Rasmussen Reports headline this morning: “75% Say Congress Should Cut Its Own Pay Until Budget is Balanced”.
I agree with America. I usually do.
I’ve written before that I think federal politicians here and in the U.S. should be paid according to a formula something like this: They should be paid roughly whatever small business people — entrepreneurs — are earning on average in any given year. Net, and after their taxes. Minus expenses (not plus lavish expense accounts and travel compensation and gold-plated benefit plans and Cadillac pension plans and…).
Since that’s how small business people and their families live, and they’re at least as valuable as politicians to a nation — or more valuable on so many levels — then why should politicians be treated and paid as if they’re better, or more special, or more highly valued by society? Nobody works harder or is more beneficial and valuable to the economy than small business people who innovate and create jobs, and find efficiencies in everything they do, and provide every good and service a nation needs and wants, and more.
MY BUILT-IN FORMULA FOR PAY RAISES:
The Rasmussen survey also question folks about how pay raises should occur in Congress. 78% of folks said pay raises should first be voted on by the public. Spot on.
Using my own formula, however, it works out naturally. Liberals: you could go ahead and call this “organic” if you want. If small business people make more money, the politicians will make more money. So there’s your formula for government “pay raises”. I imagine that would have an effect upon politicians roughly similar to a bolt of lightning up the gravy-filled butt. This is the desired effect.
Suddenly politicians would find ways of helping create an environment that would encourage small business, induce higher incomes, help create more productivity, more innovation, more employment, and so much more. They sure as heck wouldn’t prop up businesses or give them federal grants and loans. My formula would force politicians to see how they are in the way, and force them to get out of the way. Just watch as those business and employment taxes come down, baby! And you think they’d take most of the summer and winter off? Not a chance.
Some say this pay formula would discourage good folks from running for office. Well that’s just another added benefit. Downsizing government by 50%, even if it’s because they were forced to through a shortage of “employees”, would be just what the doctor ordered. They’re loath to do it on their own. So that’s fantastic. We’d end up with a government consisting of folks who actually want to perform a civic duty and serve the public, rather than useless career politicians who make a fabulous living and unreal pensions as they find more and worse ways of getting in the way, creating more stupid laws and regulations and policies and grow government bigger and bigger and more useless, and serve as more a hindrance to progress and innovation than anything else.
The only downside is that the nation would suffer some sort of temporary economic shock. I mean it would be positive — people not knowing what to do with all the extra money and what not — but this would serve as a re-awakening of sorts. The economy would suddenly start to turn all, you know, good and capitalist and free-market-y. People will get used to it, and demand even smaller governments, fewer intrusive regulations and idiotic taxes and reliance on governments….that sort of thing. Liberals will call it the new dark ages. It will be awesome.
So everyone benefits. I say let’s get on it.
There is no better way to conclude this blog entry than by including this quote from the same Rasmussen survey:
Voters are evenly divided as to whether a group of people selected at random from the phone book would be better than the current Congress.
Plain old Americans. Ya gotta love ‘em.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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