They should be paid for their work. Value for Value. Of course, like the rest of us, they should have to provide value to be paid or fired. Most of these people provide very little value for what they are being paid. Now they want a pay raise and free housing. Looters all.

Just might. These will be people who can AFFORD to be volunteers. There will also be well-to-do weasels out to play the system "for power and money" like Solver here says.
Welcome to The Gulch, RightMinded71!

Quite the opposite, all would be using their office to generate personal wealth. The issue isn't that they are being paid. The issue is that they aren't being held accountable for the profiteering and for violating their oath of office. Why do we allow crooks to scruenize crooks and then judge crooks? Theses folks, if found guilty, should be stripped of office, face staggering fines and have their personal wealth and assets forfeited.
If some works, that some is entitled to payment.

Value for value. No?

I think B.S. Bernie commented how wonderful Norway, Sweden, and Denmark treat their citizens and how badly America treats theirs.
Reality check: Are we talking about oranges and apples? A combined three country population of 21.12 versus USA at 198.7 million. Would they prefer China with 754.6M? And these are 2017 figures!

You might get a better class of people.

I really don’t tend to pay for politicians. With the nearly unlimited power they have, they just take my money and use it to protect some and violate many of my and other people’s individual rights in order to get even more money and power. A seemingly unstoppable cycle.