Wes, you write: > For more proof that there are no differences between Republicans > and Democrats, Congress just got a $4000 raise up to $169,300 a > year. I wonder how many of them would vote themselves pay cuts, or > live on the salries of the people they represent. If you want to > cut taxes, this is a good place to start.
I don't guess it's a specifically libertarian proposal, but in the past I've advocated a constitutional amendment to the following effect: "SECTION ONE: The salary of members of the Senate and House of Representatives, prior to the taking of any federal taxes, shall be set each year in the amount of the average per capita income of citizens of the United States for the prior year, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and less the average of total per capita federal taxes charged against said average income. "SECTION TWO: No additional allowances or per diem reimbursements shall be made for normal day-to-day living expenses above the salary enacted in section one of this article; however, military barracks space of the 'squad bay' classification and per-person space allotment for light infantry enlisted personnel, convenient to and within walking distance of Congress's meeting place, shall be set aside to accomodate such members as may decline to procure lodging in the capital at their own expense." The less they tax, the more they make. The more pro-income-growth their policies are, the more they make. If they want a Washington apartment, they can cough up themselves. Maybe 535 employees is enough to get a decent group health insurance rate, if they want to have the premiums deducted from their checks. Tom Knapp
