A widely-distributed email suggested this week that we could essentially solve the deficit problem instantly if Congress were treated like the rest of us. Here's some of the suggestions:
1. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system.
2. Congress can purchase their own supplemental retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
3. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
4. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
Most of us realize that what was designed to be a democracy has morphed into a huge hierarchy, especially in the last three decades. The higher people channel power and resources to themselves while lower people hold them up by sending their own resources to the top.
We can predict from what we know of hierarchies that many members of Congress would be shocked if they were to be held to the same standards as the people who work hard to pay their salaries and benefits.
