It's fine to hope, as we embark upon a new year. Need a theme for a dream? Then ponder this meme.

Wikipedia describes an "Internet meme" as "a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet." A simpler definition is "those annoying junk e-mails that friends send you after they've been told to pass something along."

Typical memes are no more than contemporary letters that contain rumors, urban legends, doctored photos, and gossip. They're a lot like dreams — creative, frightening, entertaining, and make believe. Busy people mostly ignore them, although some are quite funny.

Occasionally, a meme contains great wisdom for the ages. One such meme, which keeps showing up in The Gazette's opinion e-mail box, suggests a piece of legislation for Congress to approve in 2010. It's hard to argue with a word of it. Wise members of Congress should craft their own version and introduce it. Seriously. That would be a meme come true.

The meme, titled "This is how you fix Congress," was authored by "a fellow American." Anonymity is all the rage these days in political dialogue, and it's not necessarily a problem. Keeping names off of important ideas enables us to focus on principle, rather than personalities. That's one reason the founders wrote anonymously as "Publius" when they authored The Federalist Papers.

The "how you fix Congress" meme outlines a simple piece of legislation called the Congressional Reform Act of 2010. It's based on an understanding that serving in Congress is an honor, and not a career:

"The founders envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term, then go home and back to work," wrote the fellow American.

The proposed act reads:

1. Term limits: 12 years only, one of these options: A. Two six year Senate terms; B. Six two-year House terms; C. One six year Senate term and three two-year House terms.

2. No pension: Members of Congress collect salaries while in office and receive no pay when out of office.

3. Congress participates in Social Security. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress members buy their own retirement plans, just as other Americans.

5. Members of Congress no longer vote themselves pay raises. Congressional pay rises by the lower of the Consumer Price Index, or 3 percent.

6. Members of Congress lose their current health care plan and participate in the system they created for other Americans.

7. Members of Congress are exempt from no laws imposed on other citizens.

8. All contracts with past and present members of Congress are void after Jan. 1, 2011.

(Obviously, number 8 is tricky, from a legal standpoint, but that has never stopped Congress before).

The modern Publius who wrote this proposal knows it sounds impossible, but reminds us: "Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government. Now is the time Americans will join together to reform Congress — the entity that represents us."

The beauty of this idea lies in its utter simplicity. In a few words, it would rein Congress and limit the size and scope of government. It would restore to us a Congress of citizen legislators. It would end a system of government haves, who produce nothing, taking from a productive class that has become the have-nots. Would a member of the Colorado delegation please take up this cause?

Alas, it's just a meme worth no more than a dream. It's too good to come true, but one can always hope.

REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE