Would You Want Your Elected Official to Take This Pledge?

Over the weekend I started a new Facebook group that addresses some of the "perks" that our elected officials give themselves.

My thought is that if our elected officials treated themselves more like an average American, they would have a better understanding of what is needed, and maybe even work with each other.

Following is a description of what this group AMERICANS TO END ELECTED OFFICIALS' PERKS is about:

AMERICANS TO END ELECTED OFFICIALS' PERKS believe:

1) Elected representatives at every level of government must be representative of all Americans and remain equal to all Americans and must not be considered to be above average Americans in rank or privilege

2) Elected representatives at every level of government must not enjoy special benefits or privileges from their public service that is a betterment of what average Americans benefit from.

3) Most specifically all elected representatives at every level of government must not enjoy better health care coverage than average Americans, nor retirement benefits than average Americans.

To achieve the objective that no elected official at any level of government enjoys better health care coverage or retirement benefits than average Americans have access to, AMERICANS TO END ELECTED OFFICIALS' PERKS request that all candidates for elective office, including incumbents running to remain in their seat, pledge the following:

The pledge

Elected officials at the federal level

1) All Candidates for elective office at the federal level pledge that upon being elected to office, they will immediately and persistently propose and support legislation that:

A) All members of Congress, and elected officials in the Executive and Judicial Branches of the federal government will no longer have access to any health coverage other than Medicare.

B) Health care coverage under Medicare shall include family members as are normally defined under private health care plans, and the all medical services under their Medicare coverage will be at the same costs, co-pays and deductibles as paid by all seniors under Medicare coverage.

C) Health care coverage under Medicare shall commence upon the elected official taking office, and will end at the earliest of their being voted out of office, leaving office, or retirement. Upon the termination of coverage, elected officials may continue their Medicare coverage under the normal rules and terms of COBRA, at their own cost.

D) All elected officials noted above shall pay into Social Security at the same rates as those in the private sector. They shall enjoy no other retirement coverage, other than any that they pay for on their own, such as 401K plans that are available to those in the private sector.

Elected officials at the state and local level

2)All candidates for elective office at the state level pledge that upon being elected to office, they will immediately and persistently propose and support legislation that:

A) All members of legislative branch, and elected officials in the executive and judicial branches of the federal government will no longer have access to any health coverage other than the Medicaid plan that their state offers to those who qualify.

B) Health care coverage under Medicaid shall include family members as are normally defined under private health care plans, and the all medical services under their Medicaid coverage will be at the same costs, co-pays and deductibles as paid by all other participants under their state’s Medicaid coverage.

C) Health care coverage under Medicare shall commence upon the elected official taking office, and will end at the earliest of their being voted out of office, leaving office, or retirement. Upon the termination of coverage, elected officials may continue their Medicaid coverage under the normal rules and terms of COBRA, at their own cost.

D) All elected officials noted above shall pay into Social Security at the same rates as those in the private sector. They shall enjoy no other retirement coverage, other than any that they pay for on their own, such as 401K plans that are available to those in the private sector.

E) The elected state officials shall pass legislation that provides that elected officials in all other levels of government within their state, i.e. county, city, school board, municipalities, etc., shall have the same or lesser health and retirement provisions as those stated above.

Voter participation

Voters who support the ideal that elected officials should not enjoy benefits or privileges greater than those available to average Americans in the private sector are encouraged to contact their elected officials and all candidates for elected office and demand that they publicly support the pledge as stated above, and upon election will immediately and persistently propose and support the legislation as outlined.

Link to the group:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/374818409259537/