A Word to Congress…Listen To What America Wants and Pass It On…
The entire deficit could be reduced substantially or completely eliminated if Congress would simply take care of business and stop their boring political rhetoric. BUT, A ‘Super’ Committee? Where in our Constitution does it say twelve (12) individuals get to determine the future of this government? You cannot change rules as you go…
Quite frankly, the Citizens of this country have watched for years while our Congress and its predecessors have abused the powers of their offices to personally profit from inflated salaries, benefits, undeserved raises and an obscene system of perks and redundant compensation rules. In addition, the Washington ‘Elite’ have financed partisan programs for avaricious benefactors and passed biased legislation favoring lobbyists, their bosses, and the wealthy, siphoning trillions of taxpayer dollars away from Americans.
When tax dollars and trust funds were not enough to cover this Congressional ‘cartel’s’ need for more, current members and their archetypes shamelessly borrowed funds to cover shortages in our Federal budget, gradually thrusting the US deeper and deeper into debt. Legitimate legislation, burdened down with Earmarks and non-related attachments grew exponentially until they became the norm instead of the exception on every bill.
Entangling this financial nightmare even more, programs have been established that fall outside Congressional powers that were never challenged by Judicial…some creating an underbelly of poor in this nation slaved to the government, others annually hemorrhaging billions of taxpayer dollars, many unconstitutional. Still, we trusted the ‘next’ representatives we sent to Congress on our behalf would make things right…that has never happened.
Fast forward to August 2011. The newest crop of men and women reigning in Congress has continued that legacy of mismanagement of US affairs. After years of gutting America, they have left our government dysfunctional and bankrupt. The latest budget compromise is yet another in a long line of bait and switch tactics Congress has pulled on middle class and poorer Americans to keep the money floodgates open. We say, “Enough is enough…”
The Constitution did not structure the Federal Government to micro-manage this country. There is a tremendous need for our system to undergo major restructuring to remove Congress’s chokehold on America. The plan detailed below is a step in that direction. The “First Step” needs no explanation..
The tax liabilities and Congressional changes under 'The Second Step' could be passed quickly through both houses and reduce the federal budget immediately. BUT...our elected officials must get on board!
Finally, the budget items listed under 'The Third Step' deal with Departments in the US government. Some bordered on unconstitutional when established, others have little regulation, poor record keeping while many overlap other existing programs within the government. Whatever the issues, they all funnel dollars away from legitimate budget items and add tremendously to the deficit.
The entire package, if done properly, could reduce or even eliminate the ENTIRE DEFICIT over the next 10 years without touching Medicare and Social Security.
FIRST STEP…STOP THE FOLLOWING:
a. Congressional focus on partisan issues
b. Shortsighted Thinking (The ‘Super’ Committee)
c. Any Balanced Budget Amendment
d. Cuts to Medicare, Social Security and our Armed Forces Salaries and Benefits
e. TAX CUTS for businesses UNLESS they can prove they have significantly added to the workforce using a % formula for gross profits versus total new employee salaries paid during a fiscal year. This way, larger, more profitable companies would be forced to hire more new employees than smaller ones before claiming the exemption. Companies who didn’t bother hiring people would not qualify for it.
SECOND STEP…ENACT THE FOLLOWING IMMEDIATELY:
- TAX SALARIES IN EXCESS OF $150,000 at a higher rate.
- Tax Corporate Bonuses paid in excess of $100,000 a year to individual employees at a higher percentage than regular gross salaries.
- Make MAJOR Congressional Budget Cuts:
- Cut Congressional Salaries in Half
- Reduce Staff Requirement by half
- Cut miscellaneous spending in half
- Stop Carrying Over Monies from prior budgets
- Eliminate All
q Representational Allowances
q Redundant Compensation Rules associated with various titles, chairs and positions (One elected official, one salary, one office, one office expense and one expense account)
q Car Allowances
q Office Expenses for a Congressman who is no longer holding office
q Payments to Widows and Heirs of Congressmen
d. Pass a Constitutional Amendment providing for the Removal of Federally Elected Officials From Office by National Referendum or Recall for violation of their Congressional Oath of Office
e. Take Congressional Salaries out of Mandatory Budget Items and require any Changes to Congressional compensations be approved by the People on a detailed proposition item every four (4) years on the Presidential Ballot
f. Tie Cost of Living raises for Federal Employees to the ones in the Social Security guidelines
g. Require the Judicial Department to confirm all new legislation is Constitutional BEFORE Congress can vote on it.
h. Publish the details of all pending and newly passed Congressional legislation in a freely accessible, dedicated government web site
THIRD STEP…CUT OR DRASTICALLY REDUCE AND DOWNSIZE THE FOLLOWING:
- Dept of Health and Human Services:
1. Medicaid
2. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
3. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5. Food and Drug Administration
6. Health Resources and Services Administration
7. National Institutes of Health
- Dept of Agriculture
- Dept of Commerce
- Dept of Education
- Dept of Transportation
- EPA
- HUD
- Small Business Administration
- Department of Homeland Security
Regulations to oversee a major government reconstruction are very important. We need the ability to identify unscrupulous individuals attempting to profit disproportionately. Penalties for violating guidelines should be in place before starting. They should be severe and enacted quickly once the guilty are identified.
Of course, many people could be negatively affected if these changes are made irresponsibly. WE MUST attempt to absorb the surplus employees in other areas and make unemployment compensation accessible during transitional periods for those temporarily displaced.
