I found this in my email this morning and thought it was an interesting idea:
Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one
of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:
"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 1
year or less to become the law of the land...all because of
public pressure.
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email
to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn
ask each of those to do likewise.
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 collects a salary while in office and receives
no pay when they are 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 are void
effective 1/1/12. 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!!!!!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just
delete. You are one of my 20+.. Please keep it going.
Should start some conversation.
From,
Jerry Wilson
Not sure it actually came from WB,but I love it! Most of the points have been suggested for a number of years. Sometimes even by a candidate. Until they get it office, that is. Then things seem to mysteriously change.
ReplyDeleteOur Elected Ones were catching serious heat a few years back about their pay raises. The came up with legislation that ties their raises to that of federal judges. Automatically. Voila! No more heat. (I didn't vote myself a raise, it's a law!)
While I'm on a roll here...
Ever hear of "The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987"? Our Elected Ones found ways around them.
We've also had legislation to "save" Social Security (all ditched), "reform" campaign financing (all circumvented), just to name a couple.
Lastly: Reagan set up what was called the Grace Commission. They gave Congress 21,000 pages of ideas/suggestions/plans for cutting the waste and fraud in our Government. I think it also included the IRS. Anyway, all ignored.
The House and the Senate made the mess we're in today. Both parties did their share. They're lying when they blame someone/something else.
OK, Third try, sincle Blogger refuses me access to the page, but, here goes:
ReplyDeleteI doubt that this originated with Buffet, either, and given his recent history, I am just as glad.
Of course, even in the form of a Constitutional Amendment, I am sure the CongressCritters would find ways around it.
And, Welcome to the Table, ExAFCD!
Ah, as long as I do not ask Blogger to remember me, I can comment - Of course, I can post new Threads even while it does remember me. . . But hey, it's free.
ReplyDeleteWelcome ExAFCrewDog! There's no doubt that the self-serving imbeciles in Congress (current and past) have created this unholy mess, and I love WB's solution. Whether Buffett actually said it or not, it's a simple fix.
ReplyDeleteMatt, I support the Reform Act as outlined above. It's nice to dream about, but I fear it will never happen without refreshing the tree of Liberty.
I too doubted the authenticity - it's a chain email, after all - I googled it and wellwhaddyaknow....
ReplyDeletelewy: I'll be darned! Thanks. Usually I do my due diligence but I didn't this time. (Always nice when someone's on your '6'.
ReplyDeleteAnother one making the rounds just now, is a supposed column by Dr. Thomas Sowell, which claims Obama cannot lose the next election.
ReplyDeleteThat's a hoax as well.
I really didn't post it because Warren Buffett supposedly said it (if asked, I would have said that I doubted that he did) -- I posted it because it was interesting topic for discussion.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting, Matt.
ReplyDeleteIt makes some very good points, too. I firmly agree with no pension for Congress. The founders specifically Did Not want a permanent governing class, but citizen legislators who would return home to their actual careers at the end of a session.
To those who say it would limit the ability of the legislature to get things done, I can only respond with, "GREAT!!!"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBah! Warren Buffet is addled. I like this guy mo' betta.
ReplyDeletePssst: Not safe for work, or the overly sensitive.
The image may not display properly, but it's the words that count. Photobucket is acting goofy at the moment. You can use the scroll bars on side and bottom to center the image if you choose.
LOL!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm a sensitive butterfly and I thought it was great.
But, uh...who is "B"?
But, uh...who is "B"?
ReplyDeleteBarack?
Anyway that video was brilliant!
B is short for b14+<h.
ReplyDeleteari dawg where you get this muth@#&*<!er?
Hmmm, that's what I figured since he addressed Obama later in the video.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fay & lewy.
I wish that guy was not so ambiguous on how he felt. 8-}
ReplyDelete