Giving Americans a better Congress: what does it take?

By Frosty Wooldridge

As you know, approval ratings for our U.S. Congress dropped to 9 percent in 2011.  It shows horrific dissatisfaction for the lack of progress across the board.  That low rating ranks as the worst in the past 35 years according to Gallup polling. 

Little wonder!  A whopping 22 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Another 46 million subsist on food stamps.  All told, America’s $15 trillion debt, continuing war in Afghanistan and wasteful spending around the world has put our country in a heap of trouble.

My U.S. Congressman, Mike Coffman, (R-CO), came up with several excellent ideas for transforming Congress from a gridlocked useless body to an entity that would move America forward into the 21^st century.

What are those ideas Congressman Coffman?

“I agree that we need to reform and improve Congress,” said Coffman. “Since I started representing Colorado’s 6th Congressional District in 2009, I have been a leader in the fight to reform Congress by starting and co-chairing the first bipartisan Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus, introducing legislation to cut congressional pay and budgets, introducing legislation to end the congressional pension system, introducing legislation to end the system of automatic pay raises for members of Congress, and introducing a constitutional amendment for mandatory term limits.”

Here are Coffman’s points for making Congress deal with America’s needs:

Balanced Budget Amendment. In 2010, I founded the Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus in the U.S. House to strip the power away from the federal government to continually spend money that we do not have and put an end to decades of reckless out-of-control spending that is undermining both the national and economic security of our nation.

Colorado, along with 48 other states, has a balanced budget requirement in our state constitution, forcing legislators to work together to determine what the spending priorities are within the resources available. No such requirement exists in Washington, D.C. I believe that if one did, the motivation for members of Congress to get the work done would be greatly improved.

Cut congressional budgets and pay. In 2010 and again in 2011, I introduced bills (House Resolution 6134 and HR 270) to cut congressional pay by 10 percent and reduce office budgets by at least 4 percent. A 5 percent reduction in congressional budgets was adopted as part of updated rules enacted by the new GOP-led Congress in January 2011.

End automatic raises for members of Congress. When Congress passed the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, federal lawmakers approved a provision in that bill that made their annual pay raises automatic.

The legislation I introduced in mid-December (HR 3673) would put an end to automatic pay increases by requiring a recorded vote on any salary increase that members of Congress want to give themselves. Requiring recorded votes on pay increases will not only make the actions of Congress more transparent, but it will also make it more accountable.

Abolish congressional pensions. Last September, I introduced HR 2913, which would terminate the defined benefit pension plan available to members of Congress. It is important for members of Congress to demonstrate that we have “skin in the game” with them during these challenging economic times by eliminating a benefit not available to the vast majority of Americans.

Mandatory term limits. According to U.S. Term Limits, a non-profit group that advocates for term limits at all levels of government, 37 states have some form of term limits for their governors and other statewide offices, while voters in 15 states, including Colorado, have overwhelming approved term limits for state legislatures as well. Even the president is subject to term limits. My proposed constitutional amendment (House Joint Resolution 93), introduced last month, would limit members of Congress to no more than 12 years in the Senate and 12 years in the House. I believe that would make Congress more responsive to the needs of our country.

“I believe that all of these proposals have a chance of being passed,” said Coffman.  “As we can see by poll numbers, Americans are demanding improvements in the way Congress operates. These are the types of bills that the majority of Congress may not necessarily want to pass but will feel enormous pressure from their constituents to support — or risk losing their seats.”

I agree with Mr. Coffman in that we need to engage term limits to stop the good old boy network that currently keeps crooks, cronies and wastrels inside the halls of Congress. It makes them rich and our country poorer.  Thomas Jefferson supported term limits back in 1790.  It’s about time we forward Jefferson’s wisdom.

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In a five minute astoundingly simple yet brilliant video, “Immigration, Poverty, and Gum Balls”, Roy Beck, director of www.numbersusa.ORG, graphically illustrates the impact of overpopulation.  Take five minutes to see for yourself:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE&feature=player_embedded

“Immigration by the numbers—off the chart” by Roy Beck

This 10 minute demonstration shows Americans the results of unending mass immigration on the quality of life and sustainability for future generations: in a word “Mind boggling!”  www.NumbersUSA.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ

This is the best website to start:  www.numbersusa.org ; watch Roy Beck’s “Immigration by the Numbers” at 14 minutes. Bi-partisan and very effective. Become a faxer of pre-written letters to your reps to make positive  change.

Visit www.TheSocialContract.com for the best information on what we face as a civilization as to overpopulation, energy, immigration and much more.

Canada www.immigrationwatchcanada.org ; in Australia www.population.org.au and[email protected]; in Great Britain www.populationmatters.org ; and dozens of other sites accessed at www.frostywooldridge.com.   In Florida, www.flimen.org .

Must see DVD: “Blind Spot” www.snagfilms.com/films/title/blind_spot/ , This movie illustrates America’s future without oil, water and other resources to keep this civilization functioning. It’s a brilliant educational movie! www.blindspotdoc.com

Visit www.populationmedia.org for up to date information on overpopulation worldwide.

Must see: Rapid Population Decline, seven minute video by Dr. Jack Alpert-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTWduFB_RX0

Must see and funny: www.growthbusters.org ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSTrW_dARc
Dave Gardner’s Polar Bear in Bedroom:

growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom ; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565

Check out this link with Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester Brown and panel discussion:

www.upnorthmedia.org/watchupnorthtv.asp?SDBFid=1631

Tomorrow’s Americaproject on www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.

Producer: GEORGE A. COLBURNwww.tomorrowsamerica.com

DC: 202-258-4887

Email: [email protected]

Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.com for more discussions on America’s predicament.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.starbrightmediacorp.com

www.tomorrowsamerica.com

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents – from the Arctic to the South Pole – as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. He presents “The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it” to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715