http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/iacocca.asp
This makes sense no matter what political party you might be for...... Republican or Democrat.
This might have already been posted here at one time but, if so, it needs repeating:
Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it's death throes? He
has a new book, and here are some excerpts.
Lee Iacocca says:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clue-less bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course"
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned "Titanic". I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!"
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the " America " my parents and yours traveled across the ocean f or. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.
The Biggest "C" is Crisis !
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are sky rocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "The Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough?
Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope; I believe in America . In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the "Great Depression", "World War II", the "Korean War", the "Kennedy Assassination", the "Vietnam War", the 1970 s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this:
"You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to "Action" for people who, like me, believe in America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had "enough."
Awesome writing by an awesome man, I have always liked and respected Iaoccoa, and I agree no matter what your politics are he is right.
Frank
Ghandi said it best"Be the change you want to see in the world"
Yes, yes, &yes!
I agree with what he says, but this is the guy who arranged for that "No-good government" to bail out his car company when it was going down the crapper. While my own business and many others were struggling... his buddies in the congress bailed his ass out.
They weren't all boneheads then, were they?
::) ::) ::) and tell me again, what was his salary when he was bailing Chrysler out? Lined his pockets pretty well, I'd say. AND, Yes, what he's saying is true.
I seem to remember that he didn't take any salary during that time. You guys, am I right? Maybe that is what our legislators should do until they get us out of debt.
And Chrysler paid that loan back.
I vote that, not only do they not take any salary until we're out of debt, they should also have their "golden fleece" retirement perks jerked permenently and have to go on Social Security, just like the rest of us. Any takers on how long it would take them to turn the SS mess around if THEY were the ones being impacted by it? It makes my head spin to think how quick they'd get on the ball if they had to live by the same economic rules as the rest of us!
Approach your congressman about that issue, it might bear fruit. Who knows? I once worked on an unfair state income tax that taxed military retirement effort for three years. In the end we got a hearing from the Kansas Supreme Court who found that indeed the tax was unfair and demanded the state refund all taxes on those retirements from the previous seven years. We were also able to gain unemployment benefits that were denied by the state as being double dipping, as though the retirees were already getting unemployment benefits by retiring from the military. Those two things still stand for military retirees in the State of Kansas; not just from my own efforts but from many others who worked also. I might add that this was not an organized effort, at least on my part.
Just as a note:
All congressmen and women who have taken office since 1983 are on and pay into Social Security.
The folks who have been around for a while such as Byrd and Kennedy are on the previous system.
I've never heard that one before...where did you get your info?
I first heard about it because it was the big event of 1983 for federal employees and Congress people.
Affected all new federal employees and congress people from Jan 1, 1984 and forward.
For the past quarter century, these folks have been under FERS (Federal Employment Retirement System) in which they pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.
The older Congress people and older civil servants are grandfathered under CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System) in which they pay in only Medicare.
So do our retired congresspeople draw a federal retirement plus a social security check?
Under FERS, Social Security has been their sole government retirement plan since 1984.
When they retire, they draw a Social Security check.
Those who are under CSRS, that is the people in the system before 1984, they will usually retire only with a "federal retirement check" and no Social Security check.
However, if any of those CSRS folks had another job before or after they were a Congress person and did pay into Social Security and earned the minimum substantial quarters, they would receive a Social Security check in addition.
In this case, though, Social Security retirement is cut by a pretty good percentage formula factor and 85% of what they do receive as a Social Security check is taxable.
What has been done regarding the other 'golden fleece' perks? Are they still getting health care for free or a drastically reduced price, etc.?
There are 300-400 different health plans originating from companies in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico offered by private companies to Congressmen or Congresswomen. Congress people are offered the same health care coverage as federal employees and it can go from low to high depending on what coverage they need, want, or can afford.
They can choose any one of those 300-400 company health plans provided the company will accept them.
There are not any health plans offered by Washington DC companies but Virginia companies offer eight plans, the same as available from Kansas companies.
Todd Tiahrt, the representative from the Elk County area could choose the Kansas Humana Health Plan and get the following:
High Coverage for him and his family: Costs him $507.00 month.
Standard Coverage for him and his family: Costs him $179.74 month.
For himself only high coverage is: $221.08 month.
Standard coverage for himself is: $78.14 month.
He may want to go with a Virginia company rather than a Kansas company.
There are cheaper plans and there are more expensive plans. The Congress person has to shop around to get the best deal.
It depends on what the Congressman feels he needs to protect him and his family.
The present salary for regular members of congress is like 170,000 a year, the house and senate leaders get 188,000, the speaker of the house gets 217,000. the present retired members get an average pension of around 60,000 a year. This is on top of whatever salary they make anywhere else. To sit around and argue..........and spend our money. Don't think affording health insurance is a real big issue for them, or groceries or gas or house payments. I've always thought we should bust em down to the same kind of living the rest of us make, keep em honest maybe. Better yet bust em down to the minimum wage they set for the rest of the country.