Congress gets a raise

[GG]

http://mobile.thehill.com/leading-the-news/with-economy-in-shambles-congress-gets-a-raise-2008-12-17.html


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.

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.

"As lawmakers make a big show of forcing auto executives to accept just $1 a year in salary, they are quietly raiding the vault for their own personal gain," said Daniel O'Connell, chairman of The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), anon-partisan group."This money would be much better spent helping the millions of seniors who are living below the poverty line and struggling to keep their heat on this winter."

However, 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."

Member raises are often characterized as examples of wasteful spending, especially when many constituents and businesses in members' districts are in financial despair.

Rep. Harry Mitchell, a first-term Democrat from Arizona, sponsored legislation earlier this year that would have prevented the automatic pay adjustments from kicking in for members next year. But the bill, which attracted 34 cosponsors, failed to make it out of committee.

[cannon_fodder]

I'm sure it is just part of the stimulus package.   Actually, salary is not a reason to go to the Congress.  It is not the driving force behind most people seeking the seat anyway.  The 'perks' of the job are far more valuable and the inside information even more so (every wonder why so many people go in wealthy and leave stinkin' rich?).

IMHO, this recession will be used to permanently increase the size of the US government.

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

I'm sure it is just part of the stimulus package.   Actually, salary is not a reason to go to the Congress.  It is not the driving force behind most people seeking the seat anyway.  The 'perks' of the job are far more valuable and the inside information even more so (every wonder why so many people go in wealthy and leave stinkin' rich?).

IMHO, this recession will be used to permanently increase the size of the US government.

I think they should work on commission.  All in favor?

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar

I think they should work on commission.  All in favor?

You think they aren't already???