Affordable Housing

[MechAg94]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/14/democratic-reps-bill-would-give-poor-pols-crashing-in-their-offices-cheap-housing.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true

As the nation’s capital struggles with a homeless crisis, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson plans to introduce legislation as soon as this week calling for a study into converting a vacant residence hall blocks from the US Capitol into cheap housing for the well-paid politicians.

I think this is a great election year issue for Democrats to capture public attention and sympathy.  I hope they push this hard.  However, I am afraid he will get a bunch of Repub co-sponsors. 

[grampster]

Actually, they should convert one of the building the .fed gov owns in DC into a barracks and REQUIRE congress critters to live there, and eat there at a cafeteria.  Cut their pay to $75,000 a year, term limit both Rep and Senator to 6 years and fund a 401k @ whatever the statute allows for their pay, and they pay into SS and Medicare.

[Fly320s]

Actually, they should convert one of the building the .fed gov owns in DC into a barracks and REQUIRE congress critters to live there, and eat there at a cafeteria.  Cut their pay to $75,000 a year, term limit both Rep and Senator to 6 years and fund a 401k @ whatever the statute allows for their pay, and they pay into SS and Medicare.

I approve of everything but the SS and Medicare part.  That should be scrapped.

[French G.]

This is only an issue because the perpetual outrage crowd deems it. Critters have slept in their office some because they need to, some for the campaign humble pie. But if we push enough stories that senator big Johnson conducted business in his bathrobe oh, harassment!!! Pervs gonna perv no matter what, normal people will put a shirt on before answering the door.

And if a house member comes from a working class background then the pay is not extraordinary enough to run two residences. Reps in power for decades and near all senators have enough side money to live comfortably.

[Hawkmoon]

Actually, they should convert one of the building the .fed gov owns in DC into a barracks and REQUIRE congress critters to live there, and eat there at a cafeteria.  Cut their pay to $75,000 a year, term limit both Rep and Senator to 6 years and fund a 401k @ whatever the statute allows for their pay, and they pay into SS and Medicare.

I second the motion.

[charby]

I approve of everything but the SS and Medicare part.  That should be scrapped.

The programs or making them pay into it?÷

[makattak]

Actually, they should convert one of the building the .fed gov owns in DC into a barracks and REQUIRE congress critters to live there, and eat there at a cafeteria.  Cut their pay to $75,000 a year, term limit both Rep and Senator to 6 years and fund a 401k @ whatever the statute allows for their pay, and they pay into SS and Medicare.

Senators can have 12, and Reps 8, but otherwise, I'm with you on that.

Also, no air conditioning in the barracks. Limited heating, too. (Now they'll only want to work in the spring and fall.)

[Fly320s]

The programs or making them pay into it?÷

Ideally, both.  In reality, no employee of the federal government should "pay into" SS, Medicare, or federal income tax.  The employee is already being paid from the federal checking account.  Having them pay back into the same account is a net loss to the federal account.

[MechAg94]

This is only an issue because the perpetual outrage crowd deems it. Critters have slept in their office some because they need to, some for the campaign humble pie. But if we push enough stories that senator big Johnson conducted business in his bathrobe oh, harassment!!! Pervs gonna perv no matter what, normal people will put a shirt on before answering the door.

And if a house member comes from a working class background then the pay is not extraordinary enough to run two residences. Reps in power for decades and near all senators have enough side money to live comfortably.

I wouldn't care too much if they had some sort of dormatory deal with something like a efficiency apartment without a kitchen or bed and bathroom only deal.  I just suspect that anything Congress does for themselves will be done to excess and then they will try to expand it for all their assistants and mistresses and such. 

[cordex]

Actually, they should convert one of the building the .fed gov owns in DC into a barracks and REQUIRE congress critters to live there, and eat there at a cafeteria.  Cut their pay to $75,000 a year, term limit both Rep and Senator to 6 years and fund a 401k @ whatever the statute allows for their pay, and they pay into SS and Medicare.

Totally disagree.  That's a great way to exacerbate an already terrible problem of politicians enriching themselves through legislation.

Pay Representatives $1,000,000 per year and Senators $3,000,000 per year.  Require any legislator to place all investments into index funds as a requirement of taking office and restrict to index funds all future investments for at least ten years after leaving office.  Make profiting from legislation passed during a legislator's term either during or after holding office an act of high treason.  Require that any raises or benefits voted for by Congress never be given to the legislators who voted for them.

Seems like a good start, anyway.