Time to tighten the purse strings

Robert S. Tobias, Las Vegas

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 | 2:01 a.m.

Every elected federal official — president, senator and member of Congress — has enough personal wealth to survive on a salary of $1 a year until the United States’ fiscal house returns to the “plus” status. In addition, the number of six-figure staff positions, the transportation perks and all other financial benefits demanded by our public servants in Washington should be equally curtailed.

It should be obvious to the most casual observer that as long as legislators and government officials wallow in the luxury of continuous “comfortable” income, there is absolutely no motivation or urgency to do anything about the decaying fiscal condition and controls for which they are responsible.

When you are poor and heavily in debt, it is unrealistic to spend money that you don’t have on exotic travel and gala dinners. For that you need deep pockets full of cash, as our government has by way of taxpayer dollars.

You and I earn $1 and we have $1 to spend. Our government officials don’t earn anything, but they tax a dollar and spend $1.25. You and I measure our expenditures according to our ability to afford them. Our elected officials are willing and able to take as much of our money in order to feed the glut of their own aggrandizement.

The ineptitude on the part of elected officials to come to grips with the responsibility to serve their constituents runs the gamut of federal, state, county and local governments.

As long as Congress is able to control its own purse strings and guarantee members’ salaries and perks, the dream of public servants serving the public might remain just that.