What is needed to fix congress ?

[KIMBER45]

Many say that congress is broken. What ideas do you have to fix the problem?

[two-blocked]

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.
 
http://regtremblay.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/warren-buffett-how-to-fix-congress/

[r29l20]

A revolution.

[lakota]

term limits. no lifetime healthcare. no lifetime pension.

[Dixie Dude]

It is a law now that they pass a budget, but none have been passed since Obama has been in office.  His was voted down 97-0 last time in the senate even with Dem's controlling the senate.  Leadership is what is missing most on both sides.  No one is putting the country first. 
 
Term limits, 8 years for congressmen, 12 years for senators. 
 
No benefits except what the American people have, they are not supposed to be nobility. 
 
Balanced budget amendment unless a DECLARED war, or if the unemployment goes above 10%.  Then only work programs, no bailing out cities or states.
 
At least congress has sent budgets up to the senate for final vote, but the senate hasn't voted on any, just shelved them. 
 
We need leadership.  Conservatives don't mind helping the disabled, and truely poor, and elderly.  They are not stupid.  They just don't like the current system that rewards abusers of the system.  No able bodied person with an IQ above 70 should get any government assistance.  They can find some kind of work.  Go back to commodities with only nutricious food, not chips, candy, or junk food.  Government should stop farm subsities and use the money to buy up the food for the commodities and MRE's the military uses. 
 
No foreign aid except disaster relief.  No money for the UN.  No enforcement of "regulations" with arrests and penalties.  Regulations are not laws, but guidlines for business and industry to operate by.  Lawsuits can be done IF there are damages incurred by violating a regulation. 
 
Flat tax, VAT tax.  No tax on manufacturerers in American, only tax on imported goods except what we can't grow, or raw materials we don't have like titanium, coffee, tea, bananas, mangos, etc. 

[Pot-Bellied Stallion]

The only thing that could possibly fix congress is a voting public who gives a damn about the country.

[Gary G]

A revolution.

Congratulations! You have the correct answer.

[DDZ]

The only thing that could possibly fix congress is a voting public who gives a damn about the country.

I think this is the right answer.

The congressmen are just a reflection of the voters. They are what they are when they are elected. There is not much that can be done when you have a large voting block that can, and does vote money from others pockets. We are not going to change someone, that we the people have elected because he told us he is going to give us this, this, and this. Especially when the giving, gives him and his cronies more power.
The whole system is so corrupt I can't see anything getting fixed. There are many of us that know what needs to be done, but none of it will get done, as long as we keep electing the same kind of people. I think the foundation will collapse, before there is enough gumption for a revolution.

[Cuts Crooked]

Many say that congress is broken. What ideas do you have to fix the problem?

I suspect it would take a low yield nuclear device.

[SwampThing762]

A revolution.

Oh, I'm a good old Rebel soldier, now that's just what I am; For this "Fair Land of Freedom" I do not give a damn! I'm glad I fit against it, I only wish we'd won, And I don't want no pardon for anything I done. I hates the Constitution, this "Great Republic," too! I hates the Freedman's Bureau and uniforms of blue! I hates the nasty eagle with all its brags and fuss, And the lying, thieving Yankees, I hates 'em wuss and wuss! I hates the Yankee nation and everything they do, I hates the Declaration of Independence, too! I hates the "Glorious Union" -- 'tis dripping with our blood, And I hates their striped banner, and I fit it all I could. I followed old Marse Robert for four years, near about, Got wounded in three places, and starved at Point Lookout. I cotched the "roomatism" a'campin' in the snow, But I killed a chance o' Yankees, and I'd like to kill some mo'! Three hundred thousand Yankees is stiff in Southern dust! We got three hundred thousand before they conquered us. They died of Southern fever and Southern steel and shot, But I wish we'd got three million instead of what we got. I can't take up my musket and fight 'em now no more, But I ain't a'gonna love 'em, now that's for sartain sure! I do not want no pardon for what I was and am, And I won't be reconstructed, and I do not care a damn! 

[magooch]

The first thing to do is vote out as many liberals as possible.  The number one target should be Harry freaking Reid.   

[muznut 54]

My Pop use to say Hitler would shoot a few and the rest would smarten up real fast, he said that about people on welfare and rioters but I wonder if it would apply here? 

[blind ear]

Many say that congress is broken. What ideas do you have to fix the problem?

I suspect it would take a low yield nuclear device.

-
I agree, get the whole DC area in one swoop. ear

[Him]

At this point, lots of lamp posts.

[nw_hunter]

Never vote for the same person twice.

[BBF]

My Pop use to say Hitler would shoot a few and the rest would smarten up real fast............

Worked for others in several places and times.
 
As Chairman Mao once said that political power comes out of a muzzle from a rifle.

[james]

Unfortunately, a honest hardworking person, will not lie, cheat and steal, and therefore does not meet the criteria of a politician.   Have you noticed, much of congress is made up of lawyers.   I try to vote for the senator or congressman who is not an attorney.

[Him]

more parties to contest The Duopoly,
.
..TM7
.

Be careful what you wish for. I don't think we want to end up like Israel, with eternal coalition governments, because nobody has enough votes to do anything.

[no guns here]

I'd start with 535 pink slips...
 
 
NGH

[muznut 54]

Politicians are just like lawyers, hired liar's that sound good and do every thing they can think of to confuse you so they can poke your eyes out and get you to sign the contract.

[mcwoodduck]

Three more things Congress needs to be forced to do:
.
1...Actually read the Bills they pass
2 ...Actually write the Bills they pass
3....and only deal with one subject at a time_ _ no omnibus bills
.
.......TM7

Instead why not make any law written that is found to be unconstitutional punishable by prison time, lets say 5 years.  Same a what a police officergets for violating the constitutional rights of a person. 
and any votes for that law are fined 10,000.  That would easily make each member of congress think twice about writting silly and evil laws and would make the members read the laws.

[Him]

Politicians are just like lawyers, hired liar's that sound good and do every thing they can think of to confuse you so they can poke your eyes out and get you to sign the contract.

Fixed it for you.

[blind ear]

Politicians are just like lawyers, hired liar's that sound good and do every thing they can think of to confuse you so they can poke your eyes out and get you to sign the contract.

Fixed it for you.

-
And we hire the liars to lie to us because we have no honest choices or are afraid to chance voteing for one that appears honest because it might cause the WRONG lieing crook to be elected. ear

[coyotejoe]

I loved the scene in "Mars Attacks" where the old lady sitting in front of the TV cackles "ha ha ha, they blew up congress"!

[BBF]

...........
 
................................ "ha ha ha, they blew up congress"!

Sadly, other then this I don't see much hope.

[BAGTIC]

Abolish political parties. They feel more loyalty to the parties that get them elected than they do to the country.
Limit them to a single term. That way we won't need to pay for their reelection campaign and they won't spend their entire term kissing ass in order to secure reelection.