bpwallace49 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 ..Are members of Congress paid enough?. .By Chris Moody Political Reporter .PostsEmailRSS .By Chris Moody | The Ticket – 23 hrs ago....tweet577Share56EmailPrint..... (Charles Dharapak/AP) Everyone complains about their job now and then, and members of Congress are no exception. A few lawmakers have suggested in recent months that despite a $174,000 annual salary, generous health care and pensions, and perks for things like travel and mail, being one of the elite 435 ain't always what it's cracked up to be. And when you calculate the hours they put in, the pay isn't stellar either, they say. The Florida Capital News reported last week on a speech Steve Southerland, a Republican representative, gave to a retirement community in Tallahassee in which he complained about some of the parts of his new job: "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." Southerland, a freshman, ran a family funeral home business in Panama City and earned about $90,000 before joining Congress in January. His sentiments were not unlike those expressed by Sean Duffy, a Republican representative from Wisconsin, when he said in March it was a "struggle" to pay his mortgage and student loans with his congressional salary. "At this point, I'm not living high on the hog," Duffy, a father of six, said. (Compared to his colleagues, Duffy is one of the least wealthy members of Congress.) At the height of the debate over a possible government shutdown last spring, Linda Sánchez, a Democratic representative from California, said during an MSNBC interview that she was living "paycheck to paycheck" on her congressional salary. And she wasn't the only one. Renee Ellmers, a Republican representative from North Carolina, was asked if she would forgo her pay in the case of a shutdown. Ellmers declined, saying, "I need my paycheck." Are times really so tough that even members of Congress are struggling to get by? The numbers suggest otherwise. A recent analysis of congressional pay found that members of Congress earn about 3.4 times the salary of the average American worker. Using that standard, members of Congress are among the highest paid legislators in the developed world. This talk probably won't help Congress' approval rating. The federal government is the worst-rated industry in the country, viewed favorably by only 17 percent of Americans, according to a new Gallup survey. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 boo f'n hoo, get a real job then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Cock sucker went from 90K a year to 174K... Tell him to go fu(k himself. He's doing better in the public sector than the private sector and he knew what the demands would be on his time. They ought to throw that SOB out on his ear and let him go back to his 90K a year job. Freaking cock sucker... These ass holes are beyond the pale... They should be there to serve the country, not to get a freaking pay raise and lifelong pension. Any, I mean, ANY of these mutherfu(kers complaining about pay should be drummed outta office. Sh!t like this makes me sick. I've unloaded on more than one elected official for their holier than thou attitude and expectations of being treated like they are above the "common" man. Screw 'em, I vote for 'em and they should be grateful for that. Edited August 30, 2011 by SEC=UGA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I agree with the ones doing the complaining - they are not paid anywhere remotely approaching what should be the going rate. I say this with one caveat - they are probably counting campaign time, which they have within their power to massively reduce. I know this will maybe spur some argument but I have some other points I would make in support of my stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Cock sucker went from 90K a year to 174K... Tell him to go fu(k himself. He's doing better in the public sector than the private sector and he knew what the demands would be on his time. They ought to throw that SOB out on his ear and let him go back to his 90K a year job. Freaking cock sucker... These ass holes are beyond the pale... They should be there to serve the country, not to get a freaking pay raise and lifelong pension. Any, I mean, ANY of these mutherfu(kers complaining about pay should be drummed outta office. Sh!t like this makes me sick. I've unloaded on more than one elected official for their holier than thou attitude and expectations of being treated like they are above the "common" man. Screw 'em, I vote for 'em and they should be grateful for that. + a quintrillion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I agree with the ones doing the complaining - they are not paid anywhere remotely approaching what should be the going rate. I say this with one caveat - they are probably counting campaign time, which they have within their power to massively reduce. I know this will maybe spur some argument but I have some other points I would make in support of my stance. I probably know where yo're going with this, but, I kinda viewit the same way as I do paying college football players... The perks that you get, the experience that you gain, and your future prospects for earning income increase exponentially the day you step into office (or strap on the Bulldog helmet). These are perks you don't often get in the private sector, so there is a benefit that is inherent in merely getting elected to office that pays off dramatically down the road. Now, I'm sure you'll argue that if they were paid more that they wouldn't be as easily swayed by lobbyists and other donors, but, the fact of the matter is that if someone is offering them more money than they already have, they will be swayed by it. I'm also sure you might argue that if it paid more you may get a better crop of people in office, I highly doubt that. It isn't just about the pay, it takes a certain personality type to be a politician and not all of the best and brightest would want to do it anyway. Further, some people have quit VERY lucrative careers to go into politics, John Edwards, for example, the lower pay did not deter him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I could maybe be persuaded to pay them more while IN office.....IF it were in return for a large surtax on their post-government earnings. a lot of these guys have earnings potential in the low 6 figures, then they get elected to congress and they make low 6 figures, then they leave office and get a job on K street earning 7 figures. I have a bigger problem with that than I do with what they get paid while in office. but I still say the whiners can take a flying f-k at a rolling donut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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