go to Washington for one term with this as their platform and promise not to run again in order to legitimize this effort. Although these would be the kind of people we should want there, their efforts would be rewarded by the next political generation who would be willing to abide by these laws, thereby returning power to the people where it rightfully belongs.
November 10th, 2013 at 4:04 pm
Congress abridged First Amendment – most of America doesn’t know it. SEE http://WWW.VotersForFreedom.com for who in congress betrayed their Oath of Office to protect our Constitution. This site links only news comment on the subject from FOX. Site also provides CONGRESSIONAL REFORM ACT 2020 that changes the way Congress conducts business.