Many people believe the government is in crisis because it can't balance the budget. The sequestration of funds has supposedly caused the White House tours to end. The articles I read said it would save funds. My question is how? They did not say they were downsizing the Secret Service. That is the only way there would be any savings. Secret Service agents will get paid whether they are standing around watching the crowds or taking a siesta. That is the way the government works. The military gets paid the same whether they are fighting a war or training for a war. Supply costs might increase in a war, but military pay does not change. The opportunity for promotions might increase and increasing the size of the Army might cost more but the pay stays the same.
If they really want to save some money take the keys to Air Force One away from President Obama. Tell him he does not get them back till the budget is balanced. The fuel savings in one month would probably equal or exceed the annual budget for the Secret Service. Congress could get their act together and do this. Then His Highintheass Obama could stand in line and talk to the people going through the White House on tour. He could find out what some of the real problems are. He can retaliate by cancelling all their travel reimbursements and all paid holidays and time off. Like that will ever happen.
It has become clear to me that Congress has no intention of passing a balanced budget amendment. They all have their pet pork that they refuse to sacrifice to budget cuts. The only good thing is that in my reading I found out there is a way to circumvent Congress. There is a way to force them to act whether they want to or not. The key is that it will take action by concerned citizens to make it happen. The Constitution allows for a way to force Congress to act. Article V of the Constitution says two thirds of Congress must agree to put forth an amendment and it must be approved by the states. It also says two-thirds of the state legislations may call a Convention for proposing an amendment. Well as supposedly forty-six of the states have mandatory budgeting requirements in their Constitutions it should not be hard to get the states to push the Federal Government into balancing the budget.
What it will take is the action of millions and millions of citizens from all the states petitioning their state legislatures to act and demand the Congress to act on the matter. It has never been done, but America has never been in such sad economic shape in the past. Not even in the Great Depression. The Federal Government was solvent when he Great Depression started. In fact the one day loss on the stock market that triggered the Great Depression was equal to three times the national debt at that time. That should make any concerned American see just how bad our situation is.
While they are at it they should demand a revision of the Federal Tax Code and elimination of all deductions and exemptions for any reason. They should pass a flat tax that is enough to run the budget. A tax that every citizen and corporation pays their fare share. You want a different view than is normal take the time to read my blog of 11/24/11 titled " The 10/20/30 Tax Plan.
After fixing those two problems there is one other problem that needs to be addressed to stop corporations from having undo power in our election system. Pass a law that only people who have the right to vote in an election may contribute to an election. Corporations do not vote and should have no say so in the political process. That is half, if not more, of the problem with the present political process. We need to send the lobbyists packing and stop their influence on Congress. Groups try to buy influence to get the legislation they want. The only way to stop that is eliminate them from the election process. We do not need billion dollar elections. We need honest elections and people who care about America and not their wallets running America.
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