Is the US headed towards a socialist government?

[kandrathe]

Both Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are popular in their districts. Your measure would do nothing to them. Pork makes you popular in your district and unpopular everywhere else. It would create a perverse incentive to do exactly what you are trying to prevent.

Yes. I'm sorry to confuse the topics here. You are correct, in that if a district was filled with hogs at the public trough, then this measure would not interrupt that level of greed and corruption. I was just also inserting my outrage at the blatant disregard for House and Senate ethics exhibited by Reid and Pelosi who are obviously enriching themselves and self aggrandizing themselves at the peoples expense.

If your idea is that Gerrymandering is not going to be affected by an added incentive to Gerrymander, then I'm not sure what to say. Seems pretty obvious to me. Joe Democrat and Jane Republican get together, probably along with their state level equivalents, shake hands, and turn their 45-55 and 55-45 districts into 30-70 and 70-30 districts. Hey presto, instant pay raise for both.

From my digging into this topic I find it would not be unlawful unless minorities are underrepresented in the redistricting, so if the constituencies allow it then it can be done. And... Maybe Nancy Pelosi does accurately represent her district and the people there probably DO love her and would give her a sizable bonus. That would be their right.