Agreed. It’s nuts. I can see getting things for the job like office stuff. But they should be made to pay for their lunches and anything else not connected with their jobs. It’s BS.
Personally, I am done subsidizing any established political party. If someone wants to mount an independent run for Congress, they can, of course, campaign for donations. But, if I donate and they win and then they just become another perfumed elitist living off the high taxes they vote for me to pay, I have only myself to blame.
I don’t know how we got here. The majority of campaign money comes from the very wealthy and very powerful. They call the shots. I will assume they get their money’s worth. I have donated and I don’t have anything to show for it but betrayal and theft.
Note that elected representatives and Senators are constantly stating that they are *independent* and “will vote my conscience.” Fine. Pay for your own campaign, then, or forgo all the tax-funded perks and even the salary which is far above what the average worker can achieve. The argument runs that this will lead to only the rich running. Well, that is already the case. IMO, if they are already wealthy, they can pay for their own campaign and if they aren’t, but are running to become wealthy at my expense, they can take out a loan and pay it off after they win.
I’m done.