[GPSCC-chat] Fw: Important re: Congressional Perks

[Spencer Graves]

Hi, Brian:  Well put.  Thanks.  Spencer


On 10/14/2011 2:27 PM, Brian Good wrote:
>
>    When I used to do concrete work I was schmoozing with the building 
> inspector one
> afternoon and he told me that the inspectors are very highly paid to 
> ensure that they
> are happy with their jobs and are not tempted to take bribes.
>
>    I don't think that anybody would be naive enough to claim that the 
> pension keeps
> our Congresscritters honest, but I do think that removing the pension 
> would virtually
> guarantee that new Congressional Reps' first priority would be casting 
> about for
> opportunities to feather their nests.  If a Congressional Rep halfway 
> does his or her
> job s/he is going to antagonize some very powerful people and 
> interests and the
> future is very uncertain.
>
>    The only way we can even dream that someday we'll have honest and 
> courageous
> and hard-working and competent people in Congress is if they don't 
> have to sacrifice
> their financial security.  The pension is cheap at the price and we 
> should concentrate
> on electing people to the post who can actually earn it.  Lawrence 
> Lessig points out
> Congress is our most directly democratic federal institution since its 
> members are
> elected every 2 years and you can actually visit your Rep.  He 
> believes that Congress
> is corrupting itself and making itself irrelevant due of its 
> vulnerability to influence
> through campaign contributions.   Cutting the perks will only cause 
> further
> deterioration, as only crooks, fools, and fanatics will run for the 
> office.
>

-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:www.structuremonitoring.com

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