General discontent over the state of political affairs in the US has been making strange bedfellows of wannabe pols during a time when many state parties are going through pre-fall election primary cycles. Though 'small government' has often been a rallying cry (if not necessarily a phrase to live by) for conservatives, it has also apparently become an area of mutual agreement between elements of the far-left and the right.
Though such disparate groups may fall short of agreeing on, say, cutting entitlements, they are seemingly at least in agreement that Congress should be sharing the pain that Real Americans are feeling. Two of the more interesting ideas being floated, with an emphasis on equal opportunity...
- Republican hopeful Andy Goss believes that lawmaker pay should be cut by 40% to $104,400 per year. He also believes that all members of Congress should live in a military-style Capitol Hill barracks.
- On the other side, Nicholas Nix, a Socialist in Texas, proposes even more austere measures. Mr. Nix believes that lawmakers should be paid no more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.
Putting aside for a moment the notion that such pay cuts have approximately 0% chance of occuring, that these types of ideas have some resonance with voters right now is definitely telling. Cutting congressional pay will not solve the deficit or fix healthcare. Additionally, paying the minimum wage would have the possibly unintended consequence of attracting only the destitute and super-wealthy to run for Congress. However, America is mad, and it is almost a certainty that 'change' is on the way come November.
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