"Big Money Congress Doesn't Deserve a Pay Raise"

[GreenPartyVoter]

Earlier his month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted itself a $3,100 pay raise. Didn't hear about it? That's no surprise. It was challenged by just one lawmaker, Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who "debated" for two minutes. Few people noticed.

How things have changed. In the early-1990s, Republicans used a broad critique of entrenched Democratic leadership, including opposition to pay raises, to gain control of Congress. Then, Republicans rejected pay raises in three of the first four years after they gained control of Congress. But those days are over. As a silent and sad punctuation to Congress's pay raise, the Democrats joined the Republicans in agreeing to keep the issue out of the 2006 elections.

It might have slipped by even more quietly if not for this comment from scandal-plagued House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas:

"It's not a pay raise," claimed DeLay, who will now make $183,500 a year. "It's an adjustment so that not losing purchasing power."

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0726-20.htm

[CrispyQ]

1. DeLay - what an a-hole.

I'd be more than happy with $180,400.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Me too. Why is it congress gets to maintain purchasing power.. but living

wage working class people are not afforded this??

[KarenInMA]

3. It's an adjustment so that not losing purchasing power."

Translation: It's an adjustment so it cost lobbiest more to purchase me.

[katinmn]

4. Thanks. Used the site to send a message to my Congressperson:

Each and every Congressional member should be ashamed for quietly voting for a $3,100 pay raise.

We're mired in a war, our soldiers continue to go without basic protective armor, we have record deficits, and 45 million men women and children have NO healthcare in this country. Veterans and returning injured soldiers face a $2.1 billion shortfall in needed healthcare services.

Social services are drying up because the government has siphoned off funds for the war and Homeland (in)Security.

Couldn't Congress "bite the bullet" just once along with the rest of us?

Disappointed in Minnesota,

[katinmn]

12. And a LTTE!

Each and every Congressional member should be ashamed for quietly voting for their $3,100 individual pay raise.

We're mired in a war, our soldiers continue to go without basic protective armor, we have record deficits, and 45 million men women and children have no healthcare in this country. Veterans and returning injured soldiers face a $2.1 billion shortfall in needed health care services.

Social services are drying up on local, state and national levels because the government has siphoned off funds for the war and Homeland (in)Security.

Scandal leader Tom DeLay (who will now make $183,500 a year) claims "It's not a pay raise. It's an adjustment so that we're not losing our purchasing power."

Oh yeah? I'm sure families trying to survive on $10,712 a year, the current income for a full-time minimum wage worker, will sympathize. Congress hasn't raised the minimum wage since 1997.

Couldn't Congress "bite the bullet" just once in solidarity with the people it is supposed to be representing?

xxxx
St. Paul, MN

[CrispyQ]

13. Most excellent letter!

Check back when it's printed!


:yourock:

[katinmn]

14. Thanks!

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I didn't even know they had voted themselves another payraise until I read it here.

[AX10]

5. They should work for free.

[GreenArrow]

8. I could support that

they are "public servants", after all.

[hfojvt]

11. then only rich people, like Gates and Walton

could afford to do it.

[GreenArrow]

15. I think only rich people are doing it now

They could afford it. Median salary. Food allowances. Travel allowances. Housing allowance. Health benefits. They get plenty of perks, as it is, but they sure don't need to be giving themselves a raise.

[earth mom]

6. "It's an adjustment so that not losing purchasing power."

Hey DeLay! Why not tell that to the rest of the employers across the U.S.?! I'm sure the majority of Americans are sick of losing their "purchasing power" which they've been losing for years! :grr:

[GreenArrow]

7. I think they should get paid US median income --

around 45,000 dollars a year and live in dormitory housing while on the public dole.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. and the dorms shouldn't be condolike and in a flossy neighborhood.

Let them live alongside people who are scraping to get by.

[hfojvt]

10. but they are just barely getting by, and they are serving the public

either that or that is a cookbook "to serve the public".

"Forty members of the current U.S. Senate are millionaires; less than one percent of the American people are millionaires. And big money mixed with irregular and high-tech redistricting help explain why the incumbent reelection rate in the House of Representatives the past three elections has been more than 98 percent. These are the kind of numbers we expect to see in countries like North Korea or China, not the United States." Charles Lewis

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. unreal, isn't it, the way you can buy an election?