Congress should have to live in dorms in DC and not be allowed to have apartments there unless they are from DC itself.
And they should have to eat in a cafeteria. Together. Once a day when congress is in session.
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@futurebird i had a similar idea for the UK parliament- building a housing estate designed to be the average British houses in terms of scale and all the rest of it. Build a new one every few years to keep pace with whatever changes happen to the average, and turn the old into social housing stock. Want better housing? Improve the average while in office.
Also do this outside of London but thats a whole nother kettle of fish.
This is a hard issue because a lot of MPs see their time as an MP as being merely preparation for a much swankier position afterwards, as a board member or a lobbyist or something. (Looking at you, Nick Clegg.) The actual conditions of being an MP are just something they have to suffer through.
Making board members and lobbyists and C-suite people live in an average estate would also be a great idea, but that one might require a little more guillotine to enforce properly.
I also think that this lifetime "vow of average wealth" concept is good too.
We need to help them be about the life of the "public servant"
@futurebird They should earn the minimum wage they foist on the rest of us. I think they should also have 0 investments while serving.
@futurebird Gay Congressional DC Communism!
@futurebird I think some of them from nearby states could commute in, but if the alternative is setting up a second home then they're better staying in a dorm.
@futurebird Yes, perfect! Also, the White House should be turned into a museum and the President should live in the servant's quarters (a 1984 travel trailer out back).
@futurebird Congress should just meet remotely except for social occasions.
@futurebird you know, like they do it in the Cuban parliament. Also, work is honorarily, so no pay. I think there's many ways to keep our politicians down to earth.
@futurebird And not be allowed to carry private health insurance. They get only what is provided free for everybody.
@futurebird That's what should have happened to the old DC post office that Trump turned into a Trump hotel.
I can see a security issue with having so many members of Congress in one place, but if there were 2-4 dorm facilities across DC and members rotated every 2 years, there'd be less of an issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Post_Office_(Washington,_D.C.)
@futurebird well I live west of the 100th meridian, so naturally I am of the view that golf ought to be entirely illegal.
@futurebird And they should be compensated by the constituents who put them in office. Tired of paying for representatives who don't represent me, actually support policies that harm me, and come from some backwater I never even heard of.
The Senators do tend to live in the area, and in the Jurassic period they would host dinner parties for each other.
The old Washington papers (Star and Post) used to social sections which covered the scene.
@futurebird Congress critters and presidents should not just be required to divest of all commercial assets before taking office, but then accept a pension (a reasonable multiple of median income, adjusted annually as is appropriate) and full health coverage, etc. Also travel and housing provided - but they are allowed *no* outside income. No investments, no salaries from private companies. They get to live, basically, "free" - no need to get rich because they don't need to be rich, basically, but they're also just not allowed to try to get rich.
It would be a rather different, and much better, class of people willing to take that deal.
@futurebird Food fight! Food fight!