Representatives and Senators pay rate

[bindelh]

There should be a movement amongst the citizens of the United States to reduce the wages paid to our Congressional Representatives and Senators to that equal to and not to exceed the 'minimum wage'.

Members of the House and Senate will be paid for only those hours actually worked in direct representation for the People of the United States. Personal campaign fund raisers and golfing junkets etc will not be considered actual hours 'worked for the People' situations.

The members of the House and Senate must purchase their own Health Care policies and no longer mooch off of the hard working tax payers of this nation.

It is time the playing field be leveled between those being 'represented' and those doing the 'representing'. :D

[DJ13]

1. and not to exceed the 'minimum wage'

I'd say equal to the average pay at first, then indexed to the same increases Social Security gets for any future increases.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Then people like...

...former paperworker -- and still paperworkers' union member -- Mike Michaud wouldn't be able to afford to serve. His House salary is nearly 3 x the most he made when he left the mill, even if you throw in the per-diem he made as a state legislator.

That's o.k. We'll just replace him with a millionaire who doesn't need the salary. Anything to mollify your rage.

[karynnj]

10. Thanks for the great example of why this is an idiotic example

The fact is that MOST Senators/Congressmen could make more on the outside than they do inside - as long as all corruptness is monitored and quicklyu and severely punished.

[PBS Poll-435]

3. So you are openly advocating for all of Congress to be millionaires

:eyes:

[OhioBlue]

4. you've got to be kidding.

Exactly who do you think we will attract to run for House or Senate seats when we pay them minimum wage? And... have a shot at winning an election? Answer - those who are already independently wealthy. that is it.

Take my Congressman - I think he has 5 children, grew up in a middle class home, is not independently wealthy nor has a trust fund. No matter how committed he is to public service, he still has to make a salary to take care of his family. He might spend X number of hours in Congress on committee or on voting, but what does he do in his spare time? He is not out playing golf like John Boehner. He is talking to constituents, holding round tables, studying issues, talking with experts, etc.

It is about the good and the bad reps. the good - pay them decent, show them respect and then vote out the bad ones. That is how it should be. Unfortunately we have an electorate that has too many people that don't pay enough attention and succumb to dumbed down propaganda.

And... another thing... paying them minimum wage will only empower the lobbyists.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. It's DU. People don't come here to think...

...or to listen.

They come here to vent.

It's sort of a political Halema'uma'u.

[Cosmocat]

7. YEP ...

their salaries are not the issue, and as replies noted, cutting salaries would EVEN FURTHER push out representatives in DC to have to be millionaires ...

The issue is money to campaigns, and access by interest groups ...

[EC]

6. Oh this will attract good candidates

no one would ever run for an office, much less anyone that would actually have good ideas...



On edit: You haven't thought this through very well...Do you really want to put a low-pay employee in charge of law making and control of the $$$$$?

[Mass]

8. Sure. This is generally the first things that demagogic candidates offer.

Generally because they are millionaires and can afford it (See Romney, Kerry Healey, in MA ...). Does that make them more attentive to our needs. I dont think so.

[karynnj]

9. Very poor idea

This will not affect the richest people serving,but NO ONE not a already a multi-millionaire could afford to serve. The fact is that people want to elect people who have shown they have the ability to lead and the intelligence to understand the complicated issues they must decide. Many of these people are not wealthy and need their salaries to afford housing in DC and their districts. Would you trust someone who makes their own family homeless just to serve?