What would Congress do?

Now that we all feel richer with the new Democrat plan for the stimulating wealth redistribution boondoggle, perhaps it’s time to talk about a redistribution of congressional representatives.

Many Christians follow a simple principle when facing significant decisions – “What would Jesus do”? I wonder what would happen if we asked, “What would Congress do?” if we asked the following questions of them:

• Why not scrap your personal retirement program, which allows you full retirement benefits after only serving one term and enroll you in Social Security and make you wait until age 62, and then tax those benefits?

This is the system you have plundered for years. With all the economic geniuses in Congress, surely one of you could calculate how much excess money we would now have in Social Security if you had invested the surplus each year in treasury notes.

• What would you do if you could only serve one or two terms in Congress, as the founding fathers envisioned, and then not be able to secure a sweetheart position with one of your lobbyist buddies? How would you live?

• Why not for every earmark and amendment list the name of the congressional author who would show the business need and the return on investment? Why not make every such earmark and amendment stand on its own and publish the roll call vote? Would that be considered transparency?

• What if your salaries were based on a national poll as opposed to the current ludicrous process where you receive an automatic increase unless you vote it down? You want business CEOs and executives pay based on business performance — why not base your compensation on performance? You get at least 60 percent in the polls, you get a cost of living increase. You don’t, you won’t — simple.

• What if the public was to rank each senator and representative each year, forcing the bottom third to seek employment elsewhere? Businesses use a process like this, and they produce a profit. What is the return to the public of your work?

If we enacted these changes, do you suppose we would get more transparency, less spending and perhaps even manage a balanced budget without overtaxing the 50 percent of us who pay all of these lawmakers? Now let’s just hold our breath.

Gary Miller lives in Whitefish.