Denver Post May 10, 1991
Congress has again failed to act according to its own standards: 1991 was the year of Gramm-Rudman where the federal budget deficit would cease to grow.
Even with the October tax increase, Congress has failed to follow its own guidelines to the tune of a record 1991 V budget deficit of over $320 billion.
Committee decisions are sometimes used to abdicate responsibility for decisions. This is a technique used throughout our government, both on the administrative (staff) side and obviously on the legislative side.
A 1990 survey of taxpayer perception proves the effectiveness of the strategy. Although most taxpayers believed Congress was doing a poor job, they believed their congressman was doing a good job.
When a president is blatantly in violation of the law, Congress has the power and duty to impeach the president. In the case of Gramm-Rudman and its successors, Congress has violated its own law and thus is obligated to impeach itself.
Seeing as it is unlikely that Congress will impeach itself, an incentive pay plan is suggested to encourage fiscal responsibility. Every year that spending does not exceed revenues, each member of Congress will receive a bonus of $1 million. The cost of the incentive will be only $535 million per year. This is only one-sixth of 1 percent of what Congress did to the taxpayer in 1991.
Another benefit that would come out of the bonus system is that there would be more interest to serve among folks of leadership ability.
DENNIS POLHILL
Lakewood