Forum Post: Minimum Wage for Elected Officials
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 16, 2011, 8:35 p.m. EST by juansinmiedo
(1)
from Denver, CO
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I agree wholeheartedly with #6 of the OWS demands, and would like to expand on that, and/or create a new requirement in the US Government: ANY POLITICIAN ELECTED TO OFFICE WILL RECEIVE MINIMUM WAGE. NO BONUSES, NO GIFTS, NO SPECIAL TREATMENT, NO SPECIAL HEALTH CARE. Who would run for office you ask? ONLY the people who want to dedicate their lives to MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON U.S. POLICY. Just like religious priests, military personnel, humanitarian volunteers, etc, you don't get involved to make MONEY, you get involved to better the human condition. There would be NO corporate money involved in the elections, no negative add campaigns and massive TV bombardment of adds. Only FREELY and FREQUENTLY provided TV debates and town hall meetings. Abolish the Electoral College and establish ONLY the popular vote. Let's get the $$$ out of politics, and the elections. You don't HAVE to be a millionaire to be elected, and certainly won't BECOME one after election.
If you LOVE your country, and want to better humankind, you'd be pleased to be "hired" by the majority of the US population. After all, don't we call them public SERVANTS? Aren't they put in office BY the people? FOR the people? I'm sure if they were exceptionally good servants, we would be able to provide their kids with scholarship funds for college, etc.
Against for two easy-to-remember reasons.
Middle class persons would not be able to afford to run for public office.
...I'm trying to find a delicate way to say that bad pay and poverty may reduce a public official's resistance to corruption. We are better off paying them, more than they're worth even.
Love it!! Would you run for congress for 7.50/hr?