[jariel]

Quote:

Democratic Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia wants you to know that, at $174,000 a year, members of Congress are underpaid. Because Jim Moran, like others, doesn't understand actual economic hardship and, frankly, isn't that great at politics either.

Moran is not the only public official to make a dubious claim about salary hardship in the past 24 hours. Larry Schwartz is secretary to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a position that's a sort of like chief of staff in the state. Schwartz was discussing a proposal backed by Cuomo that would freeze property taxes on people at certain income levels. After all, middle class folks like those making $500,000 shouldn't pay exorbitant taxes. Yes, that's right. Middle class. "I would consider someone making up to $500,000 as upper middle-class," Schwarz said, according to The Journal-News. "I wouldn't classify them as rich." OK.

In swanky Westchester county, the area that Schwartz was discussing, the median annual salary is $81,000. Median household income in the state at large was about $57,000 in 2012. In Virginia, where Moran's constituents live, it was about $63,000 that year. (It's slightly higher in DC.)


The numbers we're talking about are not middle class. $500,000 is almost 10 times the median wage in New York. Moran's salary is almost three times the median salary in his home state. And if Moran's argument is that he works more than people in D.C., and so deserves more money, we'll point out that the D.C. minimum wage is $8.25 an hour — meaning that Moran would have to work 21,090 hours a year at minimum wage in order to earn $174,000. There are 8,760 hours in a year. But Moran is underpaid, as are the rest of the members of Congress, a majority of whom are actual millionaires.

http://news.yahoo.com/political-leaders-...59702.html

[unbowed]

Destroying America from within is hard work. Someone print these workaholics more money.

These parasites need to be jailed with their performance record and the consequences of their decisions.

[Excelsior]

Quote:

"I would consider someone making up to $500,000 as upper middle-class," Schwarz said, according to The Journal-News. "I wouldn't classify them as rich."

[Mike5055]

Their pay should be 100% performance driven. Worthless trash.

[Doctor]

Worthlessness and shitty performance records aside, their pay isn't what bothers me. The position they hold is, or should be, of value to the country. They want more money? Term limits and benefits end when you are out of that position. No more life long pension and premium healthcare bullshit.

[Dr. Howard]

Wisconsin congressman Duffy, a former reality TV star, bitched about the pay in 2011 http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/0...is-salary/ it is on video and is mind blowing. His wife also complained that she can't fly in fresh sushi for new years like they always do with his salary. Insane.

[WanderingSoul]

What a fucking Moran.

[WestIndianArchie]

They'll at least triple that salary when they go work on K-Street.

Even in DC, 174K will have you in a nice apartment/condo. They could even afford to buy in some of the lesser neighborhoods. (not Dupont or Georgetown though, and lol @ Palisades on that meager salary)

WIA

[porscheguy]

The idiot is unable to control his breeding habits. No wonder they've got to stretch his congressional salary.

[aphelion]

For the record, a lot of these guys are seriously under-earning what they could make on the open market.

Michelle Bachman, on the other hand..

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

I don't know whether I find it more disgusting when politicians are secretive or open about their greed and idiocy.

[devilution]

While I don't think he is being underpaid one does question if politicians were earning more would the lure of corruption and bribes be lessened

[Ardbeg]

I actually support increasing Congress’s pay. The going market rate for someone in a similar position and skills in the private sector is much higher. A $174,000 is what a first-year lawyer at a big firm takes home. In a place like DC, if you have a few children, that type of salary is a challenge to live on (remember, many of these people have to have two residences, one in their home state, and one in DC). The system as it is now, encourage people already wealthy enough that they don’t need their Congressional salaries to survive, which is not ideal if you want a broad spectrum of people representing the population.

You can also look at increasing salaries as a way to mitigate corruption. Before retiring, many congressmen try to arrange favorable legislation for certain groups hoping to curry favor with these groups for a job after retirement. The theory is that by increasing their salaries while in Congress, members would be less susceptible in engaging in these and other types of chicaneries. [The model people point to is Singapore, where Cabinet ministers earn close to a million dollars].

[nmmoooreland20]

Well, one could make the argument that politicians and bureaucrats should be paid comesurate or above their open market worth to 1) reduce corruption, as devolution notes above, but also to 2) attract to talent to the sector.

See: Singapore

[Dusty]

(04-05-2014 01:31 AM)aphelion Wrote:  

For the record, a lot of these guys are seriously under-earning what they could make on the open market.

The idea is not to go there to make what you make on the open market.

The idea is to go there, make a sacrifice for your country, then come back home after a few years and resume your living.

These fuckers are turning this into a life long career and want mo' mun-aye.

[Ardbeg]

(04-05-2014 12:40 PM)Dusty Wrote:  

(04-05-2014 01:31 AM)aphelion Wrote:  

For the record, a lot of these guys are seriously under-earning what they could make on the open market.

The idea is not to go there to make what you make on the open market.

The idea is to go there, make a sacrifice for your country, then come back home after a few years and resume your living.

These fuckers are turning this into a life long career and want mo' mun-aye.

Where does this "idea" about going back home after a few years come from? If that was the case, shouldn't have there been some term limits mentioned in the Constitution. DC is a tough place to navigate. Why would you want some to leave after a few years, just about when he gets the hang of things?

Also, do you see the inherent contradiction in what you are writing? If they are turning it into a "life long career," they are limiting the amount of "mun-aya" they earn. John Dingell, an ossified Rep from Michigan who I disagree on almost every issue, is retiring at the age of around 220 years (give or take). He is the epitome of career politician. But there is little doubt that he could have left decades earlier and made much "mo' munaya" as a lobbyist.

[porscheguy]

If you want to make more money, work in the private sector. Traditionally gov't workers faced a trade off. They earned less money but in exchange, they had job security, benefits, and incredible pensions. If this guy is having trouble making ends meet:
1. He shouldn't have used his wife as a breeding sow, and curtailed the number of offspring he sired.
2. He can leave congress and work in the private sector where he may or not receive better compensation.

Fuck him.

[DjembaDjemba]

Relative to the country's wealth they are neither under or overpaid.

[Excelsior]

(04-05-2014 01:09 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  

Relative to the country's wealth they are neither under or overpaid.

I think that this chart is referring to heads of state, not legislators (guessing this because the salary I see listed there for the US is the President's base pay).

[DjembaDjemba]

Good point, it very well is. Here is a chart of the lawmakers pay. Very middle of the pack for the USA.

[scorpion]

Who can even take Congress seriously anymore? At this point they basically just serve a theatrical function. They're like the heel in pro wrestling, only there to act out their part and put the babyface over at the end. Even our woefully undereducated and doped up population knows that Congress is a complete joke, which is why Congress as a whole regularly has approval ratings that dip into the single digits. Everyone in Congress at this point is either:

1) An idiot, for thinking that they are actually doing something worthwhile

2) A crook, trying to set themselves up for a big future payday with one of their donors

3) A psychopath, addicted to the thrill of wielding power against the weak

I have more respect for janitors, cashiers and bus boys than I do members of Congress, and have no doubt that future historians will be incredibly scathing in their treatment of this era's legislators.

[Blunt]

Even though they have proven to be utterly worthless when it comes to compromising for the good of our nation, they are underpaid for their position, I agree with Ardbeg on that matter.

They should be paid slightly less than a 4th year associate at a big-law firm to compensate for the typically better benefits provided by the federal government. Lifelong full-salary pensions however are an archaic and ridiculous form of compensation when compared to private workers and other federal workers. Their pensions should be based on time in office like any other federal worker.

However, more importantly, there should be a life-long ban on working for, contracting with, or consulting for any lobbying firms after serving as a Congressman. The only way to guarantee that there will be no tit-for-tat with the lobbying firms is to completely rule out any one who wishes to use Congress as a stepping stone to K-street.

It may seem harsh, but lobbying firms do little in the public's interest and instead distort democracy by drowning out the voices of individual citizens with the demands of corporate entities.

By forcing anyone who wishes to run for congressional office to abandon any hopes of working with any lobbying firms (or law firms that have lobbying arms) only those people who genuinely have their constituents' interests and the good of the nation as their number one priority will choose to run for congress. Well...probably not since there are many people who genuinely are just power-hungry narcissists but it would still be better than the present situation.

[Samseau]

Congress shouldn't get paid more than the average salary. The fact of the matter is, most people go into politics because they know if they become powerful they will be able to make millions in backroom deals. Those votes are worth a lot of money.

Hearing congress members ask for more pay on top of the enormous sums of money they dish out to special interests each year is insulting.