A modest proposal
Resolved: a top marginal tax rate of 90% on all income to elected representatives, including of course campaign financing and “gifts” to friends and family.
We then use the proceeds of that tax to bail out the legacy media companies on a perpetual basis.
Motion to approve?
Ambiance 
Icepick said,
April 21, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Ah, here’s where the comment went!
That’s a good idea Maxwell, but you don’t take it far enough. Make it a 100% tax, and have it apply to all immediate relatives of the elected official, including step-children. Also, a 100% tax on all capital gains during their time in office. No loop-holes allowed for either assessment.
Also, we have to be able to find a better use for the cash than bailing out legacy (news) media companies. For one thing, that just makes them dependent on government. I propose that simply holding a bon fire and burning the cash equivalent of the proceeds would be just about as good a use. How about dumping the money into the Medicare or Social Security coffers instead?
Which reminds me: We also need to kill all benefits to politicians that extend PAST their time in office. That is, no pension benefits, no healthcare benefits AFTER they leave office, etc. Elsewise they’ll just screw us on the backend. (They do that now, of course, but they also screw us on the front end first.)
Maxwell said,
April 21, 2009 at 5:43 pm
There’s a piece of this you’re missing. Here’s a hint – in your own words no less:
Expect this story to flair up briefly so that the press can pretend they’re the public watch-dog, and then it will effectively disappear.
It’s all about the incentives!
Icepick said,
April 22, 2009 at 9:27 am
It’s all about the incentives!
In that case, we should hold every pol’s salary in escrow. And if any journalist (we’ll need a definition) should uncover corruption by that pol, they’ll be entitled to some or all of that pol’s salary. (I imagine the journoes could split proceeds with their employers if they don’t want to work on a free lance basis.)
amba12 said,
April 23, 2009 at 10:10 pm
“How about dumping the money into the Medi–”
I swear to God, I jumped ahead and read that as “the Mediterranean.”
Icepick said,
November 15, 2013 at 9:40 pm
This post and the comments refer to this earlier post.