Where are pay cuts for politicians?

Our elected officials in Washington are a pretty amazing bunch. It is not surprising that last summer's stimulus package easily passed given it was just before an election and it only included cash payments to constituents. It's also amazing the Republicans now object to borrowing money to finance the stimulus package when they didn't bat an eye, when they and the previous president, took us from a surplus to a $10 trillion deficit over the past eight years.

I guess it's easy to bicker over how to save jobs and boost the economy when you have a guaranteed job for the next two, four or six years; a job that has outstanding health care and pension benefits. Given recent layoffs, it's obvious no one else has that kind of job security. So, here's an idea. Why don't all our elected representatives take a 20-percent pay cut until the economic crises has subsided? It's time they had some real skin in the game, as well as feel some of our pain. Don't you think?

Kevin O'Neill

North Aurora