So much emphisis on *term limits*. PLEASE don't be fooled that that would take care of it all.

I keep preaching to ya' all, IT'S THE PERKS that are killing us.

Senate / House.... in house general practitioners, in house dentists. They pop in on break, get stuff fixed, and you don't think they have to sign anything do ya' ?

Partial pensions starting with just 5 years service. (and with pensions, don't EVEN forget medical).

Perks ? Don't forget allowances also, for 2nd homes/apts in DC. Don't forget it takes maids and such to help run them houses. you don't think our rep. pays for that do you ?

It's the PERKS that destroys any well-meaning person that gets into office. They get there, look around, and say..." WOW.. this is sweet..maybe I DON'T want to rock the boat".

Which just ends up giving us the 'same ol same ol' ..

It AIN'T gonna change !

I'll say this once again, try on just your local level, even small towns, asking your mayor, councilmen/women, etc. .. ask them, for a COMPLETE list of EVERYTHING they get in perks. EVERYTHING they get reimbursed for. GOOD LUCK on an answer.

Before I got this job, I use to do that. I got put on a *special* list so to speak. I'm not welcome to any more council meetings...lol.

PERKS people.. pay attention.

You want term limits,the olny way thats gonna happen is to remember in November,"ANYBODY BUT THE INCUMBENT".

Congress should be limited to one four year term in each house and there should be no government pension for serving in Congress. Heaven knows the crooks line their pockets in a myriad of ways already. Everyone knows that staff does all the work anyway. The longer they are in Congress, the more adept they become at stealing taxpayer's paychecks. So, the shorter the term, the better.

Time limits, possibly but cash and carry limits, definitely.

After seeing the dregs the GOP drew from the bottom of the teabarrels, I am opposed to term limits. I want experienced members of Congress who know something about government, not know-nothing morons like the Teabaggers. If their constituents want them out, they will vote them out. Its called Democracy.

I have found that it does no good at all to write our elected officials. They do what they want to do. My son called one of our senators today, (Maria Cantwell) to tell her we absolutely do not want the bill to allow government to take over internet. The aide who answered the phone was "not familiar " with that bill. Had no idea where Cantwell stands on it. Said she has not yet addressed the subject. When informed that it was in front of the senate now, said " well, I would guess she will address it soon. HELP with that kind of "office help" I sure feel safe in the knowledge that she will vote as her many constituents want her to. NOT ...I like the following post...sure says it the way I feel.

What the hell happened? 545 people vs 300 million people!!!

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be - read it!! The article below is completely neutral, ...not anti republican or democrat.

Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day.

It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000

EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.

Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.

545 PEOPLE--By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them..

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits..... The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ..

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power..

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees..

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it......... Is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so darned true. Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think..

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply

The inheritance tax..
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service FeeTax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!

One more interesting fact I recently ran across. In most states, if you are a convicted criminal , you cannot run for state office. However, there is no such restriction on the federal elected officials. Which probably explains why we have so many criminals in the House and the Senate.

Absolutely, term limits. Senators serve 6 years and Reps serve 4 years. No repeats and no re-elections. Also:

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest was to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform ... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law.

I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.
A Constitutional Convention is a good way to do that. With the advent of modern communication, the process can be moved along with incredible speed. There is talk out there that the "government" doesn't care what the people think. That is irrelevant. It is incumbent on the population to address elected officials to the wrongs afflicted against the populace...you and me. Think about this...
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.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!

The good citizens of this country will be handing out some term limits come November.

People have been talking about term limits for years. Nothing has ever been done. Why? The answer is that the folks making the rules aren't going to put themselves out of a job.

Members should be limited to two terms just like the president. Maybe there would not be so much partisianship and things could get done for the public good.

From the book "Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American"

http://www.createspace.com/3462397

Question: What does a Congressman do for a living?

Answer: Spends the days trying to get re-elected.

A fondness for power is implanted in most men, and it is natural to abuse it when acquired. - Alexander Hamilton

The member (of Congress) who is not making a career of politics looks quite differently at the world. -Robert Novak

During the forming of our government, a committee was appointed to study proposals for the new union. Thomas Jefferson wanted a term limitation, saying it was “to prevent every danger which might arise to American Freedom by continuing too long in office the members of the Continental Congress.”

The Articles of Confederation omitted mandatory term limits. Soon after the Revolutionary War and victory over the British, there was a continuous turnover in Congress and a strong tendency to mistrust anyone seeking too much power. King’s were on the throne for life; Americans did not want any one person to be in power for very long. Politicians also felt the same and did not continually seek re-election. The Constitution was ratified without term limits. Many statesmen thought it was a dangerous omission. President George Washington set a standard by having to be persuaded to run for his second term and refusing to run for a third. This two term practice was followed by every President, except Franklin Delano Roosevelt who served four terms. The twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, limited the term of office for the President.

We have term limits - its called VOTING every two (or six) years. If people keep voting for the same idiots over and over, they are getting what they deserve.

Term limits?...yes!....once you steal/extort a couple of million, you should have to step aside and give someone else a chance.

Term limits need to be law. Now what about their retirement packages? Will they still get full retirement benefits from only serving one to two terms?
That is the bigger problem! They have voted into law, for themselves these Luxurious retirement benefits!
Now how do we over turn those?? That is the Question!!

Our Marxist President loves to make

new laws to control us. So since I want to be just like my President, I've come up with a few of my own. Here they are:

NEW LAWS FOR CONGRESS, SENATE, PRESIDENT

1-No more benefits, pensions, or lifetime health care. Only a small reasonable salary will be offered.
2-Elected 'Public Servants' may not work for anyone, any company or organization that they legislated on.
3-No campaigning while in office for anything or anyone. The country is owed the full term that we are paying for.
4-Senators and Representatives will be allowed one term in office at a time. After two terms out of office a candidate may run again. The President will be allowed one term only.
5-The Constitution must be strictly adhered to. All candidates will be required to know it inside and out. All bills will be put through a Constitution filter.
6-All states rights will be returned to the states. The central government will be reduced down to founding levels.
7-Most agencies will be curtailed or abolished. Fannie and Freddie will be abolished as well as the Federal Reserve. We will go back on the gold standard. We will cease running this country on mythical monopoly money. Citizens will be encouraged to work and pay their bills, handouts will be reserved for invalids. The abusive power of unions will be abolished.
8-All agencies and laws imposed on this country because of extremist environmental and animal rights groups will be reviewed and removed if found to be based on junk science and statistics.
9-We will immediately drill everywhere there is oil. We will welcome all new modes of energy that the 'private sector' can develop. The only requirement will be that it must actually exist.
10-Since Marxism and all of its variations will no longer be taught in schools, the citizens will willingly pay for all Marxists to move to Russia, if that is their desire. Knowledge is power. Once the citizens realize how they have been hoodwinked with abominable lies, Marxists will become pariahs overnight, and we wouldn't want them to feel uncomfortable living in a country they hate.

All of these NEW LAWS would ensure that the vocation of 'PUBLIC SERVANT' would return. After a time of serving their fellow citizens, the elected would then go back to society, get a real job, and live under the laws they created.
All of these NEW LAWS would ensure TERM LIMITS! They would also ensure that the laws and policies passed would be CONSTITUTIONAL.
All of these NEW LAWS would encourage businesses to thrive in America and provide jobs.

Oh well, I can dream can't I?
Now back to reality.

When government began and took over from the church governments of every colony, there were no government jobs; all was voluntary. The growth in bloated government has created a monster of no small proportion to gradually do what businesses were designed to do - with private employees. Since government is nothing more than a pot of taxes collected under the guise of authoritative state or federal government, the privilege/right to determine where those tax dollars go is subject to fiefdoms that work against the public (of which business is a part).

Term limits is required to prevent the fiefdoms that create bloated government and compete with private business, and produce the privilege of government oppression. Technically, the government should have no employees, just the right to contract out work required for government objectives to be done.

Democracy provides freedom only to the extent that the public can choose who makes the representative decisions for the public, leading to the need for term limits where popular or powerful candidates have no opposition, or where public apathy produces fiefdoms because of perceived benefits.

The decision to endow government with powers beyond their Constitutional privilege, or for them to ignore their Constitutional obligations is the interest served by having term limits where increased oversight and innovation in government can disrupt the fiefdoms that would exist otherwise.

Since government is little more than the collection of tax dollars and their allocation, representative government works to insure freedom - without the ability to create fiefdoms - if there are term limits. Even political parties work with term limits but cannot without them as the parties are turned into a part of the fiefdom creations.

I absolutely support this 100%! As a matter of fact, just this afternoon I came across a website advocating this very thing:

americanoverhaulact.org

I think some of their ideas are fantastic. I'm going to do what I can to support this burgeoning movement in my area.