We The People aren't the "Deciders" but here's a thought!

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Sometimes I have a dream/fantasy that I would love to get all the members of both Houses of Congress together and do an 4 day retreat with them. The beginning of the session would begin with each individual answering the questions below on a piece of paper, signed and dated. A copy would be made and put into a vault.

1) What do most of the American people want this Congress to do that isn't getting done right now? Make a list!

2) What would you want the Congress to accomplish on the list, if you didn't have to go out and raise any money for the next election?

3) What are the barriers to achieving these accomplishments today?

4) And what would you be willing to sacrifice to help accomplish what the American people overwhelmingly want?

5) Do you believe if the Congress enacted these desires that this would guarantee your reelection?

6) If not then why not?

Then the members would be broken up into groups of both Republicans and Democrats, Congressmen and Senators in each group with members representing all the regions of the country. Then they would discuss what is on their papers with the other people in the group with the goal of coming to consensus on areas of common interest of a particular issue, like say healthcare. Then with this prioritized list in each group, they would come up with proposed legislation. Then they would be allowed to send a representative from their group to visit other groups with instructions that they can only listen to what is discussed and not speak. Then at the close of discussions each member would go back to their group to discuss modifications to their plan that would garnish the most votes. They then would get back into a larger group and share their issues and recommended solutions. Those issues that garnished the most interest and support would be identified and the corresponding proposed legislation. They would work on the final proposal and submit it to the entire group for a vote BUT would not allow any Amendments. When this was over we would ask for a show of hands as to who would be willing to vote in favor of this back at the "office"? When sufficient hands of both Senators and Congressmen had been raised the issue would be tabled for implementation by a committee of the group with a date certain that the legislation would be ready on the floor of both Houses of Congress.

Then we would go on to the second and third issues using the same process. If just 3 -5 issues were addressed and enacted it would be more than this Congress and the Congresses of the past 20 years have accomplished.

It is nice to dream and have fantasies! But I must wake up and be angry again, as the Congress is poised to approve that the U.S. official language shall be English. Whew, now that's important!