Lawmaker calls Congress 'underpaid', objects to salary freeze

[shortylickens]

Yup, pretty much every one of those guys has a nice fuckin townhome in the good part of DC, in addition to big palace his family stays at in Virginia or Maryland.

 

[zinfamous]

They should be compensated the same as a similar job in the private sector. How much does a common thief make?

 

[zinfamous]

Yup, pretty much every one of those guys has a nice fuckin townhome in the good part of DC, in addition to big palace his family stays at in Virginia or Maryland.

well, actually, several of them share barely furnished, smallish apartments. Some live in what would be considered frat-house style populations, in common apartment buildings.

Well, I shouldn't say live. I think a good number of congressmen/women/people do share relatively modest dwellings in DC because they aren't really there all of the time.

House Members, especially, spend most of their time in their Home district throughout the year. They do travel a shit ton.

Not that I'm excusing their general shenanigans, but I think it is inaccurate to claim that they have multiple cushy town homes and mansions in and around DC.

Families rarely live with them in DC.

 

[zinfamous]

Agree. Ron Paul voted against raising salaries and wanted to cut them but instead too many idiots attack his policies.

Yes, because obviously that is his only policy.

tool.

 

[Zaap]

No one is talking about mansions.

Apartments near Capital Hill average about $2,500 per month per bedroom. I.e., a studio is about $30k a year before utilities etc.
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/...nd-least-expensive-neighborhoods-for-renters/

Unless you're rich, I think that's a pretty damn steep tab for a second household.

Fern

Congress is in session an average of 140 days per year. That's about $1300 A DAY on the job. (And how many of these turds even show up every day congress is in session?)

Don't like the terrible hardship of having to spend less than a two day's pay to live in a $2500 pad? Fucking commute from wherever you can afford.

Amazing how people think of these dicks as kings and queens or something. "Oh noes! They might have to spend 2 days pay on a place to live!" Laughable!

But I'm enjoying all the sob stories about the poor, poor, poor plight of the political class

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Politicians are supposed to be under paid. Why do you think the founding fathers made such a big deal over limiting presidential pay?

 

[boomerang]

No one is talking about mansions.

Apartments near Capital Hill average about $2,500 per month per bedroom. I.e., a studio is about $30k a year before utilities etc.
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/...nd-least-expensive-neighborhoods-for-renters/

Unless you're rich, I think that's a pretty damn steep tab for a second household.

Fern

How about we put Charlie Rangel in charge of securing housing for members of Congress in DC? He played the system for years living in rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem.

Yes, that was tongue-in-cheek. So, we give members of Congress a stipend to assist with their living expenses in DC. But they don't get the money directly and they only get assistance if they live in approved housing. We can give incentives to share a residence and additional incentives to share with a member of the opposing party. Let's make it advantageous for them to learn to get along, at least on some level, with the opposition.

The program will take a while to implement but once the transition is complete any average Joe that can raise enough money to attain the office and get the votes can hold it. In other words we'll still have the problem of corrupt politicians but it won't be because only the well-heeled can afford a second residence in DC.

Having said all that, the system is still a nightmare of corruption. Elected officials spend more time fund-raising for the party and themselves than they spend doing the people's business. You feel it's a full time job. I contend that it would be a part time job if we paid them only for their time associated with actually legislating.

There is no answer to these problems. The system is controlled by those that are corrupt. Voting out some of the players, those that hold office, solves nothing. The newcomers will be indoctrinated in the methods of corruption as job one. Our nation, our system of government has lasted a good long while but it cannot stand forever. It is corrupt to its core and there is no way to fix it. This will play out as have other great civilizations before. We can only stand by as it implodes. Why will this happen? Because of the nature of the human race. We excel at killing the golden goose.

 

[Incorruptible]

Yes, because obviously that is his only policy.

tool.

He had good policies that were in line with the Constitution but too many idiots want their entitlements.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

He had good policies that were in line with the Constitution but too many idiots want their entitlements.

In line with? WTH does that even mean? They weren't flat out illegal?

 

[Incorruptible]

In line with? WTH does that even mean? They weren't flat out illegal?

He supported the Constitution.

 

[shortylickens]

 

[lothar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhQbj-y45U4
People in congress aren't being paid enough that they have to resort to sleeping in their offices...

 

[pcgeek11]

well, actually, several of them share barely furnished, smallish apartments. Some live in what would be considered frat-house style populations, in common apartment buildings.

Well, I shouldn't say live. I think a good number of congressmen/women/people do share relatively modest dwellings in DC because they aren't really there all of the time.

House Members, especially, spend most of their time in their Home district throughout the year. They do travel a shit ton.

Not that I'm excusing their general shenanigans, but I think it is inaccurate to claim that they have multiple cushy town homes and mansions in and around DC.

Families rarely live with them in DC.

They get a huge Tax Break for the second residence however. Publication 463, Cat. No. 11081L, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses.

It's a deduction for expenses while traveling away from your "Tax Home." IRS Publication 463 delineates many of these deductions, as well as the rules for allowing them.

 

[Fern]

They get a huge Tax Break for the second residence however. Publication 463, Cat. No. 11081L, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses.

It's a deduction for expenses while traveling away from your "Tax Home." IRS Publication 463 delineates many of these deductions, as well as the rules for allowing them.

No they don't.

Their "tax home" is in Washington DC and they can't deduct the cost of home back in their district.

Tax home means where your job is at.

Fern

 

[LetsGetReal]

I'm ok with a per diem if they bring the pay down to a GS-15 level.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-ove...es-wages/salary-tables/14Tables/html/DCB.aspx

Oh and you only get paid when congress is in session. During "recess" you don't get paid. Why should they get paid when they're on the campaign trail and not in DC doing "work"?

and no lifetime pension either, pay their own healthcare obamacare mandatory see how they like it.

 

[MongGrel]

I think we may have hit upon the lone topic where both sides of p&n can agree. Jeepers! :awe:

Yea, they are overpaid and deserve not a dime more.

+1

 

[MongGrel]

well, actually, several of them share barely furnished, smallish apartments. Some live in what would be considered frat-house style populations, in common apartment buildings.

Well, I shouldn't say live. I think a good number of congressmen/women/people do share relatively modest dwellings in DC because they aren't really there all of the time.

House Members, especially, spend most of their time in their Home district throughout the year. They do travel a shit ton.

Not that I'm excusing their general shenanigans, but I think it is inaccurate to claim that they have multiple cushy town homes and mansions in and around DC.

Families rarely live with them in DC.

You mean their aparments/offices their interns sleep in I take it, and they stop in now and again from some things I've seen in the past.

 

[MongGrel]

No they don't.

Their "tax home" is in Washington DC and they can't deduct the cost of home back in their district.

Tax home means where your job is at.

Fern

Are you a Lobbyist ?

:biggrin:

 

[yllus]

I think $174k is pretty low for that job. The job is ridiculously difficult, stressful, endlessly combative and your mistakes (and your decisions that your foes decide to spin as mistakes) are very, very public. An intelligent person can make that kind of money with far fewer of the fringe non-benefits.

I think that human society is all about incentives, and I'm very wary of the incentives a "low" pay, high stress public office position has. The idea that serving the public is an honour that obliges you to take a pay cut in addition to all of the above is, I think, a notion that should be kept in check. With the adversarial nature of politics that Western society has developed you'll never be able to get rid of the stress or adversity, but it shouldn't require a pay cut by 50% or more. The people who do opt to do that are going to be saints or megalomaniacs, and there's far more of the latter available than there are of the former.

 

[Jhhnn]

well, actually, several of them share barely furnished, smallish apartments. Some live in what would be considered frat-house style populations, in common apartment buildings.

Well, I shouldn't say live. I think a good number of congressmen/women/people do share relatively modest dwellings in DC because they aren't really there all of the time.

House Members, especially, spend most of their time in their Home district throughout the year. They do travel a shit ton.

Not that I'm excusing their general shenanigans, but I think it is inaccurate to claim that they have multiple cushy town homes and mansions in and around DC.

Families rarely live with them in DC.

All quite true, but it doesn't fit the raving anti-gubmint agenda. Therefore, it will be ignored. Facts don't matter. Only truthiness matters.

 

[Incorruptible]

This guy is a complete moron and piece of crap. These guys take far too much money from the taxpayer and then spend the hard earned money on idiotic programs to make people dependent on government.

 

[LetsGetReal]

This guy is a complete moron and piece of crap. These guys take far too much money from the taxpayer and then spend the hard earned money on idiotic programs to make people dependent on government.

+1

 

[tweaker2]

This guy is a complete moron and piece of crap. These guys take far too much money from the taxpayer and then spend the hard earned money on idiotic programs to make people dependent on government.

I agree. Government programs definitely make big corporations and very rich people dependent on the government. Farm subsidies for the big agribusinesses, tax breaks for Big Oil and the wealthy too numerous to mention, regulations that favor big pharma over imported drugs and on and on and on.

 

[unokitty]

Is he fucking nuts? 174k is underpaid?

When a Congressman Becomes a Lobbyist, He Gets a 1,452 Percent Raise (On Average)

Selling out pays. If you’re a corporation or lobbyist, what’s the best way to “buy” a member of Congress? Secretly promise them a million dollars or more in pay if they come to work for you after they leave office. Once a public official makes a deal to go to work for a lobbying firm or corporation after leaving office, he or she becomes loyal to the future employer. And since those deals are done in secret, legislators are largely free to pass laws, special tax cuts, or earmarks that benefit their future employer with little or no accountability to the public. While campaign contributions and super PACS are a big problem, the everyday bribery of the revolving door may be the most pernicious form of corruption today

... any Senator or Representative is free to pursue legislation that favors his future lobbyist cohorts, without revealing his financial allegiance to those new partners.

In 1974, just 3% of retiring members of Congress became lobbyists. Today, 50% of retiring Senators and 42% of retiring House members stay in DC and become lobbyists

No, he isn't nuts. He is just speaking the truth from his perspective. Because the fact is after he leaves Congress he will get a massive raise to become a lobbyist. He can even legally sign that contract while he is serving in Congress and keep it a secret.

And it doesn't matter whether the politician is a Republican or a Democrat.

Anyone that thinks the average Congressional Rep is loyal to their voters is naive. The facts show that they are not. What they are loyal to is money.

Uno

 

[Incorruptible]

I agree. Government programs definitely make big corporations and very rich people dependent on the government. Farm subsidies for the big agribusinesses, tax breaks for Big Oil and the wealthy too numerous to mention, regulations that favor big pharma over imported drugs and on and on and on.

STFU you leftist idiot. Why did you ignore the part about welfare?