According to some congresswomen, they absolutely need that $170,000/yr salary to survive.
But at any rate, I agree. It should be a service to the American people to have such a high level of federal service. I say eliminate or significantly reduce salaries for congress, senate and presidency.
Oh, and Onibaka - you don't quite have a grasp of why the American medical system fails. It is not because we don't have a centrally planned service, but because of systemic problems with how our system works - a universal system would only make it worse, not better. Our private insurers cost $5,000/yr per person while our government plans cost between $7,000 and $8,000 per person per year. Costs would only go up, not down, with further government planning (and Obamacare is proof of this atrocity). Rather, to fix the problem we need to reform the entire system from who provides it, how they provide it, the regulations around our drugs, doctors and service centers, and of course, significantly reducing Medicare payouts which are intrinsically tied to hospital performance.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
