Montana lawmaker wants to be paid in gold

Catalina Camia, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Texas Rep. Ron Paul would be so proud.

Jerry O'Neil, a Republican state legislator in Montana, is so worried about the nation's fiscal health that he wants to be paid in gold and silver coins.

O'Neil told The Daily Inter Lake newspaper that he wants people to consider the impact of the nation's $16 trillion debt. Plus, he says, there's the matter of Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution which states "no state shall ... make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts."

"It is very likely the bottom will fall out from under the U.S. dollar," O'Neil told the newspaper, which covers northwest Montana. "Only so many dollars can be printed before they have no value."

You'll recall that Paul, the congressman and GOP presidential candidate, is a big believer in returning the United States to the gold standard. That would mean the value of the dollar would be tied to the price of gold.

O'Neil is a longtime supporter of Paul's presidential bids.

The Montana newspaper story goes on to say that O'Neil wants to paid at the market value of gold and silver coins. Montana lawmakers are paid about $83 every day the Legislature is in session, plus a per diem.