On 9/3/2010 11:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

"Morgans" wrote
I would suggest that perhaps we need to get people that would be happy
to work for 170k. We might have a person that was more of a normal
Joe, and not all hung up on power and prestige. That person would
perhaps not be out of touch with what is going on out there, for all
of us normal Joes that these same politicians are supposed to be
representing.

We have people willing to work for that salary. They are the
multi-millionaires spending tens of millions to get that job too. We
need reform as you suggest below. Given the current state of DC life,
the second home, etc. I don['t think you can do it on the 170k. I know
they have budgets for expenses and such that may be helping in some ways.

First rule should be that wanting the job is an automatic disqualification.

First step, get rid of all lobbyists. Get rid of campaign
contributions as a way to fund elections. Give them all a certain sum
of money (small) to be used on elections, and make them stick to that
amount as what they can spend on getting elected.

Lots of other tweaks are possible, but that would be a start.
--
Jim in NC

Lobbyists provide us with the best Congress money can buy.

As for campaign funding, that is a very sad state of affairs. Fund
raising is a big part of daily life for a politician.