Here are some things Congress can do to GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!

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

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

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. (those
members who's jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government
pork earmarks are at $15 Billion/yr).

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. Congress has more tools available to do their
jobs than it had 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 jump on a train for home this week
when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the
economic problems.
Also, we have 3 senators that 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 & congress.

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.
$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.

Got more ideas??

Yep.
And to make it even, I don't think we should have to pay taxes for the next 2 months.

How do you think Congress would react to this?

[edit on 22-12-2008 by Alxandro]

The thing is, I totally understand why we are all going against these bailouts and spending billions of tax dollars on bailing out the system.

Washington was presented with a challenge. They could bail out the auto industry and the banks, or let the system collapse and rebuild itself. If the Democrats and Republicans wanted to be re-elected and get the BIG, RICH DONORS, they had to save them. The rich supply the politicians. So, they had to bailout the people who get them elected.

I received that email too...

never gonna happen though...



Edit- kause I Kant speel

[edit on 30-12-2008 by elevatedone]