My Write to Free Speech

     As a writer, I have, many times, struggled to make ends meet.  I've been writing for publications -- and teaching the same -- since 1980.   I held an additional job until 1995, when I began to write full time.  Every weekday and usually on Saturdays I show up at my desk and pound out something, or I research parts or the topic of a story.  Sunday afternoons, I work on my students' manuscripts.  I send my stories, features and novel manuscripts out, and I log them when they come back.  If they don't come back, I deposit the check and keep a close eye on the eight or ten stories I have out in the mail -- and I write more.  I research the markets and editorial wants, too.  In all this time, I've sold so many hundreds of stories, I can no longer count.  In all that time, two lonely features did not fly.
     I am a business, a small corporation.  I daily practice the right to free speech.  So I'm adding this, below, as an exercise in that very thing. 

I heartily suggest and approve of a proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011-2012 as follows:

1. Regarding Congress:  Salary is to be paid for the days in that office.  Not there?  No pay.
2. 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. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6.  Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

It's way past time -- CDW