Should the voters determine the pay scale for jobs like 'senator' or 'congressman'?
914125
yes. It would be better for everyone. :)
247324
Unlike "nvlawyer"- "showbiz" folks are the same as most anything-supply and demand dictates how much they can demand for a paycheck, not the performers themselves. In the case of elected officials, I have often shared the belief and opinion that so many candidates are millionaires, and multimillionaires, that when they choose to go into "public office" for the "good of the their constituents" they should do it pro bono, i.e., for no pay, such as our Governor in California, "AHroldt" has.
291717
No\n\nIt should go by income brackets. Rich should pay more.
871543
Your question seems to assume that candidates for all political offices should represent the constituents.  For sake of argument I will assume that you understand that mayors, governors and the president are leaders, not representatives.  Likewise, let's agree that we are discussing members of Congress, that bicameral beast in our capital.\n\nIf you look at the Constitution, you will find that Senators were originally elected by state legislatures to represent at the federal level the interests of the states, not the members of voting districts.  That leaves the House of Representatives.  Your representative should represent his constituents according to their wishes, not his own.  If you can find one who actually does that, by all means, please let me know.\n\nSo what to do with the ones who don't represent the people they're elected to represent?  Our system requires voters to keep all elected officials by staying involved and thinking critically.  Most of us are victims of government education and thus less prepared for critical thinking than some.  We would rather go home from work and have dinner in front of Entertainment Tonight than to have family disussions about work, the news of the day and so forth.  Instead of knowing what our elected officials are doing, we wonder who our entertainers are doing.\n\nThe bottom line is that we must act as individuals and within groups of concerned citizens to communicate with representatives so that they know our concerns.  If they don't act accordingly, vote the SOBs out.  It's just that simple.
127215
Republicans don't control the government and businesses.  Come on use facts please.  It depends on how the Country is doing and 7.25 an hour is alot more then then other Countrys are makeing.  If they rase it then there would be less job's if they lower it there would be more jobs.
22254
Well, it is my opinion that a congressman should vote in a constitutional manner, not a personal one. However, one's personal opinions often determine the manner in which they interpret the constitution. \n\nI figure that the people vote for the candidate with whom they agree on most issues, thus the elected official holds the same ideals as his constituents.
948096
If the job is limited in scope and inherent politics the person-job fit is more important.  Person-organization fit is more important in the upper echelons.
664529
You mean representative in the statistical sense?  Because we don't want an Average person to be responsible for making laws, do we?  I, for one, would rather send the best we have to Congress -- Parliament, in your terms -- and we can't do that, either.  The best people don't run for political office, they are too busy doing more significant things.  But we do the best we can.
908652
Whichever gives job satisfaction with the required salary.\nVR
105157
The annual salary of each Representative is $162,100. The Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders earn higher salaries. By comparison, Senators earn the same as Representatives, cabinet members $180,100, and the President of the United States $400,000.
843191
I never heard of this,but I sure don't think it is a good idea.All we need is a bunch of morons who couldn't care less about our country voting just to get paid.Voting should be for those who are actually willing to make an intelligent decision.
925334
ASK YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE.
1186602
Yes, as well as other people who's salaries are based on taxpayers money (except for politicians).
452667
There's really no such thing (unless you are talking about the federal minimum wage, which is, I believe, $5.15/hour).  The market determines the wages, which can fluctuate widely depending upon specialization, employer, and area of the country.
1115374
That would be nice, but it is very complicated to implement.  And it had the potential to get more out of hand then what we got now.\n\nI think the senators, representatives, and other major government officials should take a pay cut.  That could save millions per year.  And it could make them more concerned for the average American.
1052079
The market, unions, and associated demographics decide the worth of certain job classifications.  Jobs in demand pay more than those that aren't; it's as simple as that.\n\nNow, PANCHA, what is the REAL point to your asking of this question?...;-)
1034873
Yes....they honestly make decisions based on who pays them more money.