Pensions for convicted lawmakers draw watchdogs' ire (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston
CNN

(CNN) -- As Democrats pledge to clean up Congress when they take control this week, public interest groups are urging them to add one more item to their ethics reform list: Stop rewarding crooked colleagues.

Led by the conservative National Taxpayers Union, two dozen watchdog groups of all political stripes say it's time to stop making taxpayers pay the pensions of lawmakers who are convicted of or plead guilty to crimes committed while in office.

For example, Republican Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham of California, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to tax evasion and conspiracy to accept bribes and kickbacks from contractors he was voting to give government business, will pocket an estimated $64,000 annual government pension while serving eight years in a North Carolina federal prison.

"I think the vast majority of Americans, certainly all the groups that signed the letter, think that's really wrong," said John Berthoud, president of the National Taxpayers Union.

Berthoud's group, which has urged tougher standards for disgraced members of Congress for years, estimates 20 crooked former lawmakers are earning government pensions.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/03/congressional.pensions/index.html

[Old and In the Way]

1. I think that's extremely sensible.

Perhaps a little negative motivation to turn away from corruption. Heck, maybe we ought to raise their pensions with these provisions that you lose everything if you get convicted.