BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal

Subject: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 11:43 PM

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.

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 12:08 AM

Brilliant. Who gets to vote on the Congressional Reform Act to become law?

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: GUEST,999
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 12:46 AM

lol

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Don Firth
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 01:08 AM

Excellent! But I would add a stipulation.

Some provision should be made about the matter of lobbying.

Lobbying is when a constituent or a political action group calls a senator's or representative's attention to a matter that the constituent or group thinks needs or merits attention. This, in itself, is not a bad thing. What IS a bad thing is when the lobbyist accompanies that request with a "consideration," such as a gift of money or other valuables, the promise of a campaign contribution at re-election time, a good job when the elected official's term is over, or any other form of financial "persuasion." In short, when lobbying becomes synonymous with bribery.

This should carry severe penalties, beginning with the official's expulsion from Congress or the Senate.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: GUEST,999
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 01:21 AM

Uh, don't get too excited, folks. Damn good ideas, however . . .

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Don Firth
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 01:43 AM

Hmm. I didn't know that fell under the heading of "urban legend."

Past my bedtime. I'll check it out tomorrow.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 09:46 AM

Still a good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 12:09 PM

I'd add a couple items:

8. People are people and corporations aren't...

9. Redistricting will be done by an independent intenational group under the auspices of the UN...

10. Mega media ownership will be broken up...

11. A "Fairness Doctrine" will be created to allow equal time for anyone who is publicly attacked...

12. Publicly funded federal elections...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 12:21 PM

We DO need rules making Congress more accountable and an an improvement to campaign finance laws..... but we also need 'institutional memory' in Congress where there are always those who know how the system works.

And...we all know of good, honest, competent senators and representatives whose very presence keeps some valuble things working. We do NOT need any laws that sweep out everyone on some technical point about budget of GDP or deficit.

I don't know how to work it out, but repealing "Citizens United" would be a good first step.

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: Don Firth
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 03:42 PM

It may be an urban legend that Warren Buffet actually suggested this ammendment, BUT, looking at the list of stipulations, it makes very good sense!

In his excellent book, First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea, Paul woodruff outlines the stipulations and restrictions placed on the elected officials of Athens. And the consequences that ensued when and if they ever fell short or lapsed into any hanky-panky.

Athenian Democracy had a lot of flaws. For example, only men had the vote or a say in the deliberations, but there were men at the time who criticized this, saying that Athens was wasting half of its intellectual power by excluding women.

Athenian Democracy did not fail. It worked very well for over 300 years, and came to an end when Athens was invaded and conquored by Philip of Macedonea.

In the final chapter in First Democracy, Woodruff asks the question, "Is America Ready for Democracy?" Good question!

No matter where this list came from, Warren Buffet or not, urban legend or not, it wouldn't hurt at all to give this serious consideration.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Oct 11 - 09:27 AM

Why should it be particularly bad for there to be "a deficit of more than 3% of GDP"?

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: GUEST,999
Date: 22 Oct 11 - 10:57 AM

Too many people perceive the act of balancing a budget for a country they way one might for a household. They are different animals.

The problem with any deficit is one closely linked to the money one has in the 'bank'. Deficits mean interest payments to someone that ain't you. However, terms like surplus and deficit have no real meaning because governments are not supposed to be money-making institutions. And governments are not supposed to be banks. The problem that's happened over the years is that corporations have been in bed with members of government, influenced votes, changed laws, and now neither have reputations worth a damn.

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: EBarnacle
Date: 23 Oct 11 - 07:03 AM

My own personal addendum to this would be that our senior elected officials should have their salaries tied to the unemployment rate.

In the event that unemployment exceeds 5%, their base salaries shall be decreased by the percentage above 5%. This amount shall not be restorable until 4 years after the rate has returned to the 5% level.

My motive for this is that these officials should "feel our pain." Too bad it will never happen. By the way, I've been receiving variants on this for at least 6 months. It all comes back to a version of "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore."

Subject: RE: BS: Buffet's Modest Proposal
From: GUEST,999
Date: 23 Oct 11 - 10:52 AM

Lots of us feel as you do, EB, and have for a long long time.