How do we stop corruption in congress?

[Oh_My_Goth]

The Congress we pay for

One of the recent scandals involving the District of Columbia government arose at a branch of the city's motor vehicle department. A female employee at the branch was accepting money in exchange for providing phony licenses for use by illegal aliens.

The branch was located in a fancy mall in the heart of Washington’s up-scale Georgetown neighborhood. It struck me as almost inevitable that a greedy bureaucrat of poor character working in the midst of wealth and luxury would eventually find a way to parlay her job into a means of obtaining the money needed to shop at the ritzy adjoining stores.

Which brings me to the subject of Congress. For the DMV bureaucrat, substitute a Senator or Representative. For the branch that issues licenses, substitute the Capitol building. For the fancy mall, substitute the fancy neighborhoods, restaurants, etc. of Washington, D.C. and its environs.

Members of Congress make less than $170,000 a year, about what first year associates at top D.C. law firms make, and maybe one-tenth of what top lobbyists make. Doesn’t it seem almost inevitable that members of Congress eventually will parlay their jobs into a means of obtaining the kind of money people feel they need to “play” in Washington – either by becoming corrupt or by leaving Congress to become a lobbyist?

It seems that way to Dick Meyer. That’s why he proposes jacking the salary of Senators up to $1 million and the salary of Representatives to $750,000. The idea is a non-starter – Meyer doesn’t call his column “Against the Grain” for nothing – and it probably should be. But generally you get what you pay for, and I doubt we’ll ever have a clean, high-quality Congress for the money we’re paying now.

CLARIFICATION: I wanted to say it seems almost inevitable the some members of Congress eventually will parlay their jobs into a means of making more money. Clearly, some members stay in Congress as long as the voters permit them to without becoming corrupt.

I had a co-worker bring this up today.....

I think it is stupid to pay someone more so they don't sell out for more cash.....

What, $170,000 a year is not enough?????

What do you think?????

[Guest GodfallenPromos]

until crap like this

stops....I think we should REFUSE to pay more...hell...maybe even start paying them less...

[Rev.Reverence]

$250,000-$500,000 sounds reasonable...not a.....M-I-L-L-I-O-N DOLLARS.......EACH.....A YEAR!!!

[n0Mad]

How about we pay politicians nothing so we only get the ones in office who truly want to help.

[Hellion]

How about we pay politicians nothing so we only get the ones in office who truly want to help.

And put the rest on a deserted island.

[Destroit]

How about we pay politicians nothing so we only get the ones in office who truly want to help.

Yes, that's why we moderators here do so well We just <3 DGN and want to help so we do it for free.

I never even thought of that idea, Spook, but it's a good one .

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Transparancy and more accountability would be good starting points.

[Rev.Reverence]

How about we pay politicians nothing so we only get the ones in office who truly want to help.

How about bidding?

To be Presedent...I'll need 20grand a year and as few as 5 Men in Black!...

[ttogreh]

John Dingell hasn't had a real job since 1955. If we start actually replacing the schmucks every two years, we might actually get something done. The house of Representatives was never meant to be what it is today.

Do you know what apportionment is? Do you know why there are only 435 members of the house of representatives? Do you honestly believe that the founders wanted the representatives to command the voting power of 700,000 citizens?

Look up the census of 1910 for me, would you?

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Term Limits!

[Oh_My_Goth]

I agree that term limits would take care of it.....

[Fin]

I agree that term limits would take care of it.....

Or run for office. Once elected, change it from the inside. The institution needs a good shake-down.