Pay for Performance in Politics

Here's a way to break the logjam in U.S. politics: pay for performance.

The U.S. government can't or, more accurately, won't pass any meaningful legislation, whether the topic is gun control, spending bills, same sex marriage or immigration.   So hit 'em where it hurts: their paycheck.  Pay them only when they pass legislation on important issues such as these.   The rest of the time, don't pay them a cent.

The U.S. government is like a constipated patient that needs a strong laxative.  Withholding compensation until senators and congressmen actually earn it is a good one.

Republicans Gone Wild, Again

John Boehner (pronounced "Bainer", not "Boner") is a good man, an emotional one, even, who cries like a fountain in public over tragic things, and who is a genuine believer in faith and God.   But he is an odd duck, indeed, to be leading his party at a time when the real power mongers within it are fighting like the devil to prevent the government from raising taxes, especially for the upper classes.

The president of the United States and his Democratic party have tried to prevent the massive and callous budget cuts, the so-called sequester, from happening, by negotiating a more intelligent and balanced approach to budget balancing, a combination of smaller cuts and some tax increases.   The Republicans, with spokesperson and House majority leader, Mr. Boehner, will not agree to any tax hikes or revisions to the tax code to close "loopholes".   That's funny because closing loopholes was a key plank in Mitt Romney's campaign to become president.

When you think of crazy politicians gone wild, an obvious example has to be John Boehner and his posse of school-yard bullies, called the Republican party of Washington.

When ordinary people are hurt by the callous budget cuts because Republicans refused to authorize a rise in rich people's taxes, that will certainly give Mr. Boehner something to weep about in church.