Downsizing Our Government

Downsizing Our Government

This is information being circulated on the internet 20 people at a time. I believe it is time to hit a bigger audience that includes government officials.

We need to take a stand for our own rights and government ruling. We need to take a “tough love” stance and have all government officials step into our shoes, live in our houses, live on our salaries, try to survive on social security checks that are being threatened for the sake of pork belly spending and affording government an elite retirement after just one term in office.

Is it any wonder that the reps are so elated when sworn into office? They get to live off our sweat and tears after just one term. It’s time to face the president and make him address the Senate and Congress men that decide on their own salaries and raises and make them take a step back.

Two years Mr. President. That’s all we ask. Two short years of downsizing to save BILLIONS, and help get the country that treats them so well back on track. How willing are you, senators and congressmen and women to suffer with us?

I don’t know who created this document, but kudos to you!

“When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers must find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well.

Wall Street and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of “tough decision”. Our government should not be immune for similar risks. Therefore:

Reduce the House of Reps from the current 435 members to 218 members. Reduce Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per state). Then reduce their remaining staff by 25%

Accomplish this over the next 8 years (two steps/two elections) and of course this would require some redistricting.

Yearly monetary gains include:

1)     $44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay/member/yr.)

2)     $437,100,000 for elimination of their staff. (Estimate $1.3 million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 million in staff per each member of the Senate every year)

3)     $108,350,000 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

4)     $7,500,000 reduction in pork barrel earmarks each year. (Those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at %15 Billion a year).

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and improve efficiencies. It might even be their best interests to work together for the good of our country. OMG! What a thought….

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (Telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few).

NOTE:

Congress does not hesitate to head home for extended weekends, holidays and recesses, when what the nation needs is a real life fix for economic problems. Also, we had 3 senators who were not foing their jobs for the 18 months+ (on the campaign tail) and still they all accepted full pay. Minnesota survived very well with only one senator for the first half of this year. These facts alone support a reduction in top heavy senators and congress.

Summary of opportunities:

$44, 108,400 reduction of congress members; $282,100,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff; $70, 850,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members; $37, 500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members. $8,084,558,400 per year estimated total savings.

That’s 8 BILLION just to start!

Corporate America does these types of cuts all the time. It’s called “DOWNSIZING”.

If Congress were required to serve 20, 25, or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits, taxpayers could save a bundle. Now they get FULL RETIREMENT after serving only one term.

It’s time to downsize our government. Consider a new reform ACT of 2012:

1)     Term limits. 12 yeas only with possible options of: 2 six year Senate terms; 6 two year House terms; 1 six year Senate term and 3 two year House terms.

2)     No tenure/ No Pension.

3)     A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

4)     Congress (past, present and future) participates in Social Security. That way they help pay for their own retirement instead of taking ours.

5)     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 being held responsible for their own behavior instead of holding themselves above the rest

6)     Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

7)     Congress will no longer get automatic pay raises. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%, just like all other government workers

8)     Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people

9)     All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void after 1.1.13. 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.

Maybe it’s time for us all to stand up and step in. Send the message to all congressmen and representatives. They need to know that their jobs could be on the line; we put them in office and we can remove them if warranted. After all…WE ARE THE PEOPLE!

Nothing changes, till something changes.