Bills Going Through Congress

I have been thinking a lot lately about the fact that Congress rarely gets anything done. If I was surrounded by this much incompetence, I would be bankrupt. So, when I think about the Dems continuing to control the House and the Senate, I have trouble getting too excited.

Take health care. Until I was on Medicare, my health care, which I rarely used, cost me $1,250 per month. Just me. I’m so relieved to be over 65 and I love Medicare, and I believe I have earned it. Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t lie awake at night thinking of bills that would work for me personally, or that my Senator should be doing that either. I like that I’m a free-standing, take care of my self kind of citizen. But when I think of the number of people 55 and over who have been laid off, or are entrepreneurial in spirit, but tied to their jobs with health care needs, I can’t help but think that an earlier Medicare option would have been fabulous for so many of my neighbors.

So my ADHD self (just diagnosed and I have decided it’s a superpower) started thinking about bills that could serve the people and where the heck are they?

In light of the fact that my elected officials can’t seem to get anything – I mean anything – done, I’m thinking I need to step in and work out some of their issues. While we all know I’m very busy with job, finishing my first novel, my blog and Christmas shopping, someone’s got to do it. So once again, I will try and add on to my to do list, “Get Congress in Order.”

Bill Number One. No Bill Shall be Longer than One Page Bill. I like this bill a lot. It’s key. These thousand page bills leave too much room for error and way too many places to hide bad things that supposedly good people in government do in the supposed interest of me. Gus Levy, the now deceased head of Goldman Sachs (he would roll over in his grave at their behavior, but that’s another story), once told me that any memo longer than a page means you don’t understand the issue. Hmmm.

Bill Number Two. No More Special Interest Lobbyists. Abolish lobbying groups. Let them move to a hotel lobby somewhere or other and lobby the people, not the senate. Hell, send them to Iraq and let them lobby there, but get them out of Washington where they are doing no one any good. They are not allowed to give money to campaigns of any kind. End of story.

Bill Number Three. Congress and the Senate are Limited to Two Terms of Three Years Each. Let’s face it, there are enough people in America to serve in Washington if we need them. The fact that you can stay in the Senate for decades isn’t working. Most people in America have seven jobs in twenty years. They are ruining the curve. And, I think three year terms would work well. Six years in government? In Israel every person must serve in the military for I think four years. It could work.

And, last but not least, a bill for me to pay me back for my efforts here. The Suggest a Bill and Get a Year Free from Paying Taxes. If your bill is passed, you get a Get out of Taxes Free Card (modeled after the Get out of Jail Card Free from Monopoly). I think it’s only fair to reward those that participate.

I think I like the last one the best.