Stop The Madness

I have to be honest: I can’t decide which kind of news I hate more, the shit about our Government or the shit about mindless, attention whore celebrities who do virtually nothing but get paid nonetheless. Come to think of it, put that way I suppose I could just as well pick both and be good. Seriously, what’s the difference?

I could stop there and call it a Random Thought, and you’d all be tickled, mainly. But you know what? I’m pissed, and it stems from the fact that the more I see the more concerned I get about our future. All the talk about voting the fucktards out is just that: talk. The truth is, that would be an exercise much like picking up the dog shit from your yard. You get rid of the old shit, and more shit magically appears. What we need, really, is a change in the system. One that will use inherent human corruption tendencies, greed, and Darwinism to self-correct.

Term Limits. The term limit for the President will remain two terms. For continuity and planning, the term limit for Congress shall not exceed the number of years required to reach voting age, therefore setting the Senate to three terms and the House to nine. Time in service will be cumulative regardless of continuity of terms served. Should the various parties be unable to sponsor a candidate in any state or district, then a Senator or Representative will be selected by lottery from citizens registered for jury duty but not receiving state or Federal entitlements.

Pay. Congress and The President will be paid a fixed salary subject to taxes as defined by applicable US Code. However, the annual rate will be apportioned based on work performed in the Capitol, pro-rated based on a 40-hour work week. Overtime will not be considered for a higher marginal rate if required based on the notion that they volunteered for the job. Hours spent outside elected work will remain unpaid, and all funds remaining annually will revert to the Treasury. All elected members will be subject to government shutdown before any other Federal employee will go unpaid but will be legally required to continue to work until the budget is resolved.

Benefits. All elected officials will be required to fully and completely participate in whatever government plans they pass. The Executive and Legislative Branches will fall under jurisdiction of all laws immediately as measures are passed. Further, there will be no special pensions or other similar remunerations for tenure other than existing Federal programs for those elected. As elected officials, they will also be banned from unionizing. Members will have the option of choosing private health plans or utilize local military facilities.

Funding. For starters, any legal entity enjoying corporate status will be prohibited from contributing money directly or indirectly to any campaign. Lobbies and special interests will have nice, anorexic limits applied to what they may contribute as well. Further, any public official will be required to put donations into designated accounts run by the OMB, and daily status will be posted online, to include the originating account bearing-name. Transparency is a powerful tool. Additionally, no elected official may spend more than one-fifth of his or her tenure in fundraising activity. Once the funded election is over, all residual money raised by the individual and not under party control will transfer to the Treasury to be applied to the national debt. Of note, there will be no cap on personal funds donated by the candidate himself, but details of personal accounts will be made public as well immediately upon announcement of candidacy.

Presidential candidates may use party-owned funds but the same contribution statutes will apply. There will be no barriers, legal or regulatory, against new party creation, and the party committee may raise funds in support of their collective candidates. Should a party lose a national election, one-quarter of all remaining party funds will revert to the Treasury. Further, it will be among the party committee members to decide how the collective funds are apportioned among the various Senate, House, and Presidential candidates.

Amendment. No act of Congress or the President alone will be sufficient to modify any of the terms of this framework. In order for any modification to pass into law and code, a direct referendum of the People will be required with the passing vote not to be less than 75% of the popular vote. Further, the various party committees will provide funds from internal remaining party reserves equally to pay for the referendum.

This looks ready to go in my opinion. Hit ‘print’ and mail it to your favorite waterhead in office.