4 ms·
Very high salaries are a countermeasure against conflicts of interest and “lobbying.” We can trust our leaders better if we don’t have to worry quite as much ab
by Rd6n6 5y ago
Very high salaries are a countermeasure against conflicts of interest and “lobbying.” We can trust our leaders better if we don’t have to worry quite as much about other parties tempting them
- paxys 5y agoThey really aren't. You are implying that highly paid people are automatically more honest, but reality often shows the opposite. There are unlimited opportunities for corruption in these roles, and whether someone decides to act on it or not isn't dependent on them making $125K vs $250K in salary.
- Fezzik 5y agoAgreed. I’d be surprised if money moved the ethics needle at all - ethical people are ethical, unethical people are unethical. The notion that one day someone unethical wakes up with an extra $100k/year (or $1 million) and all of a sudden realizes their past transgressions were wrong and they will henceforth be an upstanding citizen seems ludicrous to me. I’d also be shocked if there was any evidence to support the notion that higher pay attracts more ethical people. Bernie Sanders is going to be Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump is going to be Donald Trump regardless of their respective net-worths or paychecks. I’m struggling to think of anyone I have ever met, or from pop culture, who became more ethical as their wages increased.
- mohanmcgeek 5y agoI don't see how increasing the salary of a politician would prevent them from taking money for their _campaign_ given campaigns spend millions of dollars and not $174k This whole salary debate is pointless when there is a "cost of staying in power"