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| Congresswoman Calls for Congress to Take a Pay Cut |
| 2010-03-05 |
| With so many citizens across American feeling the pinch of the recession and with a bloated budget looming over them, it's time for members of Congress to take pay cut, some House members are saying. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) this week introduced the "Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act," which would cut senators' and representatives' salaries by 5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2011. The measure would enact the first pay cut for Congress since 1933. At least 12 other congressmen have signed onto the bill this week. The purpose of the bill is to "make Members of Congress show a personal commitment to cutting federal spending," according to a press release. "Families across the country are getting by on lower wages and finding ways to cut back during the downturn, and these are the folks that pay our salaries," Kirkpatrick said in a statement. "The federal government's budget is in much worse shape, so why shouldn't senators and representatives have to feel the same pinch?" Kirkpatrick has promised to return 5 percent of her own salary this year to show her commitment to the proposal. According to the release, Kirkpatrick feels the measure should be easy for her congressional colleagues to support since it saves taxpayer dollars without cutting any valuable programs. Most members of Congress make $174,000 per year, though leadership makes more. |
| Posted by:Delphi |
| #19 The fix for Congress and the power of the PACs and the special interests isn't that members of Congress take bribes for themselves.. No, there are family members and supporters who need can use the money or the jobs or the large 'invoice'. The media gives it FREE as a condition of license... Isn't that the socialist approach for everything? Mandate it to be free on condition of .... Right. Dozens of small parties demand 'equal' time. The last Presidential election cost over a billion dollars, and who got all the money. The media! That's why the newspaper are flourishing and the networks are hiring in their 'news' departments. You try to put up one wall to corruption, it just finds another way around it. It's basic human nature. Recognize it for what it is and either exploit it or out bid it. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-05 21:08 |
| #18 ION VARIOUS > GERMAN MP's: GREECE SHOULD SELL ISLANDS TO CUT DEBT. Possible option for POST-GWOT, ECON + GEOPOL TRUBLED AMERIKA as per its ISLAND TERRITORIES INCLUD GUAM, etal. This 2010 NET NEWS is brought to youse in living color by 1960's-early 1970's GUAM TAOTAMONAS + OWG MADONNA, etc. D *** NG IT, SILLY MORIARITY THOUGHT THE GREEKS + GERMANS CAME UP WID IT ALL BY THEMSELVES, AND ONLY IN 2010 YET! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-03-05 19:50 |
| #17 The fix for Congress and the power of the PACs and the special interests isn't that members of Congress take bribes for themselves. They need all the money to pay for the media costs. All we need to do is adopt a universal system of FREE media and public airway time, each member and competitor above a reasonable level in the primary process gets exactly the same amount. The media gives it FREE as a condition of license, and it is illegal to advertise outside of that. Interested voters get to see the advertising of contenders for the positions, dopes pull the party lever without the annoying discussion of who rules them, and special interests have no lever to control the politician. Then, taking a personal bribe is a felony as an elected offical with serious jail time. And voila, more representative and honest government. The last Presidential election cost over a billion dollars, and who got all the money. The media! Smell the coffee my friends.... |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2010-03-05 19:30 |
| #16 That's why I figure one scenario with the Chinese heavily invested in government bonds by the hundreds of billions, they're going to protect their interests. So, in the end, our Congresscritter may virtually be outsourced to Beijing as well. Special interests pay better. Of course the side effect will be to get our economic house in order to pay the bonds off. Strange bedfellows it could turn out to be. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-05 19:23 |
| #15 when the average congresscritter leaves office much wealthier than can be explained by their salary, it's no wonder there are applicants |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-05 18:58 |
| #14 Substantial fines for each bill passed? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-03-05 18:23 |
| #13 It is true that star athletes get millions because of supply and demand - Well, then obviously there's not a big 'demand' for competent Congresscritters. Otherwise, as they say, we'd put your money where our mouth is. Just like the 'other guy' is suppose to pay for socialism, the 'other guy' is suppose to the the hard work of responsible government on the cheap. In both cases it appears that in the end, the money will not be there. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-05 17:42 |
| #12 It is true that star athletes get millions because of supply and demand - there are very few people who can consistently throw a baseball at 90+ miles per hour into a small designated area, for example. However, there are lots of people who could sit in Congress. Another difference between star athletes and Congresscritters is that the athletes don't get to set their own salary. If the Congrescritters were superstars, they could succeed at things other than sitting in Congress. The people should vote on Congresscritters' salaries - and the vote should not be on how much of a raise they will get, unless there is a chance for a negative percentage rate. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-03-05 17:17 |
| #11 ..but do we really think that if we paid Congresscritters (say) $1 million a year, that we'd have a better class of politician running for the job? At a mil a year you'll certain expand the field of people will try given the few qualifications proscribed by the job. How many people try for major league sports? How many people try for American Idol? All for the potential of a wad of cash as the pay off. Aren't you tired of political hacks from the good old boy parties, or the used car salesman, or the realtors? Procopius2k, check out how Senators and Representatives used to be paid. It was peanuts. And it worked. Another bennie for being a member of Congress is all the bribes and other under-the-table compensation. Excluding comments about peanut farmers [how'd that work out], most everyone made low pay way back then. Except we don't live 'way back when' now. If you look now, it isn't working. My point is that the current salaries aren't the basis of their income value rather its what you call 'bennies'. That is their real source of value for their seats. And that's who they really work for as a consequence. Notice how many Donks are dropping out now. They can convert all that campaign money in their accounts to personal money upon leaving Congress. It's just like a buy-out in other professions. Rather than gamble that pile of assets upon an iffy reelection they're literally taking the money and leaving. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-05 16:18 |
| #10 The only thing I see here is: "My Re-Election Campaign is in 'trouble', so I have to do something to look good." Otherwise Ms. Kirkpatrick would have never broached this idea. I wonder what letter is next to the other twelves' names? |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2010-03-05 15:47 |
| #9 Ethics violations result in immediate suspension and revocation of benefits. And prison terms. And in the case of Treason - the death penalty can apply. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-03-05 14:58 |
| #8 Procopius2k, check out how Senators and Representatives used to be paid. It was peanuts. And it worked. Another bennie for being a member of Congress is all the bribes and other under-the-table compensation. The job just begs the kinds of folks who end up filling it. The whole compensation structure needs to be changed to call to the kinds of folks who want to make the right kind of difference. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-05 14:44 |
| #7 Relocate the location at which the legislature meets on the commencement of the congress following the decennial census to the 20th largest SMSA in the country. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-03-05 14:43 |
| #6 Amazing - a Democrat saying something I agree with! And gorb, re. filling out their tax forms I have been saying this for years - not to save money but to make them go through the same pain they cause us, and FIX THE D*MN TAX CODE> |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-05 14:05 |
| #5 P2K, that's the traditional other side of the coin argument. I wouldn't argue against it as such, but do we really think that if we paid Congresscritters (say) $1 million a year, that we'd have a better class of politician running for the job? That we wouldn't have the continued earmarks, payola, quid-pro-quos and deal-making? No, my friend, human nature being what it is, there is no salary high enough to cause the honest folk to shoulder the pols aside. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-03-05 13:54 |
| #4 No defined benefit pensions for Congress. Congress can save for its retirement like the rest of us. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-03-05 13:04 |
| #3 Yes, cut the bennies, cut the pension, cut the staff, ban rollover of election campaign funds. However, we're also reaping for what we do pay. Why do sports teams pay big salaries for players? Why is the military paying substantive bonuses to recruit and retain troops? We want them to run trillion dollar budgets and government with significant international commitments and we pay crap compared to other sectors of the society. We certainly get those who simply use their salaries for per diem while really racking up the compensation by selling their seat to other interests. And we will continue to get the 'bought' as long as compensation is such as not to attract the capable. It's time to face the fact that our need to hold on to the myth of the good guys/gals always willing to step up and stoically bear the responsibilities of governing at non-competitive compensation as compared to other opportunities is what brought us here. You either pay them, or the special interests pay them and that is who they work for. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-05 12:24 |
| #2 Congresscritters have to take care of their own paperwork, including remedying identity theft and filling out their tax forms. This should reduce the overload of paperwork we have to deal with from all sides in life. Congressional salaries are tied to the overall health of the middle class. No special health benefits. Ethics violations result in immediate suspension and revocation of benefits. Term limits. Reasonable limits to lifetime benefits. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-05 11:50 |
| #1 Not a bad start. Let's pile on: 1) Congresscritters give up all overseas junkets possible. For the ones they must do, all travel is done aboard a stock C-130. 2) Sell all the VC type aircraft currently held by the Air Force. 3) All domestic travel is via coach-class. 4) Charge a market rate for parking around Capitol Hill; congresscritters pay just like everyone else. 5) Reduce the per-diem by 10%, ditto the housing allowance. 6) Cut staffing levels in all congressional offices and committees by 10%. Cut the salaries of the ones who are left by 5%. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-03-05 11:21 |