Between the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, taxpayers pay approximately $93 million in base salaries. Some leadership positions get a much higher salary, which brings the total amount to almost $94 million. Factoring in the actual days that Congress is in session (notice, I did not say at work), it is obvious that salaries for members of Congress are outlandish.

All members of Congress are eligible for cost-of-living increases. How many people have received such an increase lately? In fact, from 2003 to 2011, members of Congress saw an average salary increase of $19,300.

All Senators have official personnel and an expense account. Depending on the state, that account averages about $3 million annually. Additional allowances are available for staff, operational expenses and furnishings for office space in their home states.

There are 261 millionaires in Congress. That’s almost half the total membership. These are the people making decisions that impact Main Street, USA, a place they don’t and can’t understand.

I think it is time to eliminate some of the deficit spending costs that are associated with the entitlement expenses for maintaining Congress. Yet, I am 100 percent sure that members of Congress would never consider any cost saving measures that would apply to themselves.

Walter Ridlon, Lewiston