Have you ever wondered why politicians are paid so much more than or soldiers or even the average every day citizen. Well I think it is time for a pay cut.
The Soldiers pay: The average starting salary excluding benefits for a soldier is about $20-30 thousand. They go into harms way whenever Congress and the President see fit. But is it fair to give them such a low starting salary. I say no. They should be paid much more.
Average Citizen Income: We the people on average receive an average income of about $40 to $50 thousand a year. But this is just the average income. Only 10% of our nation has an income greater than $250,000. Also, almost 50% of the populace is on some form of government assistance (welfare). So we are left to struggle. According to the "wall Street Journal" Americans will not reach financial independence of $30,000+ until they are in their 30s. Back in the 1980s that age was around 24.
Congress: Here is the unfair part. The U.S. Congress gets $175,000 a year excluding perks. With perks this extends to well over the $200,000 mark. On top of this, Congress is exempt from things like Obama Care. They have special government organizations which build them custom desks, give them hair cuts and even a tailor. All this on the tax payer dime.
Now that you see the unfairness: So what should be done? At current the 27th amendment dictates how pay changes to members of congress shall occur. Basically, any and all changes occur after an election. So they can vote to increase their pay, but must wait till after an election to see that pay rise. So they can indefinitely increase their salaries while we have to try and get by with a ridiculous tax code that benefits the rich (which includes congress) more than the poor.
Conclusion: Let us make it so that a member of Congress can only receive pay equivalent to the current national average each year. If it increases then their pay increases, but if the national average decreases then their pay decreases. That means (if that law were in effect) that Congresses pay this year would be $57,000. A big pay cut that they deserve don't you think. This will give them incentive to keep the economy booming (which may also increase the buying power of the dollar which makes everything more affordable and thus decreases the number of the poor). An idea like this uses a Congressional members own selfishness to make them want a stronger economy. So they would be more inclined to fix the tax code and remove negative and unnecessary legislation and regulations that do nothing but become a hindrance. To insure no funny business, the national income will have to be measured in after tax dollars kept by individuals (this includes not just federal, but State and local income taxes as well). Also, the treasury will decide how the national average should be measured, not Congress to help insure that no accounting gimmicks are added in. They will have to do it through a select committee chosen in secret by the leading members of the treasury department. That select committee will decide any and all formulas in regards to this pay scheme for Congress. Thus it will be insulated from politics for the most part and thus prevent a good amount of corruption. Yes the military should be paid more, but I have another idea for that which you will see tomorrow.
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