The Lion stole this from out there where it’s floating around…
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.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six Year Senate terms
B. Three Four year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and Two Three Year House terms
ALL ELECTIONS WOULD HAVE A WINDOW FOR CAMPAIGNING OF 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO ELECTION, NO EXCEPTIONS, NO CORPORATE OR PAC CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS WHATSOEVER.
2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
3. 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.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
6. Congress participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
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, 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. Maybe it is time.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS – be vocal and act!!!!!
Thoughts?
Grumpy Lion 
1. Take presidential debates away from the two-party ‘commission’ that runs them and give them back to the League of Women Voters.
2. Take redistricting out of the hands of congress critters and establish a non governmental independant board to do it based entirely on math and census figures.
3. Declare a federal election ‘season’ and keep it to under six months.
4. Send Jim DeMint and Mitch McConnell home.
That ought to do it. Then we could forget about the other stuff.
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Good ideas! I like number four a lot… 👿
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Actually, I like the other stuff too!
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Youse gots good taste!
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How about these:
1) Pay will be dependent on votes. Salary will be scaled down with each non-vote. That includes votes of “present.”
2) Any campaign money received prior to the 3 months will be considered a violation of election law, subject to prosecution.
3) Any money received in excess of the maximum individual contribution of $10 will be considered a bribe, subject to prosecution.
4) Any money received from any entity that is not a citizen of the district a candidate wishes to represent will be considered a bribe, subject to prosecution.
5) While in office, the congress member shall generally be allowed private meetings only with constituents. The constituents’ names will be logged. The name of every non-consitituent seen by the congress member shall be logged and the meeting shall be recorded.
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I like the $10 limit!
I’d also like to see their pay reduced to the nation’s average wage, from which they would have to pay their expenses – like health insurance. Force them to live the same reality as the people they represent.
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Sounds good to me, I can think of no other way to eliminate corp control of congress than to set limits. NO matter how well intentioned they end up part of the lobbying crap to get along. I agree that the FF envisioned that no one would spend a lifetime or career in the Congress. It’s become insane and unworkable and everything is now geared only to re-election. Nobody has the guts to do what is right, afraid of how it will play at home for their re-election.
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Single term limit?
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I used to believe that term limits weren’t the answer but my mind is changing on that. If a person knows they can only be in DC for six years or so, they’re not likely to move the family, buy a house and settle into life entirely inside the beltway. Might keep their heads screwed on straight.
Staff provides most of the continuity anyway.
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