Warren Buffett, "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,"

[BigLouie]

Warren Buffett, "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.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it on.

[CuteOldGuy]

Big Louie, I never thought it would happen. I totally agree with you.

[LexusLover]

"Now Hiring Community Organizers!"
http://houston.backpage.com/MiscJobs...izers/11488886

Step Two.

[waverunner234]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

"Now Hiring Community Organizers!"
http://houston.backpage.com/MiscJobs...izers/11488886

Step Two.

Wow, those jobs even beat my TX UE check by $2 per day.

But as far as Buffets idea goes, I totally agree. And I will pass it on.

[Mike_Rach]

Not bad actually, especially part 5 mandating Congress to participate in the junk they pass on us. A clean slate would be good at this point.

[trynagetlaid]

Wouldn't this really require an Amendment to the Constitution? Why would they pass legislation that compromises the sweetheart deal they all share?

Of the thousands of proposals that have been made to amend the Constitution, only 33 obtained the necessary two-thirds vote in Congress. Of those 33, only 27 amendments (including the Bill of Rights) have been ratified.

Interesting idea but I don't see how very many of the current Congressmen would support it. They don't listen to their constituents now, only the fatcats and lobbyists who keep them in office. If the voters agree to only vote for candidates who support this amendment, it will take several years to get enough of them in place to get the two-thirds needed.

[waverunner234]

Originally Posted by BigLouie

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American
people.

This is funny, I wonder how many congress men and women would have to fire themselves right on the spot.

[Whirlaway]

A Constitutional Ammendment to require a balanced budget would be much more simple and equally effective....but Obama opposes it.

[Laz]

One more year and Obama should cease to be a problem.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by Laz

One more year and Obama should cease to be a problem.

Probably Michelle's dream.

[CuteOldGuy]

Obama not being a problem is a nice thought. I hope we don't exchange him for a bigger problem.

I wouldn't count Obama out. He is a natural, master politician.

[Laz]

The problem with the original post is that the recomendation does not include Buffets rule. Buffets rule needs to include an exception for funding formally declared wars. Wars like WW II not the ones since. Buffett is right in that a rule of that nature would solve the problem.

[BigLouie]

Originally Posted by Whirlaway

A Constitutional Ammendment to require a balanced budget would be much more simple and equally effective....but Obama opposes it.

Let me ask you one thing. Why didn't Bush and the Republicans do it when they had total control of Congress? Got an answer?

[BigLouie]

Originally Posted by Laz

One more year and Obama should cease to be a problem.

Against those circus clowns the Republican party is running out there? I don't think so.

[thehobbydude]

I have yet to find a Republican (again, let me clarify here, I hate Democrats too) that can answer the question as to why GWB with 6 years of a Republican controlled senate didn't fix Social Security, Medicare, Immigration, and the rest of the fundamental problems this country has. Since the GOP has all the answers to our problems, I would've expected them to clean everything in those 6 years. Now on to Obama - I call him the best Republican President the Democratic Party gave us. I insist, I want a real Republican President in 2012 and I also want a majority Republican in both the House and the Senate. I'll bet a year's salary that 4 years later the country is in the same or worst shape. Folks, this train has left the station and it's not stopping regardless of who's in power, unless of course the real tough decisions are made regardless of lost votes.