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A lifetime limit of 12 total years in elected office would be nice. Any elected office, if it has taxing authority. City council, school board, JP, state rep, state senator, statewide elected official, any federal office....

New Hampshire pays their state reps $100 per year, plus mileage and a free toll tag. That amount is set in the state constitution, and can only be changed if the voters approve a constitutional amendment.

They also have 400 state reps, which is roughly one rep for every 3000 residents. It's almost impossible for them to hide from their constituents, because they literally live in the same neighborhoods. It's a tiny state, but they have the 4th-largest legislature in the English speaking world (behind UK Parliament, Indian Parliament, and U.S. Congress).

Drewthetexan wrote:

stroo wrote:I have a much simpler solution although just as unlikely to ever get passed. Let's quit paying them salaries or perks. Most of our problems began when we began paying Congress a full time salary and perks.

I disagree. If you remove the salary then the position is unobtainable to all but those who can afford to live for 2 to 6 years or longer without an income. It widens the gap between the constituents and their representatives.

Generally speaking, it couldn't get much wider.

No one enters Congress without already having access to wealth. Even those who are at lower end of the wealth scale mysteriously leave Congress with more money than they started with.