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Ah...the poor little Representatives feel that their pay isn't much..too many hours.

Engineer

Engineer

Elite Member
Ah, the poor little Congressmen/women are having to work for that $174,000 pay each year, around 3.4 times the average salary of the working person in the US and among the highest for legislators in the world.

And what have we gotten for the $174,000 per person? The least amount of legislation in a generation? LOL.

Read the article...there is more than one complaining (Paycheck to paycheck? WTF).



http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/members-congress-paid-enough-165641960.html

"He said his $174,000 salary is not so much, considering the hours a member of the House puts in, and that he had to sever ties with his family business in Panama City. Southerland also said there are no instant pensions or free health insurance, as some of his constituents often ask him about in Congress.

"'And by the way, did I mention? They're shooting at us. There is law-enforcement security in this room right now, and why is that?" Southerland told about 125 people in an auditorium at the Westminster Oaks retirement community. "If you think this job pays too much, with those kinds of risks and cutting me off from my family business, I'll just tell you: This job don't mean that much to me. I had a good life in Panama City.'

"...He added that 'if you took the hours that I work and divided it into my pay,' the $174,000 salary would not seem so high."
Click to expand...

The poor little baby that gets in excess of 6 weeks off per year not to mention countless perks thinks his pay per hour is not that good. Well sorry about your luck. Look at the people that you're "governing", with many working far more hours than you are and see if they feel sorry for you.

Hell, they ALL need a pay cut right now...it would be the "right" thing to do for the swelling deficits that we have.:biggrin:

I guess he means the Giffords thing as I don't know any other shooting in quite some time in Congress.
 
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Gonad the Barbarian said:
Poor guy, hopefully he can reestablish those family business ties soon.
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He only made $90,000 at the family business, lol. Just doubling the ole salary with huge perks but he has to work so damn hard, lol.

I bet a dollar to donuts that none of them has put in the number of hours that I put in 2005 (or even close to it).
 
we should provide housing for congressmen on-par with the average apartment in DC and pay them whatever the median income is in their district back home... maybe give them some incentive to boost the qualify of life for their constituents at large, not just their corporate donors.
 
They do work pretty long hours, or used to, when they worked. And they have to maintain two households. That's why some of them live in their offices. But regardless, it's abominably stupid to complain about it. It's a voluntary gig, you maintain twice the number of households on three times the salary, deal with it. Don't like it, don't do it. Besides, they're all rich before they leave anyway.
 
Engineer said:
Ah, the poor little Congressmen/women are having to work for that $174,000 pay each year, around 3.4 times the average salary of the working person in the US and among the highest for legislators in the world.

And what have we gotten for the $174,000 per person? The least amount of legislation in a generation? LOL.

Read the article...there is more than one complaining (Paycheck to paycheck? WTF).



http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/members-congress-paid-enough-165641960.html



The poor little baby that gets in excess of 6 weeks off per year not to mention countless perks thinks his pay per hour is not that good. Well sorry about your luck. Look at the people that you're "governing", with many working far more hours than you are and see if they feel sorry for you.

Hell, they ALL need a pay cut right now...it would be the "right" thing to do for the swelling deficits that we have.:biggrin:

I guess he means the Giffords thing as I don't know any other shooting in quite some time in Congress.
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We should let the "markets" decide their pay and I have a feeling it would be LESS than minimum wage 😉
 
NEWS FLASH:

Elected officials are PUBLIC SERVANTS and should feel honored they have been chosen to represent the interests of their fellow citizens.
 
loki8481 said:
we should provide housing for congressmen on-par with the average apartment in DC and pay them whatever the median income is in their district back home... maybe give them some incentive to boost the qualify of life for their constituents at large, not just their corporate donors.
Click to expand...

I like it.
 
werepossum said:
They do work pretty long hours, or used to, when they worked. And they have to maintain two households. That's why some of them live in their offices. But regardless, it's abominably stupid to complain about it. It's a voluntary gig, you maintain twice the number of households on three times the salary, deal with it. Don't like it, don't do it. Besides, they're all rich before they leave anyway.
Click to expand...

That is the problem. It comes down to them. Each congressman/woman can pretty much chooese how much they actually head to the capital to vote. Will the American People actually keep the lazy ones accountable? I doubt it. They can sit on their ass and only work when their campaign is in trouble.
 
ArchAngel777 said:
That is the problem. It comes down to them. Each congressman/woman can pretty much chooese how much they actually head to the capital to vote. Will the American People actually keep the lazy ones accountable? I doubt it. They can sit on their ass and only work when their campaign is in trouble.
Click to expand...

Should she take a 40% cut in pay?

Yes, yes she should...and the rest should too! :biggrin:

Until a few weeks ago, I didn't have a wage increase since 2007 other than a little one after jumping jobs and actually took a cut (5%) in 2008. Congress needs to FEEL what the rest of us have felt for quite some time.
 
child of wonder said:
NEWS FLASH:

Elected officials are PUBLIC SERVANTS and should feel honored they have been chosen to represent the interests of their fellow citizens.
Click to expand...

Right on. In fact, besides the super rich, it would be very easy to determine who is an actual servant of their country if you cut their pay to something much more meager... But then you have the super rich who are power hungry who would be running for it and it wouldn't solve anything... Like those CEO's that work for $1 a year but don't tell you the millions they have in the bank invested and other perks they are getting.

Cut them down to... 50K and provide an apartment somewhere in DC, a per diem for meals and their airfare that is required for government business travel. They can pay the mortage on their main residence.
 
ArchAngel777 said:
.. Like those CEO's that work for $1 a year but don't tell you the millions they have in the bank invested and other perks they are getting.
Click to expand...

LOL, they do it so they get long term stock options and get to pay a 15% tax on the gains, nothing more. They get millions in compensation and pay 15% tax on it instead of the higher rates that the rest of us would have to pay for regular wages in the same amounts.
 
Engineer said:
Should she take a 40% cut in pay?

Yes, yes she should...and the rest should too! :biggrin:

Until a few weeks ago, I didn't have a wage increase since 2007 other than a little one after jumping jobs and actually took a cut (5%) in 2008. Congress needs to FEEL what the rest of us have felt for quite some time.
Click to expand...

Well, after visiting the capital, I was surprised just how many votes there are! They literally can't vote 100% of the time. I think 80% is probably the best you'd get if you averaged it out. But, yes, clearly missing 40% of the votes is a bit much.

Regardless, this whole issue could be solved if the job paid less and we didn't allow someone with a networth of 1mil+ in the position. Of course, I understand that it wouldn't work to implement such a policy, plus it probably isn't fair to the super rich people who ARE responsable (no matter how few they are 😛 )

Meh, country is going in the shitter anyway.
 
365 * 24 = 8760

174,000 / 8760 =

$19.86 per hour if they worked 24/7/365

which is more than the time and a half someone working overtime at minimum wage would get.

Fuck 'Em
 
You actually believe they get six weeks off a year?

Yes Congress is in recess but, that doesn't mean they are on vacation. August and December Recess isn't vacation. They are in the district either working in their office or out and about in the district. Congressmen don't have much time off. They are either working or campaigning.

Congressmen bring home about $8000/month after all is said and done. Sounds like a lot but they are required to maintain two residences and a residence in DC is expensive. I can see how a Congressman who is not independently wealthy and has a family of 8 is living paycheck to paycheck. Are most living paycheck? No, most are millionaires, but it doesn't mean some are because as of the last election there are quite a few who are not independantly wealthy and rely on their Congressional Salary.
 
ArchAngel777 said:
That is the problem. It comes down to them. Each congressman/woman can pretty much chooese how much they actually head to the capital to vote. Will the American People actually keep the lazy ones accountable? I doubt it. They can sit on their ass and only work when their campaign is in trouble.
Click to expand...

So you think all they do is vote or do nothing? Lazy Congressmen don't get re-elected.

Lazy Congressmen don't get re-elected. Most arrive on the hill at 8am and often don't leave until 8pm. Voting on the floor is a very very small part of their daily activity. Most voting on the floor is honestly, stupid shit declaring this or that, honoring this or that etc etc. It is rare a Congressmen misses an important vote.

And if they aren't in DC, they are still working as when they are in district they are still working either in the office or out and about in the district holding town halls or visiting with constituents.

I've seen a Congressman's daily/weekly schedule. Thanks but no thanks. I don't want my life micromanaged for 8-12 hrs a day 5-6 days a week. And that was during August recess.
 
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Wreckem said:
You actually believe they get six weeks off a year?

Yes Congress is in recess but, that doesn't mean they are on vacation. August and December Recess isn't vacation. They are in the district either working in their office or out and about in the district. Congressmen don't have much time off. They are either working or campaigning.

Congressmen bring home about $8000/month after all is said and done. Sounds like a lot but they are required to maintain two residences and a residence in DC is expensive. I can see how a Congressman who is not independently wealthy and has a family of 8 is living paycheck to paycheck. Are most living paycheck? No, most are millionaires, but it doesn't mean some are because as of the last election there are quite a few who are not independantly wealthy and rely on their Congressional Salary.
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no sympathy here. I don't need to hear about how government needs to be cut to the bone or how government workers are lazy/money sucking pension whores and unions are causing the destruction of the US economy only to hear Republicans like this guy or Sean Real World Duffy complain they cannot make it on 174k per year and platinum health care coverage and pension plan, etc. They raised on average of one million dollars to win a House election
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/11/money-wins-white-house-and.html
to get a job for 2 years that pays 174k per year. They knew that going into the race. They need to STFU and do their job and if they cannot, resign and let the line of state house and state Senate members take their place.

Edit: Lazy Congress people do get reelected. The vast majority of seats come from "safe districts." You can literally sit on your butt all year and vote the party line and get reelected because of how the districts are configured.
 
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