Once they get there politicians don't want to leave.
And a million dollars doesn't go that far in DC.
Old Sen. Norris Cotten of New Hampshire once referred to the corrupting influence of "the sweet smell of white marble".
And a million dollars just isn't a million dollars anymore. A 2007 dollar was worth 10¢ in 1950 dollars. (T. Rowe Price, 2007 subscriber mailout.)