Reduce Debt - No Paychecks for Congress

Editorialist said:

Did you know that each time your Congressional representative receives his or her paycheck it causes the national debt to rise? Yes it most certainly does. So you see it is not only us senior citizens causing the national debt to rise but also our legislators and President as well.

To be fair in the matter both our Federal employees along with Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries should be denied payments which would double the amount that could be reduced from the national debt, but unfortunately these rich cats would never agree to such a plan. So why should we older citizens have to suffer so extensively since these benefits are all the income most of us have to survive and they have plenty of assets to survive as well.

When calling these worthless so called public servants, bring this fact to their attention and tell them if they can't give up their pay and we have to we will pray that God will make them walk in our footsteps and see how they like it.

Click to expand...

It's a nice thought. But let's face it. They don't give a damn anymore.

DodgeFB said:

It's a nice thought. But let's face it. They don't give a damn anymore.

Click to expand...

They never did - it was only the foolishness of the people to think they did and allow government to get bigger


(in response to the OP, I don't agree with the plan based on the backing that "they're rich so let's take from them", but I do think entitlements need to be cut or at least faded out across the board (including for Federal workers and civilians) because if we don't do it now, it will probably eventually happen naturally when the money is gone and that will be much worse)

generally can't stand him but:

?I could end the deficit in 5 minutes. 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 reelection.? Warren Buffett

obtuseobserver said:

generally can't stand him but:

?I could end the deficit in 5 minutes. 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 reelection.? Warren Buffett

Click to expand...

Love that one- recently posted it around here too

By the way, nice to see you around again.

Not paying our elected representatives will only increase corruption.

Our entire political system is falling apart, and a lot of work needs to be put into it, to make it safe and efficient to travel through the present and the future.

You're on a bus out in the desert, you blow a tire and run out of gas, the windows are dirty and the seats are uncomfortable. Are you going to refuse to pay the driver? It's our bus and we hired him - I don't believe the answer is as simple as any of the options, increasing prices for tickets, 'deregulating' our mechanic, refusing to pay the driver, pushing the bus off a cliff..... none of those things will help.

At this point, we're in such a state of disrepair, we just need a new bus. Will we need a newer, younger driver for that new bus? Most likely, but we'll face that in due time.

UnityEarth said:

Not paying our elected representatives will only increase corruption.

Our entire political system is falling apart, and a lot of work needs to be put into it, to make it safe and efficient to travel through the present and the future.

You're on a bus out in the desert, you blow a tire and run out of gas, the windows are dirty and the seats are uncomfortable. Are you going to refuse to pay the driver? It's our bus and we hired him - I don't believe the answer is as simple as any of the options, increasing prices for tickets, 'deregulating' our mechanic, refusing to pay the driver, pushing the bus off a cliff..... none of those things will help.

At this point, we're in such a state of disrepair, we just need a new bus. Will we need a newer, younger driver for that new bus? Most likely, but we'll face that in due time.

Click to expand...

People are really not very good at facing things they don't like these days. That is one reason were are in the mess we are in today.

UnityEarth said:

Not paying our elected representatives will only increase corruption.

Our entire political system is falling apart, and a lot of work needs to be put into it, to make it safe and efficient to travel through the present and the future.

You're on a bus out in the desert, you blow a tire and run out of gas, the windows are dirty and the seats are uncomfortable. Are you going to refuse to pay the driver? It's our bus and we hired him - I don't believe the answer is as simple as any of the options, increasing prices for tickets, 'deregulating' our mechanic, refusing to pay the driver, pushing the bus off a cliff..... none of those things will help.

At this point, we're in such a state of disrepair, we just need a new bus. Will we need a newer, younger driver for that new bus? Most likely, but we'll face that in due time.

Click to expand...

Almost correctly said, I am saying it almost because of two factors. Firstly, facing a problem is really a hard thing but trying to escape from it is not the solution, secondly, even if you pay these elected candidates properly, they want more. Corruption is there and will be there probably less in one country and more in the other, that depends.

Well putting systems in place to reduce or remove corruption, is a necessary step regardless of which way we go.

First, we really should look on these highest offices of Public Service as being held by Public -Servants-. Not saying that we shouldn't pay them reasonably, but that they should be held to a particularly strict standard of behavior. This should include very tight monitoring of their financial dealings. These people should know well in advance, that when they take their oath of office, that they are 'signing away' some significant layers of their personal privacy. Obviously there will still be some deals that involve payment after a politician's career ends, but this will necessarily reduce corruption to begin with, as they will simply have to leave office before they can be paid for their misdeeds, whereas a true career bureaucrat would have to keep their nose clean, or face.....

[Secondly], an extremely strict and heavy-handed response to being found guilty of corruption. These people, are betraying the Public trust when they receive special interest monies, and are in effect perpetrating hundreds of millions of counts of fraud and theft towards the American People. Take Charlie Rangel for example, we'll probably never know for certain how many times he violated the Ethics of his office, but even though he was found guilty of the majority of the charges laid against him, his punishment? He was sternly told that he had been a 'bad boy', in front of his fellow Congresspeople (and the handful of Citizens who watched on CSPAN?). Otherwise, it was business as usual.

Our elected representatives should be held to the absolute highest Ethical standards - not (almost entirely) exempted from them.

Also, why do we have sex scandals, but tax evasion and extremely large gifts from questionable sources are practically laughed off? Do most people truly not see that the sex itself can't actually harm the management of the country, but that theft probably does?

Let's not forget, many times when they are forced to retire they still get their pensions.

Impossible

Editorialist said:

Did you know that each time your Congressional representative receives his or her paycheck it causes the national debt to rise? Yes it most certainly does. So you see it is not only us senior citizens causing the national debt to rise but also our legislators and President as well.

To be fair in the matter both our Federal employees along with Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries should be denied payments which would double the amount that could be reduced from the national debt, but unfortunately these rich cats would never agree to such a plan. So why should we older citizens have to suffer so extensively since these benefits are all the income most of us have to survive and they have plenty of assets to survive as well.

When calling these worthless so called public servants, bring this fact to their attention and tell them if they can't give up their pay and we have to we will pray that God will make them walk in our footsteps and see how they like it.

Click to expand...

So you are going to ask the pigs not to swill at the trough? Good luck with that!