Why should we pay our politicians for doing nothing?

It may be a gimmick, but one candidate for a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate appears to be on to something. Alex Renard is a republican running for the open 1st District Senate seat in a special election to fill the remainder of a term vacated by a lawmaker who took a job in the Walker administration. He vows that if he is elected, he will not accept any payment, nor will he claim any per diem expenses in 2018. It is not right, he argues, to accept any pay if he is not going to actually be doing any work. The Senate finished its work for the year last month, and is not scheduled to reconvene until January. If he wins the June election, Renard would serve until the November general election when he could run again. Until then, he would have literally no duties, and is right that it is wrong to accept our tax dollars for doing nothing. But what about all the incumbent lawmakers? We continue to pay them, while expecting nothing in return. The Wisconsin Senate spent just four days in session in all of 2018, yet they continue to draw a full time salary, as well as reimbursement for food, lodging and travel for each day they spend in Madison. There is something wrong with this picture. We should either expect more of our lawmakers, or they should expect to receive less income. Otherwise it is the equivalent of legislative welfare.