Pay raises need to be performance based

With the exception of a few members,Congress is not rushing to vote down that pay raise.One would think with the economic crisis and demands they just laid out for the autoworkers,they might have a little bit of shame,but no.

I say throw out the automatic raises and insert a balanced budget requirement.These things are geared toward the average Joe trying to keep up with the cost of living.No one would equate Congressional compensation as being anywhere near the man on the street.I would also require the executive branch to sign off on any pay increase since the Congress sets their pay.

You could get into tiered wage scales and similar longevity based pay.I would prefer to keep it simple and force the members to earn it by performing for their constituents.We can always vote them out for political reasons,but this doesn't stop them from continually approving raises for their replacements.Keeping spending in check is by far the most pressing issue facing Congress as it's the only way to keep taxes down.

In fact,I wouldn't be opposed to a bonus structure.The relatively small amount they would receive for meeting spending benchmarks would be benefit the country in the long run in meeting the budget.More to come...