Congressmen should not be paid wages but loans.

[Are_grits_groceries]

This is a variation on a an idea in a UK book entitled "The Peoples's Manifesto.'

This is the reasoning:
"MPs should not paid wages but loans, like students, because they get highly paid jobs after they graduate from Westminster as a result of attending Parliament. They should therefore pay back the loan they got while in office."

More at: http://www.boingboing.net/

Now this is reform.

[Scuba]

1. They should get by on the pay they get from their corporate masters.

[ixion]

2. Better yet: Tax credits

That seems to be what they like to pay-us-back with, so it ought to be good enough for them.

[aquart]

3. That is indeed contemptuous.

But so truthful.

[cali]

4. I'm not sure that would be Constitutional

In any case it's more a manifestation of anger at Congress than a practical suggestion- like the guy who's running for Congress who wants all Congress Critters to live in a barracks or the guy who's running who wants Congress Critters to be paid minumum wage- as if we don't have enough millionaires in Congress. In fact all these suggestions, including yours would simply ensure that there would be nothing but millionaires in Congress. It's all just silly stuff anyway as exactly none of these suggestions has even the slightest chance of being implemented. As I said, it's a manifestation of anger at our fucked up Congress. That's the significance of these kinds of suggestions.

[B Calm]

5. This would make them even more likely to do the will of corporations

who;e in office.

[hobbit709]

8. They're already 100% owned, would there be a difference?

[B Calm]

9. Probably not, but why in heavens name would you want to make sure they're corrupt?

[hobbit709]

10. What makes you think they're not already?

Personally my idea of campaign finance reform is "You can't spend more to get the job than what the job pays."
And any corporation that meddles in politics should have their charter revoked.

Id rather see Congress get paid piecework. No legislation, no pay. That would torque the party of NO.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. How about paying them with chickens? Bullshit ideas like this just make...

things worse.

New York once had a part-time legislature and everyone in Albany was running around with a tin can collecting rent money, or running businesses they legislated on. New Jersey still works that way.

(OK, things aren't much better in Albany now, but that's for other reasons.)

[hobbit709]

7. They should be forced to wear decals of their corporate sponsors like NASCAR drivers