Its time to slice Congressional Pay in Half

[evanrick]

Its time to slice Congressional Pay in Half
Along with doubling the amount of congressional districts in the country.

What stuns me is the tea-party is still trying to repeal Obamacare and kill medicaid, two guarantees that need to be expanded, not downsized.

Members of congress earn $15,000 a month and work 3 days a week.

[Rolyo85]

Yeah, I am ok with them earning half that.

[CowboyBob]

That would be still too much. They're worthless.

[Durango95]

I think all federal salaried need to be cut drastically. There need to be term limits on Congress, the Senate and all federal judges. In fact judges should be elected in some cases. I mean if they are going to make rulings along political lines then they should be subject to the same scrutiny as candidates.

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I think all federal salaried need to be cut drastically and brought more in line with the private sector. There need to be term limits on Congress, the Senate and all federal judges. In fact judges should be elected in some cases. I mean if they are going to make rulings along political lines then they should be subject to the same scrutiny as candidates.

[loki81]

in the past 3 months, 16 bills have been introduced to lower congressional salaries, but they've all failed -- http://thehill.com/homenews/house/28...their-salaries

but apparently their salary is necessary for the "dignity of the job"

personally, I'd say a Congressman's salary should be the median income for whatever his district is (though perhaps that would also require building Congressional dorm rooms, since most Congressmen have to maintain 2 residences, in DC and back home)

not sure what any of that has to do with Obamacare of Medicare, though. Congressional salaries are a drop in the bucket compared to that +500 billion dollar chunk of the budget. (sorta like harping on cutting PBS funding while ignoring fighter jets costing us billions)

[xbuzzerx]

I think all federal salaried need to be cut drastically. There need to be term limits on Congress, the Senate and all federal judges. In fact judges should be elected in some cases. I mean if they are going to make rulings along political lines then they should be subject to the same scrutiny as candidates.

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I think all federal salaried need to be cut drastically and brought more in line with the private sector. There need to be term limits on Congress, the Senate and all federal judges. In fact judges should be elected in some cases. I mean if they are going to make rulings along political lines then they should be subject to the same scrutiny as candidates.

Oh fantastic idea. Have partisan judges elected by the dominant political attitude among the voters in that particular locality and with absolutely no regard for their legal veracity. So you'll be judged by people like Harriet Myers who have scarcely any qualification to be on the bench whatsoever.

Would work wonders for our democracy, I'm sure.

[csb999]

in terms of unnecesssary expenditures that could be cut back to reduce expenses , the US has the largest prison system in the world and has spent I think a half-trillion on internal security without any clear increase in personal local safety . To paraphrase , a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon it starts adding up to some real money .

[csb999]

all Congressional salaries vs. the cost of the new Department of Homeland Security ? What fraction ?

[mightbe]

Maybe we should pay congressmen the total of what they're all paid now divided by the total number of incarcerated persons in the U.S. (not including those on parole/probation, let's give them at least 10 bucks a head).

So, (174,000*535)/2266800= about $41.07 for each one per year. $41.07*535=$21972.45 for the lot of them.

$21,972.45 < $93,090,000.00

Only a drop in the bucket, but maybe that'll get the message across. Then after a good hacking away at Homeland Security we should be getting close.

[tigerfan482]

I think all federal salaried need to be cut drastically. There need to be term limits on Congress, the Senate and all federal judges. In fact judges should be elected in some cases. I mean if they are going to make rulings along political lines then they should be subject to the same scrutiny as candidates.

I think federal salaries are low enough compared to equivalent private sector positions. Typical uninformed American lumping all federal workers in with Congress without having any idea about what they do and what they get paid. Go find your cuts elsewhere, sir.

[Rolyo85]

I think federal salaries are low enough compared to equivalent private sector positions. Typical uninformed American lumping all federal workers in with Congress without having any idea about what they do and what they get paid. Go find your cuts elsewhere, sir.

Quoted for relevance.

[JayHawk]

I think federal salaries are low enough compared to equivalent private sector positions. Typical uninformed American lumping all federal workers in with Congress without having any idea about what they do and what they get paid. Go find your cuts elsewhere, sir.

I think it is more the innate desire to rail against something. Regardless of whether it makes sense or results in a positive outcome. 'Just say something that sounds awful and then try to justify it' seems to be the mantra.

[JockBoy87]

It should be a commission. Pay comes as they pass each essential bill, e.g. budget, defense, etc.

[JayHawk]

It should be a commission. Pay comes as they pass each essential bill, e.g. budget, defense, etc.

That I could agree with... they had the chance to do so last congress but the way the law is written, this congress would have to make a 'pay for play' rule for the 114th. They absolutely should do so. they should also drop the congressional healthcare program and join tricare.

[Durango95]

I think federal salaries are low enough compared to equivalent private sector positions. Typical uninformed American lumping all federal workers in with Congress without having any idea about what they do and what they get paid. Go find your cuts elsewhere, sir.

Wrong. I should have been more clear and said "some" salaries needed to be cut and some need to be raised. I have two cousins that work for the federal government. One is an attorney and makes around $90K which is ridiculous compared to private sector attorneys in her area. She is basically a corporate attorney. I have another cousin that works for the post office. He makes around $70K for toting bags of mail. The federal pay scales are stupid.

[Jack Springer]

Cut off all the retirement and medical benefits also.

[xbuzzerx]

Cut off all the retirement and medical benefits also.

But Jack, all they get for health insurance is the socialist public option which your party told us was so bad that it shouldn't be inflicted on the American people.

So if it's so awful, isn't it a good punishment for them?

[xbuzzerx]

Wrong. I should have been more clear and said "some" salaries needed to be cut and some need to be raised. I have two cousins that work for the federal government. One is an attorney and makes around $90K which is ridiculous compared to private sector attorneys in her area. She is basically a corporate attorney. I have another cousin that works for the post office. He makes around $70K for toting bags of mail. The federal pay scales are stupid.

Those are two anecdotes. We can't validate what your attorney cousin does or what its equivalent in the private sector would be but I know for damn sure that 90k for a corporate attorney isn't skyhigh whatsoever. Nor do I see you presenting any evidence that on the whole Federal employees are overpaid if you compare their jobs to the private sector.

[maxpowr9]

Cut off all the retirement and medical benefits also.

That's what should be done across the board for government employees once they are no longer in the public sector. Cutting Congress' salary would just make them take more lobbyist money.

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Cut off all the retirement and medical benefits also.

That's what should be done across the board for government employees once they are no longer in the public sector. Cutting Congress' salary would just make them take more lobbyist money.

[xbuzzerx]

That's what should be done across the board for government employees once they are no longer in the public sector. Cutting Congress' salary would just make them take more lobbyist money.

I know you were asked this in a previous discussion where you said much the same thing, and you didn't deign to respond there either-- but WHY exactly do you believe everyone who works in government doesn't deserve to retire?

[Jack Springer]

But Jack, all they get for health insurance is the socialist public option which your party told us was so bad that it shouldn't be inflicted on the American people.

So if it's so awful, isn't it a good punishment for them?

Congress gets special medical coverage - not an average health insurance package.

[xbuzzerx]

Congress gets special medical coverage - not an average health insurance package.

But Jack your party said it was so bad that even the Republican Congressmen who were ON that program said it was so much worse than private and we shouldn't have the option!

[loki81]

how is employer provided health care equatable with a public option, just because their employer happens to be the government?

[xbuzzerx]

how is employer provided health care equatable with a public option, just because their employer happens to be the government?

Loki seriously do you even need to ask this question? Both operated off the same principle of: bring costs and expenses down through huge bargaining power, and remove the profit motive in denying healthcare. You always react with shock that people mistake your political persuasion but when you ask questions that come seemingly straight out of right wing talking point world you should drop the shock.

[loki81]

Loki seriously do you even need to ask this question?

kind of.

I support your root point and the public option, I'm just trying to understand the logic behind this particular reasoning... it seems like two different things to support employers having the option to provide health care for their employees versus saying the government should be providing health care for all Americans.

[tigerfan482]

Wrong. I should have been more clear and said "some" salaries needed to be cut and some need to be raised. I have two cousins that work for the federal government. One is an attorney and makes around $90K which is ridiculous compared to private sector attorneys in her area. She is basically a corporate attorney. I have another cousin that works for the post office. He makes around $70K for toting bags of mail. The federal pay scales are stupid.

Average Corporate Attorney Salary
Average Postal Carrier Salary

Sounds like the attorney is underpaid and that you have either misrepresented what your USPS cousin does or you are misinformed about his salary. Either way, your phrasing should have gone more like "I think my two cousins should have their pay cut" since that seems to be the only anecdotal evidence you have of federal government workers' salaries.

[maxpowr9]

^LMAO

He also didn't say what kind of law his sister does. My dad was a property attorney [probably the lowest paying of any lawyer profession] and made about $100k back in the 90s.

Yes the federal pay scales are completely out of whack. A comptroller for Tampa makes more than their congressperson.

[tigerfan482]

^LMAO

He also didn't say what kind of law his sister does. My dad was a property attorney [probably the lowest paying of any lawyer profession] and made about $100k back in the 90s.

Yes the federal pay scales are completely out of whack. A comptroller for Tampa makes more than their congressperson.

Don't forget a comptroller for Tampa isn't a federal government worker and is not on federal government pay scales. Also, comptrollers are generally elected officials and get compensated differently and on different pay scales than the average government worker. I think cases of egregiously overpaid local and state officials are much more prevalent and commonplace than overpaid federal government workers. Even with that, I think those that do fall into that category are still in the very small minority of any and all government workers.

[xbuzzerx]

Don't forget a comptroller for Tampa isn't a federal government worker and is not on federal government pay scales. Also, comptrollers are generally elected officials and get compensated differently and on different pay scales than the average government worker. I think cases of egregiously overpaid local and state officials are much more prevalent and commonplace than overpaid federal government workers. Even with that, I think those that do fall into that category are still in the very small minority of any and all government workers.

I'd be absolutely comfortable with a side by side comparison of obscenely overpaid private industry vs. public industry comparisons. I don't know if all the people complaining about "grossly overpaid government workers" would be.

[loki81]

I'd be absolutely comfortable with a side by side comparison of obscenely overpaid private industry vs. public industry comparisons. I don't know if all the people complaining about "grossly overpaid government workers" would be.

there are studies to support whatever argument you want to make.

Federal vs. private-sector pay: No comparison is definitive, auditors say

my impression was always that private sector workers made slightly more (excluding for multi-million salary CEO's, which don't really have a federal equivalent), but government workers had significantly better health/retirement benefits (and until recently, at least, more job security)

[TX-Beau]

Government EMPLOYEES are the backbone of a functioning government. Government OFFICIALS are elected by us and if they are overpaid we have no one to blame for that but ourselves.

I find myself increasingly annoyed by this Populist crap that somehow we are divorced from the actions of the people we elect.

There isn't a single Congressperson who got elected for the salary. Trying to penalize or motivate them by salary is utterly pointless and would have zero effect.

You want to talk grossly overpaid - let's talk about Corporate upper management.

[xbuzzerx]

there are studies to support whatever argument you want to make.

Federal vs. private-sector pay: No comparison is definitive, auditors say

my impression was always that private sector workers made slightly more (excluding for multi-million salary CEO's, which don't really have a federal equivalent), but government workers had significantly better health/retirement benefits (and until recently, at least, more job security)

That was always roughly my understanding as well. But even if on the whole we assume they all work out to completely equal (excluding the obscenely overpaid executives and CEO's) the term "grossly overpaid" really shouldn't come up. Someone who is in the employ of the Federal Government seems to be viewed as though they should be doing their work for free or as a charity service just because it is government work, even if they're performing a professional service they worked or trained every bit as much as anyone in the private sector did.

[tigerfan482]

there are studies to support whatever argument you want to make.

Federal vs. private-sector pay: No comparison is definitive, auditors say

my impression was always that private sector workers made slightly more (excluding for multi-million salary CEO's, which don't really have a federal equivalent), but government workers had significantly better health/retirement benefits (and until recently, at least, more job security)

Back before 2008 when the private sector shit the bed, when I decided to take a government job versus private sector, the job security and health benefits were a decision I made over the significant increase in salary I would take with a private sector job. Back then, I was the idiot for taking the government job. Now that the Lockheeds and Northrups of the world need to pay their employees less so their CEOs can maintain their level of pay, I'm expected to give up the only advantage I have over private sector because they decided to take the six figure job when I sacrificed the immediate benefit for the long term? No thanks and fuck them very much. Both sectors made their decision and now they are going to live with the consequences of it. Don't drag me down because a private sector employee has no power to try and pull themselves back up to what they initially thought would be their dream job.

[TX-Beau]

wonder how many of those guys dislike unions?

[Zingerific]

Cutting Congress' salary would just make them take more lobbyist money.

There isn't a single Congressperson who got elected for the salary. Trying to penalize or motivate them by salary is utterly pointless and would have zero effect.

So true. Given the current state of SCOTUS, maybe the only way to reduce corporate money in politics is to radically increase the salary of elected officials. For the vast majority, it's impossible to get elected without selling their soul.

Impossible, I know, but a boy can dream....

Incidentally, the original reason congresspeople are payed in the first place was that otherwise only the independently wealthy could hold office.

[MisterB]

Congress gets special medical coverage - not an average health insurance package.

Ah, JUB's resident Federal employee/benefits expert weighs in once more.

Now I completely understand why your hero is always orange--his special Congressional Speaker of the House coverage pays for his spray tans.

[Jack Springer]

Go harass someone else who cares what you think.

[Rolyo85]

Poor little harassed Jack Springer. Go whine to someone who will feel compassion for you.

[MisterB]

Go harass someone else who cares what you think.

I'm sorry you feel this way Mr. Springer. At least I think...

[Jack Springer]

Poor little harassed Jack Springer. Go whine to someone who will feel compassion for you.

Gosh. You're such a popular person. I'm impressed and humbled you responded.

[CowboyBob]

Go harass someone else who cares what you think.

Why don't you?

Gosh. You're such a popular person. I'm impressed and humbled you responded.

Lame reply.

[Rolyo85]

Gosh. You're such a popular person. I'm impressed and humbled you responded.

I really am, and thank you