The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The American people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, and before 24 hour cable TV news cycles.
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.
Based on numerous recent conversations with colleagues, friends and others I cross paths with everyday it is clear that average Americans are ready to apply a high level of public pressure to clean up Washington's legislative behavior and return to governance that is by the people for the people. The problem is busy average Americans just don't know how to go about this. They are not clear on how to move beyond polls and the voting booth to organize and focus public pressure that can break through Washington's screamingly idiotic dysfunctional approach to running our government and country. They are frustrated and feel powerless.
Here is one idea that came to me from a friend, and really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. No Tenure / No Pension.
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 who reads this contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message.
It is time.
