A Few Modest Proposals to Help our Economy & Country
by robertropars
Here’s an idea that hasn’t been mentioned during the back/forth on the debt ceiling: Congressional pay.
Did you know that a rank-and-file member of Congress has a current base salary of $174,000 per year? How does that compare to what you’re making currently? Here’s some other thoughts to ponder:
- During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin argued that elected government officials shouldn’t be given a salary. The infamous “Founding Fathers” thought otherwise.
- Between 1789 and 1855, Congressmen received a daily payment of $6, after 1855 they began receiving $3,000 a year.
- A senior member of Congress gets a higher salary than the rank-and-file members:
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader – $193,400
Minority Party Leader – $193,400
House Leadership
Speaker of the House – $223,500
Majority Leader – $193,400
Minority Leader – $193,400
- Since 1983, all members of Congress contribute to and receive benefits from the Social Security system. When they retire, they receive Social Security or a combination with a federal pension.
- Congress routinely votes itself raises annually. Since 1990, congressional pay has increased from $98,400 to $174,000 currently (for a rank-and-file member)-a 76.83% increase-how has your salary fared since 1990?
So while the President and Congress debate, squabble, fight, threaten and bully, not once have any of them talked about sharing the pain of the average American worker. How about a salary freeze for all government employees of all three branches? How a temporary salary reduction as well? Why are American non-government workers always the ones who must do more with less?
On a related note, much of the b.s. we see is related to people trying to stay in office for as long as possible and their focus is on that not governing and taking care of the country and its people. As I’ve heard, presidents spend their first term trying to get re-elected and their second term trying to be remembered. Congress members are re-elected at an insanely high rate. Between their high pay, medical/retirement benefits and various perks, it’s a lucrative “career” instead of a patriotic duty and responsibility. How about this:
President – set a limit of one six-year term – focus on being president and no concerns about being re-elected as a distraction and is compromise between 4 and 8 years.
Senate – set a limit of two five-year terms – a decade is long enough (if re-elected midway through this period) to do your duty and have an impact.
House of Representatives – set a limit of two four-year terms and 1/3 of the members (or some percentage to be determined) should be drafted citizens like jury duty for one-year terms. Get people involved as a duty and bring outside non-lobby suckling individuals into the federal system to represent local interests. I realize this is a complicated item (what about their jobs for example), but just seems like people would care more if they knew they might be (or end up being) part of the system instead of hearing emotionally manipulative sound bites on TV.
Guess that’s enough ranting, but food for thought I hope.
Source of data: http://usgovinfo.about.com/
