[ahoy]

The first point is true of most employment, unless you're one of the ~10% of US employees with a union contract. Your paycheck is always subject to the whims of your employer.

I don't have a great solution for the 2nd issue you pose though. Raising the pay of elected officials is often politically unpopular, but you're certainly right that one makes more in the private sector than as a junior congressperson.

[johnmaguire]

Yes and no - if you lose your job at Apple, you can go down the street to Microsoft. If you lose your elected government job, you can't run again for years. Meaning, you have to switch from being a government employee back to being a commercial employee.

[fn-mote]

If you lose you elected government job and you still need to work, you become a lobbyist.