http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.279726573cff35501c3120b225b60fcc.a1&show_article=1

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers must 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 gives 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.

Reduce Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Then, reduce their 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 their staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each 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%.

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

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and 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 head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we had 3 senators that were not doing their jobs for the 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have accepted 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. (that’s 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big 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, tax payers could save a bundle.

Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term.

IF you are happy with how Congress spends our taxes, delete this. Otherwise, I assume you know what to do.

Did anyone really think Obama would appoint someone who wasn’t?

HA!!! One article is still there abt the IRS and Obama’s church: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/02/26/irs_investigating_obamas_churc_2.html

Of course, that has been 1 1/2 yrs. What has been the result? Anyone heard?

* The it was meant for the church, but it could be taken either way.

Wouldn’t that be something, though, if those same corporations worked to get him OUT?

Yes, there would be poetic justice in that, Reverend Amy. Only problem is, if big predatory corporations (e.g., Goldman Sachs) worked to get him out, it would only be because he had outlived his usefulness and they had another dazzling little puppet all dressed up and ready to go . . .

LOL, Sassy – I know – I was right there with ya! Wouldn’t that be something, though, if those same corporations worked to get him OUT? That would be fantastic…I’m not holding my breath, though…

Well, THAT makes sense! I shoulda known.

I hear ya – we need more Open Threads. I prepared one that will hopefully go up sometime today.

Great comments, as always!

The Power and Importance of New Media

On Meet the Press this past Sunday, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman railed against internet news sources, referring to them as an “open sewer of untreated, unfiltered information.” He continued to mock new media, suggesting that the American public is incapable of deciphering between facts, fiction and opinion, when he said that modems should have a warning label from the surgeon general that reads “judgment not included.” What Mr. Friedman cannot understand is that web-based information sources like blogs, wikis and vlogs (video blogs) are the new beat reporters and investigative journalists of our time.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/09/the_power_and_importance_of_ne_1.html

There are a few sites that I visit that have good investigative reporting. I used to be an investigative reporter,on a small scale, so I have done researching for my own articles. I wish that NQ had a “hot tip” link where you writers could be given breaking news. I know how hard it is to research and then write the articles and have a life too.
Sometimes it is hard not to post off topic because things are so dangerous for our country and I wish to help stop it. Thanks again to NQ and you.

http://biggovernment.breitbart.com/