The late U.S. Senator Teddy Kennedy served in Congress a mind-numbing 46 years. The only thing that stopped him: death. U.S. Senator Robert Byrd served 51 year. Death finally voted him out. U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond served 46 years until death overtook him. U.S. Senator Ted Stevens racked up 40 years. Daniel Inouye at 46 years and John McCain over 30 years will serve until they too-suffer death as their only way out.

What do they all share in common? Career politicians! They enjoy(ed) the 'good old boys club' in Washington, DC, a kind of present day 'royalty' enjoyed by Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, et al.

Let it be known that Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Samuel Adams hated the British royalty for entrenching itself at the expense of its poverty stricken 'subjects'. It's why Washington refused a third term as president and he preferred to be called, "Mr. President" instead of 'His Excellency' or 'Your Highness".

If the Founding Fathers made one huge mistake in the U.S. Constitution, 'term limits' for citizen politicians would be that blunder. Many wonder why our government officials fail us on so many levels. They wonder by Washington politicians won't enforce our laws or enact legislation that benefits ordinary citizens instead of people from other countries. Why do our politicians approve outsoucing, insourcing and offshoring of jobs when we suffer 15 million unemployed Americans and 41.8 million Americans subsisting on food stamps? Why do they fail us on multiple levels?

Answer: Lifelong and long term politicians formed a 'royalty' club in Washington DC that dances to a 'money and elitist' tune that resembles the monarchies of former empires. Even as they become infirmed enough to stagger or wheel-chair themselves across the Senate floor, or become dottering old goats that cannot and do not offer fresh, new ideas for our challenging times-they cling to power, to their status, to their 'royalty' of being called Senator So and So. Ironically, Americans reelect them out of habit.

Meanwhile, congress critters do not suffer from their policies that drove this nation to its financial knees with $12 trillion in debts, $700 billion annual trade deficits, promoted our manufacturing into third world countries, engaged our young men and women in inane, worthless and staggeringly inhumane wars like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. They continue immigration policies that flood this country with incompatible cultures, languages and religions-that will disrupt and destroy the foundational culture that provided Americans with the most successful civilization on Earth.

On the practical side, they refuse to enforce our laws. They don't see the need, for example, a 10 cent deposit/return container law for bottles, cans and plastic-despite the 75 percent waste and trashing of containers-that contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and endless litter across our country. Nor do they understand the horrific waste of energy and resources to continuously mine and scour the Earth for more metals. They failed to engage an energy conservation law for vehicles as Peak Oil became apparent 30 years ago. The list grows while they dither and dawdle, and shilly and shally! They fail, because of their longevity, age and lack of creative connection to the 21st century or royalty status to work for the good of our society. Virtually all of them grow rich while we pay for all their boondoggles-and we grow poorer-as well as die in their falsely initiated and protracted wars.

What answer will solve this predicament?  We need fresh, new and creative citizens voted into Congress both at the Senate and House levels at regular intervals.

It's beyond time to demand, vote for and engage Congressional Term Limits:

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! 

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below:

A. Two Six-year Senate terms

B. Six Two-year House terms

C. One Six-year Senate term and three 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 (past, present & future) participates in 

Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. 

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3 percent.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. 

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress: an honor, not a career! The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work. (This information sent to me by Sally Epstein, thank you!)

"Imagine a country which employs the principles of personal responsibility,  freedom and accountability for future generations. Everything you do-counts! If you do nothing, that counts to the negative. When you read sobering information, do you want to give up or fall apart? Or, do you want to engage like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, George and Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams,  Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Martin Luther King, Oprah, Barbara Jordan, John Muir and other Americans. You represent the Jefferson's, Oprah's and Dr. King's of the 21st century.  Consider it your honor and privilege to become a part of the solutions. Engage the present to change the future! Become an agent of the change you wish to see!"  FW

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. He presents "The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it" to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715