It's time to bring Congress back into the real world!

The key point to the email below is that we (the U.S. Taxpayer) pay for the generous retirement plan our congress people receive when they r etire. They do not make contributions to their retirement fund, it is funded from tax receipts. Why is this the case?

Well, congress wrote the legislation to give themselves a generous pension plan for when they retire, then voted and passed the legislation. This is definitely not fair, or equitable. How many of you get to write how your companies's retirement plans are structured and pay your after y ou retire? How many of you set your own salaries? My bet is none of you.

I think the current congressional retirement plan should be amended. First, a congress person's retirement pay should be no more than 70% of their last year's congressional salary. Secondly, they should be required to contribute to the funding of the plan. Finally, once these changes to the plan are implemented, Congress cannot make changes to the plan. They can only change the amount they contribute.

Another important point is our congress people do not contribute to social security, nor can they collect from social security. If you don't pay in, you don't get anything out. Maybe if congress people were required to contribute to social security, they would care more about its future.

Now the table has been set, so please read the following.



Social Security 2009
LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
Propose this in 2009:
START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY ---------------------------------- SOCIAL SECURITY: Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan. For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments... For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000..00 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries. Younger Dignitari es who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives. The ir cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!!

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds; "OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"! >From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer), We can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits! Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. That change would be to Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen.. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us Then sit back...... And see how fast they would fix it!