[StBernard] Of Course They Vote for More Subsidies, They Themselves Are Subsidized

[Westley Annis]

Of Course They Vote for More Subsidies, They Themselves Are Subsidized: In
the spring, as a dozen Democratic and Republican officeholders were
crisscrossing the country campaigning for presidential nominations yet still
receiving taxpayer money for jobs they were making no pretense of
performing, TMQ declared there should be a federal resign-to-run law.
Several states now have resign-to-run laws: They prevent officeholders from
taking tax-funded salaries while not doing their jobs. Why is it assumed
that saying the words, "I am running for president" makes it OK for a
senator to pull in $200,000 or so per year in pay and benefits, yet perform
no duties? If you told your employer you would not perform your duties for a
year because you were running for president, yet still expected full pay,
your employer would say two words that are not "Merry Christmas." Now we're
down to four White House-seeking freeloaders, and both parties look bad. All
three senators are billing the federal taxpayer to self-promote around the
clock; the governor is billing her state's taxpayers to self-promote around
the clock. Either presidential candidates should be required to resign to
run, or at least anyone who declares for the presidency or vice presidency
should have his or her public salaries and benefits suspended.


-- Gregg Easterbrook, TMQ