Don’t forget who’s Congress’ boss

James J. Worman, Henderson

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 | 2 a.m.

All federal elected officials, no matter their political affiliation, should alter some of the current government policies in order to gain back the respect they lost over the past few decades. They should have the same health and pension choices as their employer, the American people.

Members of Congress should no longer decide on their own salary raises; the raises should be based on increases in the cost of living. Formulating new shorter-term limits should be a priority, perhaps three terms for a senator and six for a representative would be reasonable. This will limit the individual power of congressional members, reduce the amount of lobbying and minimize financial contributions. Balancing the budget and limited spending is a necessity in order for this country to survive.

As your employer, I say: stop ridiculous spending and pass a balanced budget with a surplus to pay our debts. Well, maybe next time. All congressional retirement funds should revert to Social Security and congressional members should participate in this plan.

All too often, elected officials feel they can tell the American people what to do without any repercussions; they tend to forget who is paying their salaries. Wake up, Congress. The American people want to remain as a republic and not become a socialistic society, which appears to be happening slowly.