It should be up to the voters whether the congress deserves pay raises. Also if they cannot pass a budget, then they should get NO pay!

RESOLUTION Requiring that legislation considered by the Senate and House to be confined to a single issue. Resolved, SECTION 1. SINGLE-ISSUE REQUIREMENT. (a) Point of Order- It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider a bill or resolution that is not confined to a single subject. Purpose: to simplify all legislation so that all constituents can easily see what is being proposed and who is voting for or against. To eliminate earmarks.

Congress should take cut in pay and benefits to help cut the deficit.

Changing the term a President can serve.

1. Term Limits. A.One Six-year Senate term B. 3 Two-year House terms 2. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 5. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term, then go home and back to work.

Ralph Nader got Bush Elected by taking votes from the Democrats. A runoff election would have changed the result by running only the top two candidates. With a runoff we could have a real election where ideas for change at least get a hearing.

based on the constitution and laws of america and great leadership , principiles and families vaules , stated where ever , near or far in home, offices , city , schools , nations , familes races , clours , pride , belif, supporting human rights and justice all are equal , in the eyes of the laws and statues of liberties supporting human rights , and the eight amanments constitution of north america , base on cruel inhuman treatments , and rights protecting families vaules

The current refferndum system both makes it almost impossible for the Legislature to pass budget and legal decisions, because they are almost always either changed or superceded by popular vote, usually more controlled by lobby interests than people fear the Legislators themselves would be, or are. This leaves them free from responsibility, ignores the topic experts, and leaves them free for partsan grandstanding that only hurts the state. Reforming the referrendum system so that it is still posible for the people to change the law, but forcing and penalizing the Legislature for not doing it first, and placing severe penalties on individuals in the Legislature who fail to do their job, should give us better , less partisan, more considered, and more timely change. It should also force them to face the consequences of inaction or poor action more directly themselves, instead of just punishing the people in California. The citizens would still have the right to change laws, but it would be harder, forced to be more considered, hold the Legislators and Governor accountable for inaction, and motivate them to do their jobs instead of waiting to see whatever corporate lobby is going to get passed, making their research and representation almost obsolete, and encouraging partisan grandstanding, which could also be censured or punished by the citizens under the new system.

The FACT that 88.8% of US voters have no faith in Congress amounts to a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE. The normal process in such a situation, which exists in many other countries, is RECALL. No such process in the US exists. The only alternative is a boycott.

The Declaration of Independence states that it is our duty to institute new government when the old one has become destructive to the life, liberty and happiness of the people. Government derives its power from the consent of the governed. It is the Right of the People to institute new government and provide new guards for their future security. As such, it's time to go back to the drawing board. We're calling for a new constitutional convention with elected representatives from all 50 states. Take the first step toward reclaiming the glory of our great nation. Take your country back.

I recently learned from a friend in Australia that voting is required there. If one fails to vote, a fine is imposed. ( I had an "AHA" moment - of course, everyone should be required to vote in a democracy in order to assure that the will of the people is carried out.) It certainly would lessen the chance that obstacles could be created to keep minorities/ the poor/ the young from voting.

We no longer need "delegates" to ride their horses to a pre-determined location and cast a vote for all the folks back home. Many voters feel disenfranchised today and believe that their vote does not count and therefore, do not vote. It's time to scrap the delgates and make every vote count by electing all public servents by popular vote.