Over here in the UK Politicians get over £100k a year (over $188k), voting for their own payrises, and retiring onto a comfortable pension and savings account after 5 years.

I'm sure it's similar in other parts of the world.

But also here, we have 'Special Constables' which is volunteer police. They come out of their day jobs, then keep the streets safe through the night, basically fitting their community work around their main job. They don't get paid, and they work just as hard, perhaps with even more devotion to the job than most that wait for the clock to strike 60 and think 'ah another £8 in the bank'

I believe that if politicians didnt receive the mass funding (and golden handshakes) they do now, many would drop out of politics, and the true devotees would step in.

What do you think?

None of the above.
Politicians should make some money while in power for various reasons:
1. economic specialization: We don't want them working other jobs. Their job is to serve us while in power.
2. special interests: Again, they work for us. Without any pay, there is even greater motivation to cater to lobbyists for future employment/bribes. This is already a big enough problem.
3. Who the %$#@ would do it? You'd have to be independently wealthy to run for office (again, already a big problem).
4. no career politicians: This might sound good... but it's a good idea to have at least some people in government with experience.

I do think there should be checks and balances on government deciding its pay raises.
I do think not every politician should get benefits for life.
I think we should punish bribe-takers and set regulations to keep newly departed politicians from capitalizing off corporate favors.

But for God's sake, they're doing a job that is necessary. Pay them the market price.

__________________
"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Yeah, this post isnt biased at all.

__________________
My Political Blog (Updated Oct 3rd) - Which Flame Warrior are you?

If they don't get paid, they'll me more open to take bribes to survive, the end of effective government (ask any African)

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

Not paying to the politicians is a very bad idea.. It makes them dependable of the external funders, which makes them vulnerable to corruption.. Anyway, being a political decisionmaker requires lot of time and effort for making informed decision, while staying in the contact with the people.. Not paying to politicians, would make the political career actually a considerable economic burden.. Either the parties/voters should finance their candidates (which could work), the politicians should work at a second job (terrible scenario), be rich (how representative would be that) or some other third party should pay their expenses.. At the worst case the third party would exchange the money for favours, which would be undesirable..

The best scenario would be the politicians paid by the parties, but I somehow doubt the average Joe's willingess to pay for the politicians and parties, if it were purely voluntary.. This especially considering how few people actually belong to political parties nowaday.. At the worst scenario, the situation would lead to very harmful arrangements, not at all beneficial for the people.. Overall - it would greate a bias towards the political funders, wheather they were paying party members or lobby groups.. The losers would be voters not willing to finance their candidates..

- BtD

__________________
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."
[George Orwell, 1984]

I didn't take into account the greed people have in them :/