I got this in an e-mail and I thought it was pretty interesting. 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 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 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 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. Seems like a good start to me!!
I can go along with all except #1. I don't believe in term limits. Why would you limit someone who might be doing an excellent job. The only term limit we need is the one we already have......the ballot box.
From what I understand, Congress doesn't have the constitutional authority to pass an act and impose term limits. It is my understanding that since the constitution gives the authority to states to elect members of congress, the only way for the federal government to impose term limits is through a constitutional amendment.
I want the XXII Amendment repealed as well. If people won't do their job, they get the government they deserve, in my opinion.
The problem is the Longer someone is in power. The longer they have to build relationships, and gather up favors owed. To help buy their way into Office over and over and over again. It also seems the longer they are in power. The Further out of touch the become with the Common people.
Then vote them out. It's quite simple really, people get the government they vote for. If the person that is representing them is bad, eventually they'll learn their lesson. I look at all public candidates as potential CEOs for a company. For example, a state representative is a CEO of that district. If he's not doing a good job, the shareholders (voters) can vote him out if they have a majority. All term limits do is take out people who actually do good and experienced in many cases and replace them with corrupted inexperienced people. I find it amazingly ignorant when people seem to think that new congressmen can't quickly build up favors, especially if that's the system is in place. The game is rigged for the lobbyists no matter how you play it, the only difference is whether you want to take that choice away from the people. I rather not.
