I. Introduction No matter with which political party or philosophy you’re associated, enough is enough! It’s time that the tax-paying citizenry of this great country affect a fundamental change in how our elected officials behave. It’s time to put an end to career politicians who serve only themselves. Term limits is the only answer. II. The Problem It’s doubtful that our Founding Fathers intended for Congress to be populated with life-long users and addicts. It is far more likely that the intent of the US Constitution, Article 1, Sections 2 and 3, was to give common people the opportunity to provide honorable service to their constituents and then return to their homes and occupations. It’s fair to say that the reason current members of Congress so badly want to remain in office is because there’s nothing like it. Who wouldn't want to be a member of an exclusive club where a good salary comes with outstanding perks and benefits, a pension that’s so ridiculous it’s immoral, power, influence, and access to information that creates sizable personal gain? We've seen career politicians who wield too much power in their long tenure become arrogant and out of touch. So much effort is put into their re-election campaigns that it seems all they do is campaign. And yet all the promises we hear from them – cutting taxes, eliminating deficit spending, reducing the national debt, etc. – never materialize into action. Why is that? Do you think they are influenced by organizations that serve only to build their campaign war chests which enables them to remain in the exclusive club? Can you imagine a body of 535 members who came to Washington to actually represent their state and their country with action plans and a “can do” attitude? III. The Solution Two term limits would remove the impediments to clear and honorable decision-making. Changes that would allow Senators to serve (2) six year terms and House Representatives (2) four year terms would ensure that these officials were no longer beholden to lobbyists, the media and party leaders. It would focus them on doing the right thing for their country and the voters that elected them. Hand-wringing and posturing would be replaced by decisive action. Instead of spending much of their time campaigning on what they say, maybe they would spend that time listening to their constituents and taking action on their behalf. A two-term solution can only be implemented in one of two ways. An amendment may be proposed either by Congress with a two thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two thirds of the state legislatures (34 states) and must be ratified by three fourths, or (38) of the states. This petition seeks to gather enough force to pressure Congressmen to take a position on the matter. www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution is a good resource for further information about the process. If a two-term system works for the office of President, surely it can work for both houses of Congress. IV. Conclusion If there was ever a time when your voice mattered, now is that time. We must elect only those representatives who will support this proposal – both at the federal and state levels – and toss out those that oppose this measure. Change starts with this petition. A modest but worthy goal is to obtain 3 million signatures – 1% of our population – by November 1, 2012. Thank you for your consideration and support.