Thrift starts in your owm house

Federal law prevents members of Congress from getting full-pay retirement when they leave office. The report says, "By law, the starting amount of a member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80 percent of his or her final salary."

Why don't we - the voters - cut that to 50%?

Ratings for Congress’ overall performance have dipped, but voters are a bit more positive about their local representatives.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just nine percent (9%) of Likely U.S. Voters think Congress is doing a good or excellent job overall, while 63% rate the current Congress poorly. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

As shown in THIS CHART, in 1804 each Representative represented approximately 40 thousand people. Today, the average population of congressional districts is nearly 700 thousand and growing.

Since you don't get the representation that you pay for, you should increase the numbers in the house - by double (at least) and cut the pay in half.

Sign a petition to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama titled "Congressional Reform - Reduce Pay and Benefits for Politicians".

It is a START.

Then, limit political contributions to $2,500 for everyone - corporate, union, or private.

Majic

Today I wandered into a bookstore just a few blocks from Merritt College.

Fundies can be WIERD and there are a few in the neighborhood. Merritt is NOT a fundie college.

Well, on the reference shelf was a paperback version of THIS little gem:

And, it was DISCOUNTED! That is important because, as an honorary member of the Tribe of Armenia, I don't want to pay retail (e.g. the full retail price).

So I popped it open to a random page and was SOLD on what first caught my eye:

Now, to the magic. The price (including tax) came to $25.37

So I gave the clerk two $20 bills, 2 quarters, and two pennies ($40.52)

I don't need THIS, she said handing me back the quarters and pennies.

Just ring it up, was my reply.

Change = $15.15. One $10, one $5, one dime, and one nickel.

WOW, how did you do that?

I told her I used to do magic tricks on Vaudeville.

There is more to the story, but that is enough.