Let's start trying to balance the budget! Instant yearly savings of over $9 Million!

There seems to be a lot of discussion about how to reduce Government spending.  Of course, everyone has a different idea.  I have one idea that is a small step fiscally, but would be a bigger step from a Public Relations stand point.  Let's start at the top.  According to articles in Wikipedia, I have discovered the earnings of our leaders in the United States Government. 

It is well known that many workers in the United States have been asked to take cuts in their earnings during tough times.  Somehow, the President, Vice President and members of the United States Congress have been spared from taking salary reductions for the good of our country.

The President of The United States earns                   $      400,000 annual salary*
The Vice President                                                              230,700 annual salary**
The Speaker of the House                                                   212,100 annual salary***
President Pro Tempore                                                       183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader of the Senate                                            183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader in the House                                             183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the Senate                                            183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the House                                            183,500 annual salary***
97 Remaining Senators @ $169,300                            16,422,100 annual salary***
433 Remaining House Reps @ $169,300            73,306,900 annual salary***
     Total Salaries:                                                        $91,489,300.

"Congressional Leaders" get 183,500.***   But since I don't know how many people are considered to be "Congressional Leaders", I used the salary of Non-Office holding members of Congress of $169,300.
 
Let's ask our leaders to take a ten percent pay cut, make a sacarifice for the "team".  That would be an annual savings of  $9,148,930.  While that is "small change" compared to the billions and billions of dollars that the U. S. Governement spends every year, it would definately help!  When you consider that the medium American Income for Men is $45,113 and for Women it is $35,102, I really don't think that it is too much to ask.

I have heard that while President, John F. Kennedy took a salary of only $1 per year because of his family's wealth.  Many of our member of Congress are very wealthly and could afford to volunteer to take a larger reduction.  If the heads of the United States Government are expecting us to "tighten our belts", shouldn't they be willing to do the same thing?

  References:

*       Wikipedia article, "President of the United States". 
**      Wikipedia article, "Vice-President of the United States".
***    Wikipedia article, "United States Congress".