I got this in an email. It is attributed to Warren Buffet. It doesn't matter who put it together, it is a really good idea.

There is not one party to blame for our situation. We have all created what we are now experiencing. It is up to all of us to fix it. We need to stop trying to blame whatever party or group we are focused on and realize that WE DID THIS TO OURSELVES! It is up to us, the American people to get our heads out of our rear ends and work together and fix this.

Politics has become a career. People get into politics because they can make a lot of money. The vast majority do not care about us, the nameless American People, they care about themselves and what they can benefit from all the money and handouts that groups are willing to pay them. Most of the Politicians are owned by their Party, or private corporations that support them. That is who they work for.

Let me be very clear, our government is very corrupt! We allowed it to happen because we trusted our elected officials to do what we expected was right and they didn't. The system is corrupted at the federal, state, and local level. We the people have taken a back seat and let them drive the wagon. We have become indifferent to what they are doing behind our backs. If it doesn't pertain to us, personally, we don't seem to care. We have got to wake up and take control back. These ideas listed below are valid. Let's get with it and save our country before our politicians completely sink us.

Our Federal Officials make a whopping salary, have ridiculous benefits and are taken care of by us for the rest of their lives. They have benefits that we would love to have but cannot afford. How about it folks?

Congressional Reform Act of 2013

1. No Tenure / No Pension/ and Term Limits!

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

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 percent.

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 12/31/13. 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.

Russ DeVerniero is a Coeur d'Alene resident.