'Bout time ordinary citizens woke up to the fact that we have a new American privileged class. With no sense of irony they call themselves "public servants". They vote themselves pay raises, benefits exceeding anything in the private sector, early retirement with generous pensions, holidays and vacations to-die-for, excellent health insurance with tiny co-pays....(need I go on?).
Now add to that the lucrative market they create for themselves in after-government jobs. Based on the training we gave them, they leave gov't in mid-career and cash in on "consulting"---showing private companies how to game the system they supposedly supported on the inside.
All these benefits in jobs they've designed to have no accountability, no expectation of achieving goals---let me correct that, there ARE no "goals" as we know them out here in the market economy.
And all the while they get kudos from the media and politicians for their "dedicated" public service, as if a desk jockey at Interior is sooooo superior to the guy who works all his life in the accounting department at Sears.
Texas has always tried to keep salaries low, although we are losing that fight. The best argument I can think against raising the slaries of legislattors etc. was given by a fellow students at UT-Auston about 40 years ago. I argued that salaries ought to be raised to attract good people. How responded, well how much do you think is enough. I gave a number. He demurred. What do they think would be high enough? We finally agreed that whatever number I proposed would never be high enough, that they will take the lobbyist money no matter what. For most politicians, office is a position of profit.