A strange contradiction: the author claims that low pay is a problem with attracting talent but then explains how it's a stepping stone to lucrative lobbying jobs. I don't think there's a single person who would turn down a Congressional seat because they pay isn't high enough. Congress should have a salary that's equal to the median salary of a DC school teacher. In fact Congressional pay should be statutorily pegged to the average salary of cops, firemen, school teachers and mid-career soldiers. Those people don't get a raise, then neither should Congress.
Better yet, let's tie Congressional pay to fiscal performance: for every percentage the deficit exceeds the budget, congressional pay decreases by the same percentage. If they don't pass a budget, then they don't get paid at all. Maybe Congress (and the Executive) ought to feel the he same pain or pleasure they inflict upon the country.
On the contrary, I think congresspeople should be paid enough to be independently wealthy. At least a million dollars per year. I can think of no cheaper way to prevent corruption in congress than to make sure every congressperson has fuck you money.
I listened to an interview with one of Nixon's biographers a few years ago, and he was explaining how it was that Nixon became so corrupt, and consequently so paranoid. He was not a wealthy man when he entered politics. He got power before he got money, and the temptation to use his power to become as wealthy as his peers and associates was just to great. When your social circle includes the captains of industry, and you're still worried about day to day expenses, something is going to give.
If you want to prevent corruption among powerful people, you should pay them commensurate with their power. They have control over 100s of billions of dollars of industry, and are getting paid 200k, what do you expect them to do?
as the congress critter already identified: you are just pushing more folks who would want to do the job out.
i think there are a good sized number of folks who legitimately do the job to serve. when you hook payment to the outcome of the whole group, you effectively excluded those folks who dont naturally have a giant bank account to afford going unpaid.
Better yet, let's tie Congressional pay to fiscal performance: for every percentage the deficit exceeds the budget, congressional pay decreases by the same percentage. If they don't pass a budget, then they don't get paid at all. Maybe Congress (and the Executive) ought to feel the he same pain or pleasure they inflict upon the country.