Tony Blair says politicians are underpaid

[T_i_B]

Source: BBC

Politicians are not well paid compared to leaders in the private sector, Tony Blair has warned.

Better salaries would improve the "gene pool" of political leaders, he wrote in an article in the New York Times.

The comments came in a wide-ranging piece about the "malaise" in democracies across the world.

"Only an ex-politician can say this - politicians are not really well paid by the standards of the private sector," Mr Blair wrote. "This restricts the attractions of a political career, at exactly the time when we most need the gene pool of our politicians to be varied, vibrant and vigorous."

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30342948

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The offending article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/opinion/tony-blair-is-democracy-dead.html?_r=2

Given the abuses of parliamentary expenses by MP's that flourished during Blair's time as PM (Blair himself being an offender on that count) I think Blair's views on that subject lack credibility.

And on another point in the article, Blair himself benefited from a safe seat in parliament. And seeing the behaviour of Blair and numerous other political toadies in safe parliamentary seats, I'm not sure that they do pay much attention to grassroots concerns once they get in.

[theaocp]

1. And just who

the fuck is this clown speaking to? Other politicians?

[T_i_B]

3. NYT readers evidently

Although I don't know how relevant his point is with regard to US Congress anyway. Do people on here think Congressmen are overpaid?

[djean111]

2. "I'm not sure that they do pay much attention to grassroots concerns once they get in."

If it is like things are here in the US - only at election time, and only lip service, for most in Congress, seems to me.
All about getting the big campaign contributions and winning and then do whatever the leader says to do.
Reeks coming from Blair - he feathered his own nest quite spectacularly, IIRC.

[tanyev]

4. Perhaps, Tony, the people you consider your peers in the private sector are wildly overpaid.

[bemildred]

5. Feeling deprived and neglected, is he? nt

[BootinUp]

6. Wrong. Private sector Greedy Executive Officers are overpaid. nt

[DeSwiss]

7. BULLSHIT!

- We don't need any of you pricks. Least of all the likes of you. Now stop begging!

J.V. King - The Future of Government

[Hoppy]

8. Doesn't the Onion usually credit themselves for their articles?

[Lenomsky]

17. lol :)

[sendero]

9. Sure..

... so we could get a higher class of greedy sociopathic lap-dog to the rich?

Fuck you Tony Blair.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. To someone with £10m in cash, plus a mansion and 6 houses in London, everyone is 'underpaid'

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/04/tony-blair-defends-business-dealings-cites-henry-kissinger-role-model

And that fortune comes from lovely people like the dictator of Kazakhstan.

[mazzarro]

11. I guess politicians are underpaid but minimum wage is an anathema to his neo-liberal & neo-con ilks

Hmmmmm!

[on point]

12. No. Corp leaders are overpaid. Reduce their salaries instead.

[dmosh42]

13. I seem to remember in the 50s, when the pay wasn't that much, the pols promised we....

would get the "best" if pay was greatly increased. I would say there are more crooks and lowlifes in Congress now than back then. They used to have hearings to expose the crooks in gov't every once in a while. When was the last time we had front page news exposing the crooks?

[SoapBox]

14. ACK!

Shit! Hot tea spewing out my nose!!

How about this War Criminal Tony...FUCK no!

[Orsino]

15. Low pay helps keep the assholes out of politics, Tony.

Or speeds them on their way, anyway.

[LiberalLovinLug]

16. I think they should be paid LESS

with perhaps a nice bonus or retirement fund once they leave office.

I would like to see more candidates from the peer group of an average American.

With the President getting $400,000 (Dubya doubled it for himself when he got in in 2001)

and the rank and file reps getting $174,000.. they are still out of touch.

But you'd also need publicly funded elections with a set amount for each party to advertize. And a very limited amount for other non-transparent groups or individuals to spend on third party ads.

Imagine, Washington full of average paid Americans, weeding out the corporate class that would not work for less than $100,000, and who can use all their time actually writing bills and helping America rather than the perpetual fund-raising and campaigning they all have to do now, including the IOUs in their back pockets of the corps they accepted money from..with public election funding in place.

I can dream can't I?

[billhicks76]

18. War Criminal

He should be sent to the gallows and the masses should spit on his lifeless body afterwards.

[FiveGoodMen]

19. Amen!

[roamer65]

20. You are all overpaid, politicians and private sector, Bliar.

Go eff urself.

[olddots]

21. no Tony old chap they're underlaid

Because who would shag some dweeb like you ?

[olddad56]

22. they might be underpaid by the taxpayers, but their owners pay them handsomely.

[BobbyBoring]

23. Is he saying that more $ would attract the brightest, best workers?

Just like the big banks? That worked out well!