reform congress

proposed GOP platform from Dick Morris; what a great idea!

• No More Pork: All earmarking should be banned. Congress cannot be trusted with this power.

• A ban on families of members of Congress serving as lobbyists.

• No free travel, whether sponsored by foundations or lobbyists. Only government trips on official business -- real business -- should be allowed.

• Full disclosure of the precise amounts of members' net worth, debts, investments and holdings, including home mortgages.

• Full publication, online, of all committee votes.

• A five-year ban on lobbying for members of Congress or their staffs after leaving office. The ban should also apply to employment by a company that performs lobbying services.

• If a senator or congressman is absent more than 10 percent of the time for reasons other than illness -- including running for president -- his pay should be docked proportionately.

• Term limits for congressional staffers. No staff member of Congress should be permitted to serve in a job that pays above $100,000 a year for more than eight years. If we can't get term limits for Congress, let's at least clean out the professional staffers!

and my own:

• No more stimulus, no more bailouts!

• Hold pay raises of government employees to 0% until the deficit becomes a surplus.