You hear it all the time. Those bums in the U.S. congress -- your elected Senators and Representatives -- are overpaid, get cushy pensions and exemp themselves from most of the laws they pass. Lately this organization doesn't seem to accomplish much either.
Maybe there is a solution to a few of these shortcomings. I've begun to ask myself why members of the U.S. Congress on the federal government payroll in the first place? Pick a Senator, any Senator. How about Harry Reed of Nevada? He's probably the least liked but better-known members of the Senate. Why does my federal income tax pay his salary? Shouldn't the fine folks of the state of Nevada pay his salary? He represents the state of Nevada and lives there, too. Then there's my two senators in Missouri, Roy Blount and Claire McCaskell. Not that the wonderful folks of Missouri couldn't do better. At least we don't have Harry Reed. But that's not the point of this essay. Roy and Claire represent me and every resident of the tax paying citizens of Missouri. Simply put, our congressional delegations should be paid by the state which they represent.
This idea upsets the apple cart in so many ways; some good and some not as good. The state legislatures would set the salaries of their congressional delegations, including pension and healthcare benefits. That means senator from Florida and a Senator from Iowa would be paid different amounts. So what? The whole body would no longer be able to vote themselves pay raises. That also means congress folk would be under the pension systems of the states they represent. We could go on and on.
I'm just throwing out this idea. I can't believe I would be the first one to think of it, but it's time to do something.
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