Dear Members of Congress. Any talk of budget cutting should include cuts in YOUR pay, too.

[bulloney]

Granted, it's insignificant and largely symbolic when you compare it to the size of the total federal budget, but it shows us you're willing to sacrifice with the rest of us.

May I suggest you start with a 10% cut in your base salary. Increase your personal contribution to your health care, pension and other such benefits. Cut your office and travel perks by at least 25%.

What do you think? Will you clowns put your money where your mouth is?

[LunaSea]

1. Any idea what former congressfolk cost the nation?

Per year, every year?

[SugarShack]

5. DONT' FORGET THE HEALTHCARE AND PENSION CUTS!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. But..but...if they aren't higly paid they might become corrupted!

"When politics enter . . . government, nothing resulting there from in the way of crimes and infamies is then incredible. It actually enables one to accept and believe the impossible."

"In . . . politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing."

"The government of my country snubs honest simplicity, but fondles artistic villainy, and I think I might have developed into a very capable pickpocket if I had remained in the public service a year or two."

"Right here in this heart and home and fountain-head of law, this great factory where are forged those rules that create good order and compel virtue and honesty in the other communities of the land, rascality achieves its highest perfection."

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians.  Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn’t be wise."

MARK TWAIN

[Kablooie]

3. Nope. Their pay is protected ... by law ... of course.

[udbcrzy2]

4. That won't do anything for change

They make their money on their investments. Their pay is just chicken feed.

[trueblue2007]

6. symbolic!!!! TAKE A PAY CUT, IF YOU DON'T.... WE WILL RECALL YOU.

[QC]

7. At the time of the French Revolution, members of the nobility paid no taxes at all.

It makes an interesting parallel, doesn't it?

[donheld]

8. +1000