In the inescapable, common-sense world to which producers of America are hopelessly addicted and in which they proudly reside, compensation is determined by dreams, work ethic, skill, knowledge, ability, expertise, level of effort and, last but not least, results. Put that in your merciless pay pipe and suck on it till you drop, Occupiers.

Employees who lack these most basic of work characteristics are tossed out on their lame rears in short order, as it should be; that is, unless you are a member of Congress, where dismal performance is richly rewarded.

Congress routinely earns around a 10 percent approval rating by the American public, which is being generous. Zero approval would be more appropriate once you begin to understand how our professional political punks have wrecked America through gross ignorance or with willful, fraudulent intent, just to get re-elected.

Because the re-election system is rigged with stacks of lobbying cash and taxpayer cash in favor of the incumbent, the overwhelming majority of congressmen are regretfully re-elected. It often takes a scandal to remove a pesky congress-critter, and even then there is no guarantee. I give you Barney Frank and Charlie Rangel as shining examples. Jail, not the halls of Congress, is where these two scoundrels should have taken up residency.

Anyone who has been in Congress for more than 10 years has torpedoed America through their pathetic substandard performance. Granted, the destruction of America began many years before, but instead of drawing a line in the sand and showing true leadership and fiscal responsibility, Congress continued to pass the buck – literally.

Financial irresponsibility, shenanigans and buffoonery is the hallmark of Congress. America will soon be $20 trillion in debt, and Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are living on borrowed money and are essentially broke. And we actually pay these people $175,000 a year to drive America off a cliff. Are you kidding me?

Constitutionally, we are required to pay congressmen something, but the Constitution doesn’t say how much. Insanely, Congress itself determines how much its members get paid. The mob could take lessons from Congress.

The Tea Party should start a movement to pay congressmen what they are worth. I propose $10 a year. We would then see how many of our professional politicians still want to “serve the public.” Ask your congressman at the next town hall meeting if he thinks he’s worth $175,000 a year and if he would accept 10 bucks a year to do the job. Watch him squirm.

Since the majority of congressmen are millionaires, and many are multi-multimillionaires, slashing their $175,000 a year salary to 10 smackers per annum won’t bust their savings and investment portfolios.

In practical terms, a $10 yearly salary would do a couple of things. First and foremost, it would be reflective of the performance they have achieved while running the country. If they were employees of a private-sector firm, they would have all been fired. Secondly, a $10 salary should weed out some of the professional politicians who enrich themselves because of their position. Getting rich on the public teat by “serving the public” is not what the Founders had in mind. Lastly, 10 bucks a year may cause congressmen to get the public’s business done as soon as possible, so that they could return to their real jobs, as our Founders envisioned.

Think in these terms: There isn’t one small-business owner in America who would pay someone $175,000 – or any other amount, for that matter – to destroy their business. So why should taxpayers have to pay congressmen this kind of money to wreck America?

The less time Congress spends in the swamp of Washington, the better off America will be. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has it right. We need a part-time Congress. Paying congressmen 10 bucks a year should help ensure that. Until they prove otherwise, 10 bucks is all they’re worth. And that’s being generous.