When the amendment was added that took the interest of states' ability to elect U.S. senators and moved that to "the people", it was done "in the interest of taxpayers" and turned out to have the opposite effect.

I saw this being discussed by Stuart Varney on Fox and Friends this AM. You are exactly right, O.A.

Moochers, looters, thieves. Who in the private sector gets paid leave like that? It looks like incentive to get a government job and then misbehave...

There is nobody representing the interests of taxpayers. The solution that is needed is wholesale elimination of many departments of the federal government, with strict adherence to the Tenth Amendment.