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Hate to spoil your rant, but Congressmen do not get golden parachuets from taxpayer provided funds when they are voted out of office. They get retirement benefits similar to anyone else in government service, based on time served. Period. You get what you pay for and what you pay for in Congressmen isn’t all that great, so when you get what you get well, that is what you paid for.

I agree that Congresscritters do not have an explicit 'golden parachute' but how many of them return home to live just on their pensions? If they do not leave office for illness or age, they frequently find work in the 'lobbying' industry either in DC or in their own states. Also with so many of them being legal beagles, they can get good stuff from being company directors and good money bringing in clients as law firm directors. Finally, lots of them find work being prominent in education and charitable organizations.

Consequently, my belief is that we do have a burgeoning 'Ruling Class' similar to the Mandarin class of China that consists of the people who are rulers, were rulers or are being groomed to become rulers. Look at the current candidates and see how many 'Ivy League' grads are running for state and national offices. Sarah Palin is NOTEABLE for her absence of 'credentials' in this area.

You get what you pay for and what you pay for in Congressmen isn’t all that great

You're right. The hopeless buffoons in industry aren't any brighter than the congress critters and they're taking home multi-millions in golden parachutes. Maybe we got a pretty sweet deal going only paying these critters a couple hundred thou a year.