" I believe that from top to bottom, our elected officials are overpaid, their expenses are not called into question, and they make a career of "public service." If they were true public servants, they would accept the pay,and concentrate of serving the public, instead of getting into office, and instantly starting to fight with us about pay increases. Far too often, behind closed doors, the decision makers are tilting the table in their favor. How often are they asking themselves what is best for their constituants? It stinks that I will never see social security, but some politician will receive a pension, and free health care for life. Maybe I should run for office. "

" They should be paid by the mile if they have to travel for business. That's what I get, $.55 / mi. I have to submit a form stating my mileage to my employer. There should be NO paid mileage just for getting to work, NOBODY gets that. What on earth are these guys pulling on us??? Highway Robbery!! "

" I agree with getting rid of those lifetime free benefits for the legislators. I also dont have much sympathy for them when it comes to mileage checks, they can easily go to the County motor pool if they have work related travel coming up and take a County car! The other thing they could do to save this County approx 250K per year is get rid of that ridiculous waste of a position called the County Manager... Never needed it before, and we CANT afford it now! Instead it will be us the taxpayers that lose, its never the politician! "

" Instead of reducing pay, how about reducing the number of legislators and get rid of the idea of chairman? That is one big waste of money on the sixth floor. "

" FG, sorry for the duplication on your comment, you were right on and I wasn't paying attention to what I was reading. "

" FG, If they travel out of the County or to another town for a meeting , yes pay the milage, but if they are traveling from home to the County Office Building for meetings and back home again, no way should they get milage. You don't get paid to travel back and forth to work do you? "

" Mileage for work is perfectly reasonable. I don't get paid mileage for traveling to and from work, but you better believe I do for work-related travel: conferences, meetings, etc. It should be no different for politicians.

No, they should not be reimbursed for going to their offices.

Yes, they should be reimbursed for other work-related travel.

If we only had polticians who live in major urban areas, we would not have fair representation for folks who live in the boonies, as many people in this State do.

But I admit I like Hans' idea of cutting all their salaries by $1,000. Right now they are cutting services to taxpayers left and right -- they should include themselves in the painful necessity. "

" CM and Dan W points well taken, Legislators have been ripping off the taxpayers for years.There's a couple of them, that made a life time living out of it. "

" Hans: this mileage issue is a TAX payer issue..
1. you choose your job, if you dont want to travel any distance you dont take the job!
2. you choose your home, if you dont want to travel a distance to your job then either dont take the job or move!
3. you choose to run for office, if your OFFICE to work at is 30 miles away and you dont want to spend the time or gas to get to work, then DONT take the job!

do you get paid to drive to work??? "

" The legislators should not get mileage. If you want the office and the benefits that go with it. Health insurance for what is a part time positon. I would go farther and have all the benefits removed. Then you would have people that would be looking out for the taxpayers. "