WE the PEOPLE

These days, I can't help getting fed up with how the government runs things. No increase for Social Security for my dad and all the other seniors who rely on SS to live, and yet Congress voted themselves a $3,000 a month pay increase. Good Lord, that's $36,000 a year for each of them! What's wrong with this picture? That's a year's pay for some who are struggling to raise a family in this country, and for Congress, it's just a raise.

I got the following as an email the other day from Lt. James McCraney, who served in Vietnam with Doug in '69. This is something I believe in and I think you will, too. I've sent it out to my entire email list. Please read and copy and paste to everyone on your email list, and send to your Representatives. Things have to change! Let's do our part to change them!

The 26th amendment (granting 18-year olds the right to vote) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The People demanded it. That was back 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. This was because of public pressure.

I'm asking each of you to forward this as an email to a minimum of twenty people on your address list; in turn, please ask each of them to do likewise. I did.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea, a viable solution, that should be passed on to our Representatives.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011:

1. Term Limits:

12 years only, with one of the possible options below:

A. Two Six-year Senate terms, or
B. Six Two-year House terms, or
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

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 and 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 loses their current health care system and 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 of 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 as citizens again and back to work.

If each person reading this contacts a minimum of twenty people, then it should only take about three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message.

It's time. This is how you fix Congress! If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not ... well, I feel sorry for you ... Please get the word out -- and please do it NOW!


“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale