Title of Law or Constitutional Amendment:
FEDERAL EXPLOSION of the DEFICIT and DEBT—ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE PAYMENT PLAN
“We the people” propose to balance the budget, reduce the debt, and make Social Security solvent by placing Congress and other elected or appointed officials on a performance payment plan—if it’s good enough for teachers; it’s even better for politicians.
For more than sixty years, Congress has used Social Security as their own personal PONZI scheme. The “LOCK BOX” has been raided—in fact the “lock box” never existed. Congress has used this Ponzi scheme to defraud American workers of trillions of dollars and no one has gone to jail. It is time to set the example that Congressmen are not above the laws that they impose on us. If Bernie Maddoff is in jail for running a Ponzi scheme, then so should Congressmen. Reverend Jim Bakker was sentenced to forty-four years in prison for doing the same thing Congress has done every year for over 60 years—using funds designated for one purpose for other unauthorized purposes. Why should thieves masquerading as Congressmen be exempt from punishment? Greedy congressmen simply used the excess money in the trust fund to finance projects in their districts that would insure their re-elections. It is past time that Congress live up to its Constitutional duties. The best way to achieve this is by insisting that Congress pass a law or Constitutional amendment that will pay government officials according to their performance.
Following is the outline for a federal law or Constitutional amendment to get Congress to stop deficit spending, reduce the debt, and make Social Security solvent by paying Congress according to their performance. (The expression “all appointed officials both federal and state” includes all judges and all top level bureaucrats, both state and federal—these officials have also overlooked waste and promoted bad policies and should be included.)
1. To make social security solvent:
a. All elected and appointed officials both federal and state, including all federal and state employees, will have the retirement plan Congress designed—Social Security. (If they want a better retirement, then open an IRA and save for their own future like “we the people” have to do.) Any congressmen who votes to use Social Security funds to finance any other federal or state project will forfeit all remunerations and all retirement benefits and be open to law suits from social security recipients and face criminal charges for robbing the “lock box.”
b. Yet, if Congress can make the Social Security trust fund solvent WITHOUT RAISING THE FICA TAX OR RAISING THE RETIRMENT AGE, then they will receive a 10% bonus in pay and benefits for each year that the fund is solvent.
c. However, if Congress cannot make the Social Security trust fund solvent, or if they must raise the FICA tax or raise the retirement age to make the fund solvent, then their pay and benefits shall be reduced by 10% for each year the fund runs a deficit by using such means. (Now Congress has some “skin” in the game.)
2. To solve the healthcare crisis:
a. All elected and appointed officials both federal and state will have only one healthcare policy—Obamacare.
b. Plus, all waivers or exemptions for states, unions, and corporations will be cancelled. If Obamacare is repealed, then elected and appointed officials both federal and state can buy their own healthcare plans, just like the rest of America.
c. Then, Congress should make insurance policies portable, allow insurance to be sold across state lines, limit medical liability suits to a reasonable amount (tort reform), and make health savings accounts available for everyone, even those with low deductible policies; plus increase the amount you can invest in the HSA to one million dollars/year; and make medical field more competitive by increasing medical students.
d. If Obamacare is not repealed then all elected and appointed officials both federal and state will always be put at the bottom of the medical treatment list and first on the death-panel counseling list.
3. To balance the budget:
a. For any fiscal year that Congress does not balance the budget; the salaries, benefits, and expense account funds of all elected and appointed federal officials will be reduced by 20%.
b. An additional 20% will be added for each year that one deficit follows another. (If Congress gets tired of working for nothing, then they can resign. “We the people” will elect someone who can get the job done.)
c. The only exception would be a world war where our national existence is at stake.
d. However, a balanced budget means a 10% bonus in pay and benefits for each year.
4. To pay off the national debt:
a. 5% of the national debt must be paid off each year until the debt gets to nine trillion dollars—at this point the debt must be reduced by 10% each year until the debt is paid off. If that goal is not reached annually—without raising taxes—then all elected and appointed officials both federal and state will lose 20% of their salaries, benefits, and expense account funds for each year that the goal is not met.
b. What shall we cut? The percentage of welfare and Medicaid spending cuts must be twice as much as defense cuts and three times as much as Social Security/Medicare cuts.
c. Incentivize cuts by rewarding department workers. Give the department a bonus of 10% of the waste and fraud that they can save and document. Let this incentive be equally divided among the employees within that department.
d. The percentage of welfare and Medicaid spending cuts must be twice as much as defense cuts and three times as much as Social Security/Medicare cuts.
e. Until the debt is paid off, every federal department—not essential to the Constitutional duties of Congress in providing for the national defense—shall have their budgets cut 50%. Eliminate the department of education! Reduce the EPA budget by 75%.
f. Concerning our “debt” to China. Remind them who it was that saved their necks from the Japanese in WWII and tell them to pay up with 2011 dollar value—now they owe us! (By the way, how many of the countries who owed the U.S. money after WWII simply defaulted on their debt or we graciously forgave the debt—how much forgiveness has the US received in return?)
5. To eliminate government caused recessions or depressions like the housing crisis of Fannie Mae:
a. In a recession or depression, whatever is the percentage of decline in the GDP, then the salaries, benefits, and expense account funds of all elected and appointed federal officials will drop by two times the decline in GDP. (For example, a 5% drop in GDP would be a 10% drop in pay.)
b. For every quarter that the recession or depression continues, an additional 5% drop in pay and benefits will be given. Salaries, benefits, and expense account funds will not return to normal until the economy returns to its pre-recession or pre-depression level. (This might help Congressional “foresight” when it comes to creating laws that “help their friends”, but forget “we the people.”)
6. To eliminate professional politicians:
a. The starting salaries for all elected and appointed officials both federal and state will be equal to the average pay of the American worker.
b. However, for each year that the GDP grows over 5%, then their salaries, benefits, and expense account funds will be increased by two times whatever the GDP rate of increase is. For example: a 5% increase of GDP would bring a 10% increase in pay.
c. Also, for each year that the unemployment rate remains under 5%, then their salaries, benefits, and expense account funds would increase by an additional two times whatever the GDP rate of increase is.
d. Also, for each year that the inflation rate (all factors like groceries and gas must be included in the inflation equation) stays under 5%, their salaries, benefits, and expense account funds will be increased by an additional two times whatever the GDP rate of increase is. (Congress now has a vested interest in making all Americans prosper, and they will deserve the bonuses.)
7. To stop the revolving door of Congressional corruption:
a. No elected or appointed official or their staff members both federal and state can become a lobbyist until they have been out of office for 25 years, nor can they be employed by any federal or state agency for 25 years.
b. Neither shall any lobbyist or corporate executive whose business lobbies state or federal governments be eligible to run for office or be employed by any federal or state agency until they have stopped all lobbying activities for 25 years.
c. The penalty for breaking this law shall be a minimum of 25 years in a federal prison. (Congress, when you leave office, get a private-sector job and live under your rules like the rest of us!)
8. to stop legislative robbery:
a. Congressmen may think they can pass laws, and then retire before the ill effects are known or retire without any consequences. Therefore, retired Congressmen who voted to pass any law that has produced the aforementioned or future economic problems are still responsible; and their salaries, benefits, and expense account funds will be cut according the above standards.
b. Also, representatives—local, state, and federal—who vote to use funds that were designated for other purposes will be guilty of malfeasance of office and will face felony prosecution.
c. For example, tax funds taken for Social Security or gas taxes for road improvements or any money that has been levied for a specific purpose cannot be used for any other purpose. Misuse of such funds will be a felony.
9. to limit lifelong Congressional terms:
a. House of Representative terms shall be limited to 8 years.
b. Senate terms shall be limited to 12 years.
The only way to get the attention of most politicians is to kick them hard in the pocketbook, and these nine ideas are a good start. Congress should not ask Americans to “sacrifice” unless they are also willing to do the same. (Also, I realize that others may have even better ideas. Let’s get together and use the best ideas.)
These nine solutions deal with the major source—corrupt elected and appointed officials, both state and federal—of almost every major problem we face in the political and economic realm.
If Congress will not make these nine points federal law or if the Supreme Court should rule these laws unconstitutional, then “we the people” must insist that these nine principles be made the next amendment to the Constitution—and add to these term limits.
“We the people” don’t need to demand a Constitutional Convention. Remember that our founding fathers called for a Constitutional Convention to “fix” the Articles of Confederation but completely scrapped them and replaced them with the brilliant document we have today. However, I don’t trust our modern politicians to “improve” the Constitution. A call for a Constitutional Convention would result in corrupt politicians replacing the clear and concise Constitution with a 10,000 page rambling rag with no Bill of Rights and no more liberty. A simple Constitutional Amendment is the best way to reform Congress.
What if Congress refuses? Vote the lying, lunatic, liberal bums out and keep voting them out until someone does what “we the people” desire. THIS IS POSSIBLE! The Tea Party movement has given grassroots conservatives hope that real and lasting change is possible, but not without a price or without commitment.
“We the people” are fed up with the corruption and incompetence and want politicians who will serve the people, rather than line their pockets and grope for more power. It doesn’t take 2000 page bills to fix our problems. In fact, no bill should be over 200 pages long, and it should deal with only one issue at a time. I have proposed workable solutions and it took about two pages.
What can “we the people” do? Don’t take the fatalist approach. Realize that just 20 million of “we the people” willing to give $1000 toward electing Tea Party candidates who will pledge themselves to these reforms can put America back on the road to recovery. This would revolutionize American politics for the next 100 years. Would you rather give a little extra now or wait until Congress has bankrupted all Americans?
Lying, lunatic, liberal billionaires give millions to try to influence Congress to pass “anti-capitalist” and “pro-socialist” laws. Obamacare is the latest example of money power supplanting the will of “we the people.” Yet, we have something that they don’t have—more people. A 2009 Gallup poll said that 40% of Americans claim to be conservatives compared to 21% who claim to be liberal. 40% of 300 million is 120 million. If 20 million committed conservatives would spend just $1000 per election cycle, then conservatives would build a war chest of 20 billion dollars. This is not a pipe dream. Rush Limbaugh alone has that many listeners. If liberals are willing to give billions, then surely “we the people” can find 20 million out of 120 million conservatives who are willing to give $1000 per election cycle. If the remaining 100 million conservatives would only give $100 per election cycle, then “we the people” would have an additional 10 billion dollars. That would be a war chest that would put fear into the hearts of every corrupt politician. In fact, just one million people would be able to raise a billion dollar war chest. Have we forgotten that all of our founding fathers hazarded their lives and all their wealth to form this nation? Can we do less? If 120 million conservatives are willing to let 60 million liberals push them around, then America will get what she really doesn’t deserve—chaos, confusion, confiscation, and a communist-styled commandant.
Are you ready to make a difference? Many conservatives are just like me—skeptical of giving to anyone or any organization. Even some Tea Parties have been co-opted by corrupt politicians looking for a fresh group of suckers. But, if you decide to join me in this fight, you will not send me one cent. I propose to design a website that can be used to locate good conservative candidates both locally and nationally, a website that will expose rhino Republicans or liberal Democrats that can be defeated, a website that can provide up-to-date information that is easy to use, and a website that can generate enough funds for needy and worthy candidates to make a difference—without having to consult the Republicans or give to their rhino causes. Our goal is to gain a true conservative majority in every state legislative body and in the Congress of the United States that is committed to sound economic principles. (50% Rhino Republicans is not a majority for conservatives, but only reinforces lunatic liberal rule.)
The solution lies within your head, your heart, and your hands. How much would you be willing to give to worthy conservative candidates each election cycle? Remember that even one dollar given to 10 different candidates by 20 million dedicated conservatives would have an unbelievable impact. Each committed conservative can put the “fear of God” back in Congress, and put “in God we trust” behind our money.
If you would like to join the fight for liberty, then join my blog as a member or contact me at gowest.conservatives@yahoo.com . Email your friends until we get an army of committed conservatives large enough to make a difference. If enough people get involved, then I will be able to establish a website dedicated to this one objective—exposing and voting out every lying, lunatic, liberal bum in office. United, “we the people” can take back our government. Divided, we will all die separately.
Will 120 million conservatives sit back and let a few socialists destroy this nation? Your decision can change the direction and destiny of this nation. The real solutions are as simple as balancing a family checkbook. The qualified politician is someone who can balance our national checkbook. The problems “seem” complex only because corrupt politicians are deliberately trying to confuse the issues. Yet, politicians respond to two things: lots of people and lots of money. Conservatives have both! We just need to use both wisely. The plan is simple: inform, organize, and mobilize by using the internet. Then commit ourselves, our money, and our time to achieving the goal.
IN MEMORY OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: May God bless you, and may God bless The United States of America.
Sincerely yours:
Roger West
