[V8] Breaking the rules...mine and probably yours. Forgive me. I promise not to do it again.

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I get a lot of stuff in email because I have quite a few email addresses for
various reasons and to serve various purposes.  Occasionally...really, VERY
occasionally I receive something in the email that makes me think I would
not be doing anyone a disservice, or spamming anyone to pass it along.  This
email is one such item.
 
I am now sixty-seven years old.  Politically, I am a liberal moderate
conservative.  In the past sixty-seven years I have seen a lot of stuff and
participated in more than just a few of those "stuffs" myself.  In a word, I
have had my war, loved a woman, and done a gazillion things.  (I think I
read or heard that sometime in the past.).
 
Right now I believe we are seeing the beginning of a serious slide taking
over the road to Independence that the original colonies took many years
ago.  I do not believe this needs to be the beginning of the end of the
American Republic, but I do believe that unless we make serious directional
changes in the way our democratic republic works on a day to day basis, we
will surely begin the decline to "third world" status.
 
The purpose of this email is not to launch a floating platform of the kinds
of reform I believe necessary to reinforce the United States' preeminent
position in the world. I have a lot of ideas, but I will leave that
postulating to those who think they want to run for office.  
 
Instead I am going to reprint here the contents of an email thar I received
from a friend who's opinions and seniority I respect.  She forwarded it to
me, and its origins are not really known to me.  But I think this is a
smashingly good idea and in some form should be made a matter of the will of
the American people.  
 
If you agree, perhaps you will pass this along to others.  If enough
"others" get to think about this, maybe something positive will happen.  If
you disagree, then just delete it.  And Mr. Moderator, please forgive me for
using this podium for this purpose.  I am NOT about politics and won't in
all liklihood do this again.  
 
I'm just more than a tad worried that my grandchildren won't get a chance to
enjoy my V8.
 
Roger
 
I have totally cleaned this e-mail from all other names, sending it to you
in hopes you will keep it going and keep it clean. This is something I will
fight for and I hope you all read it all the way through. You will be glad
you did. 

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3
months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That
was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc. 

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to
become the law of the land...all because of public pressure. 

I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty
people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. 

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the
message. This is one idea that really should be passed around. 

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 

1. No Tenure / No Pension. 
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when
they are out of office. 

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. 
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security
system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system,
and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for
any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans
do. 

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay
will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the
same health care system as the American people. 

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American
people. 

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective
1/1/12. 
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen
made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor,
not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours
should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.