Our taxes at work....again: Congress is giving itself a raise

[tpsbmam]

It's not enough that we have bailed out corporation after corporation, it's apparently immaterial that our wages have stagnated for years, it apparently doesn't occur to those who failed to freeze their wages that in a country on the brink of a depression (if we're not already there) with record home foreclosures that allowing their automatic raise to stand at this time would be inappropriate (to be polite). No -- our incredibly ineffective legislators need a raise! Congress has stopped their automatic pay increases before -- why not now? Incredible.

http://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), a non-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.”

(more at link)


:mad: :spank: :banghead:

[FLAprogressive]

1. Do we want to lose Congress? Seriously it's like Pelosi is sadistic and WANTS to be in the minority.

[atreides1]

2. You're Wrong

Wanting to be in the minority would make Pelosi a masochist not a sadist!

Remember, it's the masochist that likes to be dominated!

[razors edge]

8. I think it sounded right the other way.

Pelosi is a sadist, and we the people are the masochists.

We do so much seem to love the crap they shower on us.

[KansDem]

3. Give 'em a break already! Don't you know how tough it is to vote on legislation...

...you haven't read?

And to say stuff like, "I yield myself the balance of my time," and "Mr. Speaker, I rise to ________"

Not to mention having to go to all those grocery store openings...

[valerief]

4. Well, it costs a lot to punish the American people. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. The budget for the entire legislative branch...

...including the Library of Congress: 3.2 billion.
The cost of the salary incrase: 2.5 million.

2.5 million divided by 3.2 billion: ~.08%

It's symbolic politics. The sum involved is minuscule.

Congressmen should be paid more -- then there'd be fewer millionaires in Congress. Now, only those who don't need the paycheck can afford to take the job -- and their agenda isn't our agenda.

I think a US Rep should make what an average backup MLB shortstop makes -- then there'd be as many kids dreaming of being Congressmen as there are shortstops.

[Sanctified]

6. I wish I could vote for an increase in Salary.

Man that has to be the best job ever, you get to vote for your salary and benefits. If I was in congress I would just play World Of Warcraft half the day then spend the other half getting pork for my state so I could keep getting re-elected.

[ogneopasno]

7. This is just fucking embarrassing. How are they managing to vote that raise while they're

fiddling through the smoke?