A Stimulus Plan that will work.

by SamCogar Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:44 am

Cuts in business/cuts in Congress

A great idea:

" The Proposal "

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that happens is that the executives reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers need to find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated, as well. Wall Street and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision,", and his Board of Directors give him a big bonus.

Our government should not be immune from similar risks.

Therefore: Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members and Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Also, reduce remaining staff by 25%.

Accomplish this over the next 8 years. (two steps/two elections) and, of course, this would require some redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for Congress. (267 members x $165,200 annual pay per member.)

$97,175,000 for elimination of the above people's staff. (Estimate $1.3 million in staff per member of the House and $3 million in staff per each member of the Senate every year.)

$240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

$Millions saved in travel & perks currently provided.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel earmarks each year. (Those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 billion per year.)

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and would need to improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country???

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues, as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congressmen have more tools available to do their jobs than back in 1911, when the current number of representatives was established (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few).

Note:
Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we have 3 senators who have not been doing their jobs for the past 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have been accepting full pay. These facts alone support a reduction in senators and Congressmen.

Summary of opportunity:

- $44,108,400 reduction of Congress members.

- $282,100, 000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members.

$Hundreds of Millions saved in

travel and other perks that go unreported.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress members.

$8,073,383,400 + per year , estimated total savings. (that's 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big & Small business does these types of cuts all the time.

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits there is no telling how much we would save. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term .

IF you are happy how the Congress spends our taxes, then just delete this message. IF you are NOT at all happy, then I assume you know what to do.

by ziggy Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:29 pm

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits there is no telling how much we would save. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term .

Oh really?

Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Member's of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa031200a.htm

by SamCogar Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:01 pm

And just what all constitutes "service"?

Name them all big boy.

by Keli Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:42 am

by **ohio county** Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:00 pm

Remember when I kept asking the question: what's the rush to pass this stimulus bill? Thomas Sowell must have heard me:

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjVkOTNmYWEyNDdlYzZkMjU3ZmYxZTc3OTcwNzU5Nzg=

by **ohio county** Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:05 pm

Similarly, George Will writes about West Virginia, coal, and Big Daddy. Sam Cogar said it first.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/184756

by SamCogar Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:59 pm

ohio county wrote:Similarly, George Will writes about West Virginia, coal, and Big Daddy. Sam Cogar said it first.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/184756

Ohio, were you referring to this:

When politicians ban Sunday liquor sales, they please Baptists by purifying the Lord's Day, and they please bootleggers by stimulating demand for the bootleggers' services. So Baptists praise politicians who do something that enriches bootleggers, who give some of their riches to the politicians in campaign contributions.

This lovely lesson about government regulation comes from Bruce Yandle, a Clemson University economist who argues that many well-intentioned regulations have the equivalent of bootleggers in the background—self-interested and sometimes unsavory factions that make money from the good intentions of others

Or about the increases in cigarette taxes?

Maybe Bruce Yandle, a Clemson University economist ...... had been reading my postings on the old Gazette forums. I've been saying that about bootleggers in WV for nigh on to 50 years, ever since I witnessed for the first time the defeat of a Bill to legalize Sunday whiskey sales in WV.

A fellow named George Bright was my favorite bootlegger when I was in High School and until I left the State in 63'.

by **ohio county** Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:52 pm

Either way. I seem to remember your saying that good intentions often resulted in unintended consequences. I'll be the first to admit I don't have your memory.

by **Stephanie** Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:44 pm

Over the course of the past two years, I've come to realize Sam frequently makes very wise statements that all too frequently are largely ignored.

btw........I wish more people in positions of even greater power would listen to our friend from Ohio County. Our state and our nation would be far better off.

by SamCogar Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:58 pm

We are kinda lucky to have a Will Rogers kind guy on our forum.

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