Seems kind of funny that the 109th congress has such a hard time raising wages for americans, and no problem at all raising their own? Sorry, another question asking those who agree with this to explain the hypocrisy...
2006-12-11 05:04:50 · 16 answers · asked by hichefheidi 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
call it a cost of living increse if you want, their wages were increased 9 times in the last 6 years. However they managed to do it.
2006-12-11 05:08:01 · update #1
No they should not have raised their wages. In fact Id really like their health care coverage too while they are being so generous with tax payers money.
2006-12-11 05:06:08 · answer #1 · answered by Perplexed 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
obviously, their wage increases weren't based on merit. If it were, they would be giving money back. It's ridiculous that these guys have a benefit package second to none. Because politics is so much about money, the "average Joe" can never be elected. Now we have a bunch of rich guys running the country that work a third of the year and absolutely cannot relate to the average American. How can the represent us if they don't know us.
Alex is a little off on the wage thing. In 1988 Congress passed an amendment allowing for automatic wage increases. I'm sure the thought behind this was that if it was automatic, no one would complain about them voting for their own wage increases. They still vote on it, but the vote is whether or not to decline the increase. Like that will ever happen.
2006-12-11 13:09:23 · answer #2 · answered by truth seeker 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Establish a base line where poverty is below the minimum wage tack that to the salary of congress based on the average pay for people who talk all day and accomplish little . I estimate a congress man should earn around 40,000 a year .Now as congress will improve its pay then so to shall the lowest paid workers also increase there value .For if the congress is not providing good jobs for people and a quality live style what are they doing .Doing nothing should not be rewarded with 180,000 dollar salaries . Base pay plus commission . They are after all sales people . No savings or innovations no giant pay check . No one that works should only have available to them a substandard life .
2006-12-11 13:22:32 · answer #3 · answered by -----JAFO---- 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My answer to this one is quite brief and simple. No they should not have raised their own wages 9 times in the past 6 years. A question that I think is even more to the point is should the Congress have the right to raise its wages period? Should Congress be the ones with the discretion to do this? To give Congress this right makes about as much sense as an employer giving all his employees carte blanche to raise their own salaries whenever they deem fit. Congressional members are essentially employees that answer to the American people. If anyone should have the power vested in them to raise wages for Congress, it should be the American people, for it is the American people who Congress is ultimately held accountable to.
2006-12-11 21:34:23 · answer #4 · answered by Lawrence Louis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The house and Senate were controlled by the Republicans and nothing was done to stop the freaks from passing such raises. We cannot afford to have this go on.
2006-12-11 13:32:37 · answer #5 · answered by Jim G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
27th Amendment, rattified in 1992, Congress cannot raise their own wages, only wages of the next congress.
Truth Seeker: Actually, I'm not off at all...just read the amendment. It doesn't take some interpretation, its one sentence. Go ahead, read it. How am I off?
"No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened."
Oh yeah, and I love how I get thumbs down for stating an Amendment. I offered no interpretation of my own, simply stated a Constitutional Amendment. How ignorant are people?
2006-12-11 13:06:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
congress can get around the 27th amendment. instead of calling it a pay increase it is a Cost Of Living Adjustment. colas aren't covered under the 27th amendment. the thing is, these are large adjustments and look more like pay increases.
but i'm not bothered by what our congresspeople make, its just hard to justify not legislating a minimum wage increase when they technically increase their own.
2006-12-11 13:12:36 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. O 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Nope
2006-12-11 13:25:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, and thumbs up 2 u for sharing
2006-12-11 13:22:56 · answer #9 · answered by don_steele54 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think Congress wages should be decided by an independant committee.
2006-12-11 13:08:04 · answer #10 · answered by epbr123 5 · 6⤊ 1⤋