What is Digg?142 Comments
- machinepolitick, on 01/05/2009, -1/+88The Congress has no intention of making personal sacrifices. They are only concerned about our behavior.
- Bloake, on 01/05/2009, -1/+73Wow, they must be under the grand illusion that they're doing a heckuva job.
- lifeandtimes, on 01/05/2009, -1/+72So, they're already making $169,300 a year... I could live on that and be very happy. I believe most of Congress has alternate income, so, what the hell do they need more money for? Nice to see Congress going ***** over what executives in Corporate America are still earning in a bad economy, but unable to hear their own bitches and moans. The more likely fact is that they just don't care. Democrats, republicans, libs, whatever...most of them come across to me as being greedy and power hungry. I haven't read anything or seen anything to prove myself wrong either.
- lilamae, on 01/05/2009, -3/+69Will you remember this during the next election cycle or will you reward bad behavior?
- chicagojack, on 01/06/2009, -1/+54Apparently, pay is not based on performance.
- MiserableTruth, on 01/06/2009, -2/+47I love how these same members of Congress were giving the automakers such a hard time for flying in their private jets. Well guess what Congress, your constituents are in need, and your getting fat off their meager wages. The wages for elected officials should reflect the average national income. I guarantee we would see a lot more consensus in instituting programs to promote job growth, along with a raise in minimum wage, and education reform. Or perhaps we would just have a lot less politicians, or more corrupt ones since it's theoretically easier to bribe a poor man... perhaps they just should reverse this incoming raise. What the hell ever happened to a system of checks and balances? Why is Congress allowed to give itself a raise, that should be up to the executive or judiciary branch.
- AmyVernon, on 01/06/2009, -1/+42And they all have a fantastic healthcare plan, too. Grr.
- inactive, on 01/06/2009, -5/+39Why are they paid at all? Aren't they public servants? If that is what public servants are paid, we should all be signing up. Don't forget that they pay no social security tax since they have their own pension system - paid for by We the People. They also don't pay for healthcare yet receive the best healthcare the US has to offer...while millions of taxpayers have none and guess who pays for it? Yup, We the People.
THEY are above We the People in the current arrangement. When you're ready to put an end to this, it can be done. We won't all survive but fewer of them will than we do.
I'm ***** done with this *****. I don't want to live forever. I would like to live long enough to see this nation restored. That remains to be seen. All you get from them is lipservice, smoke, mirrors and broken ***** promises. ***** them!
There's a revolution calling and it will begin soon. - MorganMghee, on 01/06/2009, -1/+31let's not forget, their approval rating has been hovering in the high teens and low twenties since Jul07. I don't even know how they could accept that money under these circumstances.
- thezackisback89, on 01/06/2009, -0/+24Congress: The Ultimate Paid Survey Job.
/s - mfc5200, on 01/06/2009, -1/+19Seeing as they had a 12% approval rating, and most of them are still there. The answer is no. WTF is wrong with America? I don't know, but it's scary...
- czeman, on 01/06/2009, -0/+18It pisses me off to read stories like this. I work for a company where the CEO's bonus is 100% of his salary, the cost of our benefits go up by at least $30-$40/week, and the average raise is 2%. Working for the company used to be worth more than half a flag.
- perryc, on 01/06/2009, -2/+19That's what i call a happy new year for some people...
- sdelmege, on 01/06/2009, -0/+17Yet another reason to love Congress...
- afruff23, on 01/06/2009, -2/+17And they refuse to pay some of their interns the minimum wage despite forcing businesses to pay their workers the minimum wage.
- mikeophile, on 01/06/2009, -1/+15Cut them some slack. Prostitutes who can keep their mouths shut don't come cheap.
- TonyLocNE, on 01/06/2009, -1/+15You must royally, and self-admittedly, suck at your job to compare yourself to Congress.
- fubar109, on 01/06/2009, -1/+13Does everyone live under a rock? This adjustment happens virtually every year. You should also know that this pay adjustment, also known as the Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA), effects military pay, social security, ect.
- catestarrr, on 01/06/2009, -3/+14If you could vote for a raise for yourself, you would do it too. It sucks but who can blame them? Do they deserve it? no. Will they give themselves another raise asap? yep. The proletariat screwed again.
- mfc5200, on 01/06/2009, -2/+13That's nothing. I'm going to vote to have my salary increased by $10,000. Oh wait no, I don't get to vote on what my salary is...
- HallsOfMandos, on 01/06/2009, -3/+13Every single one of these ***** needs to be kicked out next election. This is an abomination.
- Matri, on 01/06/2009, -2/+11Enjoy your propaganda.
- masamunecyrus, on 01/06/2009, -0/+9Actually, it was about 9% or 8% during the elections.
The problem with Congress is every dumbass in America thinks that all of Congress is stupid except for their Senator, or their Representative. Balderdash. Everyone vote straight-ticket anti-incumbent in 2010!! - ericdano, on 01/06/2009, -2/+11Is the cost of living factored in to my ever increasing tax burden as well? No........
They shouldn't take the money this year. Since Pelosi has been in charge, it has been terrible. - sockpuppets, on 01/06/2009, -0/+9I emailed my congressman and told him he was fired. I'm waiting to hear back.
- tajitj, on 01/07/2009, -1/+10Ron Paul and Harry Mitchell are trying to block this.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/01 ... - Leviathan433, on 01/06/2009, -0/+8And yet they will accept it, laughing their asses off all the way to the bank. Unless they have direct deposit...then they will just laugh.
- StriderNemesis, on 01/06/2009, -0/+8You should see how much congress members earn in Mexico: around $150,000 USD with bonuses included. And this is a third world country we're speaking of. If things were fair, it would have to be one fifth of what American congress members earn. They should suffer with the country. It's as if the country works to maintain them.
- nicktheawesome, on 01/06/2009, -1/+8I'll just mark "Present" today.
- lazybuoy, on 01/06/2009, -1/+8At least we can take comfort in the fact that it is our votes, or indifference, that got these people elected.
- Leviathan433, on 01/06/2009, -0/+7Unless you work for Congress as well, I think you are missing the reason that most of your felow diggers are angry about this.
- Alphi1, on 01/06/2009, -0/+7That's nothing... I worked my tail off for a promotion and that means I am due for a 10% raise in March!
Oh wait, the CEO just announced there will be no raises whatsoever this year. :( - Twisted871, on 01/06/2009, -1/+8Republicans are just as guilty of this as Democrats.
- lurrker, on 01/06/2009, -0/+6I know someone who has worked at a company that scrooges out bonuses only to a select few, and even then, aren't that great. I know someone who hasn't gotten a bonus in 5 years. You might think it's just her, but no... it's the whole damn department. I know someone who works in IT, who checked it all out, and found the CEO lying through his teeth when he said there wasn't enough in the budget for significant bonuses this year (same line for at least 3 years now). Only buddies get a bonus, and then, in a 100 person company, gets his own $8-900,000 bonus twice now, on top of his $300,000 salary. He could easily be a Congressman, other than Ron Paul or Kucinich, or just a handful of others. Oh, and raises are at around < 2%. Inflation seems to be 6%+. Bah.
- inactive, on 01/07/2009, -0/+6But they are not rich until they are making over $250,000 a year.
- armakaryk, on 01/06/2009, -0/+6man, i wish i got a raise while sucking at my job.
- fxu1989, on 01/06/2009, -3/+9Cocaine's a helluva drug
- Alphi1, on 01/06/2009, -0/+6I work in the private sector... The severly-hit private sector... I got less than half of the typical "Cost of Living Adjustment" raise last year. This year I've already been told I'll get no raise (cost of living or otherwise).
Remind me again why these representatives deserve a cost of living (on top of a six-figure income already) more than I do?
As an aside, while I question governmental interference in anything wage-related (if a company wants to pay workers less than they can live on, then they will have no workers, for example), since they already have their fingers in the pot, what about mandating a minumum cost-of-living increase for everybody? - NSResponder, on 01/06/2009, -0/+6If we want to stop inflation once and for all, we should amend the constitution to freeze congressional pay.
-jcr - fubar109, on 01/06/2009, -0/+6To be fair, Congress has to vote AGAINST a pay raise. It is an automatic raise based on a law passed many years ago (Ethics Reform Act of 1989).
- CTRaiderThe1st, on 01/06/2009, -0/+5And teachers are being asked to give their pay raises back.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fayette/sto ... - kmckanna, on 01/06/2009, -2/+7Americaaaa, ***** yea!
- PopcornDave, on 01/06/2009, -2/+7You've got people that can't read instructions well enough to fill out a ballot so in a recount their intent has to be inferred and you wonder WTF is wrong with America?
- FolkTheory, on 01/06/2009, -0/+5I thought this was made illegal with the 27th amendment?
- Khast, on 01/06/2009, -1/+6At my current job..thank god I still have one....
Congress makes in 1 year what it would take me 10 years to make.
Yet, I still don't see any improvements....in the normal job market, that would either mean layoffs, or no raise. Congress gets to vote for their own raises....If I were to tell my boss when to give me a raise, I'd be looking for another job. - Deausx, on 01/06/2009, -0/+5Do you actually believe that if we just payed them enough, which would be different for everyone, that they'd stop taking bribes? They don't take bribes and lobbyist "gifts" because they've got a sick grandmother who needs a transplant or a 15 year old car that barely makes it to work every morning. They take bribes of vacations, $1000 dinners, additions to their homes, etc because they are filled with nothing but GREED. They only want money to burn it as fast as they can and laugh at the height of the flames.
- AriaStar, on 01/07/2009, -0/+5Depends. Are you living off tax-payer dollars and giving us no say in the matter, or is your raise based on your job performance with someone else deciding whether or not you get a raise?
- FallenTurtles, on 01/06/2009, -0/+5"A few thousand isn't worth anything in the long run."
A few thousand keeps me in a warm apartment for several months. I'm pretty sure it's worth quite a bit to a LOT of people. - 4eloBek, on 01/06/2009, -0/+5did they rise price for bribes as well?
- maz2331, on 01/06/2009, -1/+6Because if any public officials aren't given a decent salary, they will become ultra-corrupt. Look at places like Afghanistan, where the average cop makes like 200 bucks a month.
Now, if it was a very part-time thing, it could be a minimal amount. But with current ethics and disclosure requirements, they should be well paid.
Of course, if we ever catch one "on the take" with a good salary, then the penalty should be execution by constituents with bare hands. -
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