Valerie Meyers, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 8th District Congressional seat, has announced that she will commit to a self-imposed pay cut if elected to replace Jim Marshall. Meyers, a Bonaire resident who announced her candidacy in November, says she believes a salary of $52,000 – roughly the median income of citizens of the 8th district – should be the salary of anyone willing to take the office.
“Jim Marshall and his Congressional colleagues have displayed irresponsible spending habits; the most effective way to curb reckless spending is to start sweeping around one’s own doorstep. That means cutting salaries of elected officials, starting right here in middle Georgia,”
One of six announced Republicans contesting for the GOP nomination in July’s primary, Valerie Meyers is an information technology business analyst and technical writer. She recently completed coursework for her master’s degree in international business administration.
A long-time advocate for fiscal responsibility, Meyers believes the best way to stimulate the economy and spur job creation is to reduce government spending and cut taxes.
“Small business owners and entrepreneurs in the private sector are being forced to cut costs and cut salaries. Why should leaders in elected office be exempt from the pinch of the economic recession?”
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, House members are salaried $174,000 per year – more than four times the $36,300 the average citizen of the 8th district makes yearly.
Meyers says that such a pay scale is integral to maintaining a form of government by and for the common people: “As an elected official, I will be an employee of the citizens of Georgia’s eighth Congressional district. Why should an employee earn more money than her employer?”
Valerie Meyers is not alone in calling for a Congressional pay cut; Adam Kokesh, a Republican House candidate from New Mexico, is promising a similar cut if elected. Ms. Meyers pledges to caucus with Kokesh and other like-minded leaders to bring about across-the-board pay cuts among all members of Congress and slash operational budgets.
Meyers says she would like to see the money saved returned to taxpayers or used to pay off national debt.
A life-long Republican, Meyers has been endorsed by LibertySlate.com, which aims to elect non-incumbent Republicans to Congress. Valerie Meyers was ranked by LibertySlate as the top 2010 Congressional campaign in the nation.
Her campaign platform can be found at her website, www.valerieforcongress.com
