Congress gets a raise
Oh, look...Congress raised its pay:
A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay.I don't like to play the populist game of wealth envy, but they should suspend the raise given the state of the economy.Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.
[...]
at 2.8 percent, the automatic raise that lawmakers receive is only half as large as the 2009 cost of living adjustment of Social Security recipients.Still, Steve Ellis, vice president of the budget watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense, said Congress should have taken the rare step of freezing its pay, as lawmakers did in 2000.
“Look at the way the economy is and how most people aren’t counting on a holiday bonus or a pay raise — they’re just happy to have gainful employment,” said Ellis. “But you have the lawmakers who are set up and ready to get their next installment of a pay raise and go happily along their way.”
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In the beginning days of 1789, Congress was paid only $6 a day, which would be about $75 daily by modern standards. But by 1965 members were receiving $30,000 a year, which is the modern equivalent of about $195,000.Currently the average lawmaker makes $169,300 a year, with leadership making slightly more. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) makes $217,400, while the minority and majority leaders in the House and Senate make $188,100.
Comments
People have lost homes, jobs, families, livelihoods, and the will to live and our lawmakers are giving themselves a raise with our money. Remember I have said many times to follow the money because there is no telling how many of these very lawmakers are benefitting from all the bailouts that have been issued to everyone who has stepped up to the plate. The Congress could and should have frozen their wages and it would have been wise for them to take a pay cut. They don't mind telling everyone else in the business world to take it on the chin. As long as this merry go round is turning with money flying in all directions but where it needs to fly this problem will get worse. People are tired of their money being taken and used for helping those who messed up with out our help.
It would be a wise step for all elected officials from the county level to the national level to take a pay cut. But that will be hard to do since they have enjoyed the taste of money and it has fattened so many.
Again follow the money here and see where it will land.
The picture is not pretty and the age marks are showing.
The Doctor
Posted by: The Doctor | December 19, 2008 11:22 PM
They like even the local politicians will not lower their pay because it effects them PERSONALLY... remember change is only good for those who are not effected.... Freeze is only good for those that it is beneficial to ..... and that includes the Henry County BoC...... Remember if we don't offer enough money we won't attract qualified participants and can you imagine the problems we would face if we didn't have all this brain power in office...
Don Henderson
Posted by: Don | December 21, 2008 05:13 PM