This letter was E-mailed to me by Shannon Marinelli, it was sent to her through a string of people. I am presenting it in its entirety. My comments will follow at the bottom, as usual.

I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2009". It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Friends, please send me your recommendations on how this bill can be improved.

I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.

We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American hero's.. Please send any ideas on how to get this done.

Thanks, A Fellow American

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Congressional Reform Act of 2010

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

1. Term Limits:

12 years only, one of these possible options.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.


8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

    The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

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1) Term Limits are something that I cannot completely make up my mind on. The Will of the People being the over-riding factor in everything I stand for, I have a problem telling people that because of arbitrary limits, they cannot elect the person they want. Term Limits seem to be a way to force a majority to abandon their choice for an alternate, based solely on a number decided by a few. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson encouraged the People to have another Revolution every so often to clean out the corruption and consolidation of power.

I actually like the idea of, and would benefit immensely from, the new movement to sack the Incumbent, to vote for anyone that is not a vested politician. Doing this, is the People taking control of their system again, it should be encouraged and practiced until the politicians get it. But to demand a set time is bureaucracy, not freedom. It is a good idea, but I'm uncomfortable with it being law.

2) Why this hasn't always been true, is a total mystery to me. Serving the people is a Duty not a job, service to the people is its own reward. Getting paid while you are doing it, is only fair, but the people should only pay for the service rendered.

3) We need some way for people to be able to afford their living expenses after they retire, but Social Security is rife with its own set of problems. If #2 is implemented, then this would be a mute point anyway.

4) This is just an extension of #2.

5) Isn't this already in the Constitution? If not, why? When does anyone get to tell their employer what they will make, negotiation is one thing, giving a blank check is another. This is a case of the Fox in the Hen-House.

6) That one is straight from the news, Congress should never get privilege, they are servants, we are the masters.

7) Another one that I thought was basically going on. There was a time that political games got so ridiculous that while Congress was in session only felonies applied. Any Misdemeanor was considered and act of preventing a Congressional member from casting a vote. Does this really still go on? I have stated on this site, that Public Servants should follow all laws of the people, plus, extra laws pertaining to areas of corruption, dereliction or improper dispensation of their duty, and treason.

8) I don't know what contracts they are referring to, but if there are contracts they are not in the people's best interest. Our servants get paid and have Health Care, what else do they need, what else are they owed, why would there be any contracts?

I would minus the redundant points and add these:

1) Any expenditure of the people's money that exceeds a certain $ amount should have to go through voter approval. I am not sure what figure is proper, but the Bail-out Bill, the Stimulus Package, and the Health Reform Bill would all have to have been ratified by the people.

2) There should be a quick recall procedure of a politician by their constituency in the case of broken campaign promises(fraud or deceit), inactivity(dereliction of duty), or disregard for the will of the majority of their district(improper dispensation of duty).

3) Members of Congress should have an easily accessible way for their constituents to make their positions and desires known.