Poll: Cut Congress and White House Salaries to Slash Federal Debt
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Congressional lawmakers and top White House aides beware: Americans are angry about big government spending, and they want to balance the budget by slashing your pay. In our latest Washington Whispers poll, a whopping 51 percent of those surveyed called for cutting Capitol Hill and White House salaries when asked about the best way to address their worries about federal spending and growth. The second choice, way down at 17 percent, was taxing the wealthy. Some 15 percent suggested returning government spending to prestimulus levels, 14 percent think Washington should drop big-ticket items like healthcare, and 3 percent called for a freeze on federal hiring.
The poll, from Synovate eNation, is just the latest to reveal anger at Washington for the growing deficits. For more poll details, look here.
Americans are deeply concerned about government spending and growth. Which of the following is the best way to address those worries?
| Cut salaries for Congress and top White House officials | 51% |
|---|---|
| Fund the growth with new taxes on wealthy families | 17% |
| Return government spending to pre-stimulus levels | 15% |
| Delay new initiatives like energy and healthcare reform | 14% |
| Halt all new federal hiring | 3% |
Source: The Synovate eNation Internet poll was conducted September 22-24 among 1,000 nationally representative households by global market research firm Synovate.
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Tags: Congress | White House | polls | federal deficit | Obama administration
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Reader Comments
cutting salaries
Commenting on their salaries...maybe 180,000 wouldn't be so much if they worked 365 days out of the year like the rest of us. And all their perks they receive in addition to their salaries. Does anyone have any clue on how much all the perks come to? Reading about our founding fathers, they couldn't WAIT to leave public office and return home to their families and work in the private sector. What has happened? Our politicians want to stay in office FOREVER and it is looked on as something admirable. I think it is just the opposite.
govenment spending
We definitely need term limits on congress. Too many have been there too long and over the years have held grudges with the other party and now all we have is a two party system who will go to any length to get even with the other or get there way regardless of what it means to the American public. And all this "deal cutting" and "arm twisting" that goes on to get votes, where is the fairness and honety? They need to be held accountable, too much power is being pushed by those who have been there way too long, its time to "clean the House". My only concern is its been proven that politicians will tell us what we want to hear during the campaign and do as they want once elected, how can we hold them to there campaign promises?
I am very very unsatisfied with Washington. No trust at all.
Legislation
I don't think the 180 thousand salary is to much. It is the fact they are no longer voting the voice of their constituency that is at the heart of the issue with the Congress and the Senate. They are voting party lines and corporate politics. That is what the people are up in arms about.
This is our country, these are our representitives, this is the nation our grandfathers, fathers, and our children have fought for, we are paying the bills, and we are not being heard over the din of the party line that has been bought by the lobbyist.
This is what I would like to see. A district to district secure call in or web based legislation line. Legislation is put forth to the public with an appropriate veiwing, discussion, debate, time allotment. After an apropriate amount of time constiuents can then register a vote, if the representitive of their district does not vote the voice of their district then perhaps it would be time for that representitive to be answerable to their constituency. It would remove the power of the vote from being centralized with lobbyist, DNC, RNC and put it back in the hands of the constituency. If they have something they want to sell come sell it to the people, we are the ones paying for it.
How many more people would stay envolved in the legislative process if they once again felt their vote counted? Issues would be discussed, town hall meetings held, discussion and debates amongst neighbors, in neighborhoods, grocery stores. In the places where it matters most to the people who it matters the most to.
I do not think it was neglect on the part of the people that thier voice got lost, I think they honestly trusted their representitives, and with that trust a certain comfort level grew, from that complacency grew. But the lobbyist, DNC, RNC, have taken advantage of that trust and abused it. We are now feeling like a betrayed partner in an abusive relationship, our ability to trust is in shards. Just as what happens in many of these relationships the arbitration has begun. We want our voice back, our votes to count, we want some accountability on their side. We want the bi partisan politics to stop and we want the example of that to start on Capitol Hill. The argueing, bickering, name calling, trying to get us to pick sides will stop, because there is only so much most of us can take. At that point we will look at each other and know that is not where the problem lies. For the most part we do ok being neighbors, friends, partners. I think we are at the point we know that this current representation will be voted out either one at a time or collectively in the next couple of elections. The parties should probably come to understand that and put forward reasonable trustworthy candidates or be left behind.
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