FEC Approves Salaries for Candidates

Associated Press ^ | Nov 25, 2k2 | SHARON THEIMER

[byteback]

WASHINGTON (AP) - For the first time in its quarter century history, the Federal Election Commission on Monday agreed to let candidates for federal office pay themselves salaries from the political donations they gather.

By a 5-1 vote, the commission that regulates election laws approved the proposal that will allow candidates to pay themselves at a rate equal to the salary of the job they held when they decided to run, or the salary for the federal office they are running for, whichever is less.

U.S. House and Senate members make $150,000 a year. The president earns $400,000 a year.

Commissioner Michael Toner, who sponsored the idea, said it would help scale back some of the advantages of incumbents and wealthy candidates and perhaps encourage average Americans who otherwise couldn't afford to give up their jobs to run for office.

"Candidates of modest means too often have been crowded out of running for office," Toner said. "It may allow people like blue collar workers, school teachers and others who don't make six-figure salaries to run for office."

The lone commissioner to vote against the idea, Karl Sandstrom, said he was concerned that the plan was not constitutional because it would allow some candidates to make more than others.

The plan applies only to candidates who run for Congress or the presidency. And presidential candidates who accept partial taxpayer financing of their campaigns won't be allowed to pay themselves salaries.

In the 2000 elections, President Bush bypassed public financing for the primaries while Democrat Al Gore accepted taxpayer help. Both men accepted public financing for the fall general election.

[lelio]

Oh come on. Increasing a politician's wage might encourage a blue collar worker to run for office? Talk about wrapping up your pet project in populist claptrap.

[sarasmom]

WOW.I was searching for a new career!

Running for political office! What will they do if you actually get elected, and decline? :^(

[dogbyte12]

I thought Alan Keyes did this once already, didn't he? It was received negatively.. I believe it was during a Maryland Senate run.

[Mo1]

And this is supopose to help matters ???

I don't know .. something tells me this will backfire ..

Who is this Michael Toner???

[July 4th]

He is, or perhaps was, the general counsel for the RNC.

[Mo1]

Well .. I would like to hear more about this idea ... but if it is just what is reported in this article .. I'm of the thinking this is a bad idea

Can you just imagine the salary Hillary Clinton would give herself??

[ambrose]

Campaign money is already used as a pseudo slush fund. This doesn't really change anything.

[dogbyte12]

Hillary could give herself nothing under these rules unless she resigned from the Senate to run... a la Bob Dole. I think he is the only major politico I can think of who would qualify. He resigned his seat to run for the Presidency. If he did that today, under these rules... he could draw a salary of $33,333.33 a month while running for President.

Any sitting lawmaker who doesn't give up their seat to run is not eligible. I kind of like this actually. It does give non politicos a chance to run without worrying about money probs.

[Rensselaer]

Oh come on. Increasing a politician's wage might encourage a blue collar worker to run for office? Talk about wrapping up your pet project in populist claptrap.

This doesn't increase a politician's wages. Under this proposal, they are not allowed to pay themselves any amount that would raise their earnings above what they were before. What it does is allow ordinary citizens to quit their jobs, or take leaves, to run for office, and still have some source of income. Right now only the very rich, or career politicians who already hold office, can do that.

[Rensselaer]

WOW.I was searching for a new career! Running for political office!

Well, if you can convince people to give you money on that basis, more power to you. The reality is that people aren't stupid, and they're not going to give you money just so you can pay yourself.

[Rensselaer]

And this is supopose to help matters ??? I don't know .. something tells me this will backfire .. Who is this Michael Toner???

He is a Republican member of the Federal Election Commission. Before that he was Counsel to the Republican National Committee, and to George W. Bush's presidential campaign.

Right now career politicians get to run for office while drawing a salary from us, the taxpayers. This levels the playing field a bit. It would allow a lawyer or teacher or other average citizens to run full time for office without going broke.

[Rensselaer]

Can you just imagine the salary Hillary Clinton would give herself??

She can't give herself anything. Under the proposal, a candidate can only pay himself money to replace lost income, and only up to the salary of the office sought. Hillary already has a Senator's salary, and presumably isn't going to quit her job as a Senator so she can run to reclaim it and pay herself.

[Marathon]

Yes, I think this is just what Keyes did. To my mind it vindicates him, and his point in doing so.

[Rensselaer]

For the life of me, I don't understand the negative reaction to this, except that people aren't thinking and instead are doing a knee-jerk anti-politician reaction. Ambrose is partly wrong, in that campaign funds now have pretty strict rules on personal use, and thus most non-politicians who run for office must either campaign in their spare time (while their incumbent opponent campaigns full time), or give up their income, something only very rich can do. But Ambrose is partly right - this won't change a lot, because many people still won't be able to take advantage of this, or simply won't want to, prefering to put all their contributions into ads and campaign expenses. But at least a few people who are not already politicians will feel they can run, and might take leaves from their jobs to campaign full time. That will put them on even footing with incumbents, who are already paid -with your tax money - to campaign full time.

I don't know why anyone would react negatively to this. If you don't like the idea, don't give money to the campaign.

[Kevin Curry]

Perpetual candidate and loser Harry Browne just found steady employment.

Beats working for a living.

[sarasmom]

How else do you explain the Democrat party?

[STARWISE]

Don't tell me ... Toricelli will make application for his lost retroactive "salary" ...... mo money mo money mo money for the politicos. So .. campaign funders will know up front that they're paying for the candidate's "salary." Hmmm .. will have to meditate on that one. Don't quite know what to think about this at the moment.

[Mo1]

She can't give herself anything

Ok thanks .. seems I misunderstood the article

[The Electrician]

Hmmm... Does this mean that Torricelli can start his campaign for President right away and get the equivalent of a $400,000 annual salary from his existing campaign war chest?