Finding Balance

This is probably going to be a bit long, for those who subscribe to an end all be all government please avert your eyes. With that said, this is a rough draft of what we as a nation, We The People, can do to fix the current state of our country. It's not perfect the, Constitution of the United States isn't perfect, but it was a damn good rough draft that got us this far. Here's my solution:

An Act To Balance The Power Of Government

We the people of the United States have come to the realization that our elected officials, charged with being stewards of our defense, and general welfare, have twisted the system to suit their own agenda. A system of laws that no one man can understand, a system of taxation that is rife with inequalities, a judiciary with lifetime appointments of men and woman who judge with an slant towards personal ideals rather than law and elected officials that vote in laws that they do not have to adhere to. We will therefore need to make some changes to balance the power and return it back to the people where it belongs.  

1. Revue all laws and regulations so that they can be understood by the general public and therefore easily adhered to. Make all laws, rules and regulation equally applicable to all citizens, elected officials, visitors and political guests to the United States and United States Territories. State law will trump federal law. 
2. Replace our tax system with a easily applied flat tax not to exceed seventeen percent (17%). At this writing with current GDP numbers at or about $15.68 Trillion dollars, 17% would translate to $2.6656 Trillion dollars. This tax applies to all goods, services and corporate income.
3. Require a balanced budget. While it is understandable that number 2 would prevent us from paying off our debt with a balanced budget, require that 20% of all tax revenues be applied to the debt, with the first payments used to pay back the Social Security system and Medicare until it is paid up. From that point on Social Security and Medicare monies collected shall be separate and UNTOUCHABLE and can not be borrowed from by any other government programs. The budget shall then be considered balanced with no less than 5% annually set aside as a 'rainy day' fund. If said fund exceeds 30% of yearly budget, then that money shall be returned to the people in the form of a TAX REDUCTION to overall tax base rate.  Any future monies collected for Social Security and Medicare CAN NOT BE APPLIED TO ANY CURRENT BUDGET.
4. No lifetime appointments to any public office. All elected and appointed offices shall be held no longer than 2 (two) terms and shall not exceed 10 (ten) years. 
5. Any elected or appointed official found to have committed a crime this included inproprieties that may arise from holding public office such as, but not limited to, voting on laws and rules that directly benefit the elected official, voting on laws that benefit directly family of the elected official, voting on laws that indirectly benefit the elected official (ie:investments), while in office shall be immediately removed from office and forfeits any and all future benefits from his/her government for self and immediate family.  This includes, but is not limited to, retirement, insurances and government assistance federal,state and local.
6. No elected official shall be paid more than the median wage of his/her home district. Stipends for travel and lodging will be exclude but be subject to scrutiny by his/her home district, if found to be excessive by a panel of 12(twelve) citizen picked at random (not unlike jury duty) bimonthly, said elected official will be required to cover the discrepancy. 
7. Elected officials shall be subject to normal rules of retirement that all government employees are subject to. No longer shall they be given full retirement after such a short tenure.
8. Public assistance can not exceed 50% of the budget. Priority will be given to the elderly and children.
9. Immediately disband any and all entities of the United States Government that is/has collected information on any citizens of the United States and its territories in all forms without consent or court order. All information garnered from these unconstitutional activities shall be destroyed immediately.

While none of this is a magic pill, it would turn us back in to the republic that our forefathers envisioned. A republic that is for the people, by the people. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of my readers may cry foul and say that the rich should pay more, that income inequality needs to be corrected. I'll be the first to ask, isn't our taxation system a model of inequality? Rob from the rich and give to the poor? What is the cost of our current system that takes from the productive to give to the unproductive? All money taken from the productive is ultimately added to the cost of goods and services purchased by the unproductive, so are we not just supporting an endless cycle?

Anyone that has a better idea feel free to make changes!

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.