Why do congressmen make $160k per year?

Question

That's alot more than the national 30k average.

Answer 1

Because they keep voting themselves pay raises. They don't deserve it.

Answer 2

In their infinite wisdom, as they continue to hold down the minimum wage, refuge to plug the Southern boarder (just as the corporations and big business interests that paid for their election campaign want along with the lobbies they hire to continue to bribe them) This keeps tens of millions of people that are basically slave labour. They work for very low wages and deplorable conditions and no place to seek justice if an employer decides to not pay or deduct hours for no reason along with working without any security or benefits. The greed of corporations love this because it destabilizes the American work force as workers are forced to compete for fewer jobs with more demands and declining pay as companies still continue outsource congress turns a blind eye, calls the economy a success and keep voting themselves raises. Yet as more people slip below the poverty line, lose their houses, file for bankruptcy, lose health care once provided the outrages pile up.
Protesting congressmen wages goes further down the priority list and people do not want to anger them further, having push that issue and end up with it dragging out forever as they have refined into an art. Would just leave them another excuse to ignore all the rest of problems plaguing this nation because Lord knows for all that pay they can scarcely focus on one thing at a time . Two? My God they would be so muddled they would vote themselves an extended vacation...Mary

Answer 3

Unless you incorporated, the IRS will treat you as self-employed. That means you file ONE tax return. 1040 line 7 will show wage income. 1040 line 12 will show SE income. 1040 line 27 (or thereabouts) will have an adjustment for SE tax. 1040 line 58 (or thereabouts) will show the SE tax. You will use schedule C to show the income/expenses for the online business. You will use schedule SE to show the SE tax. If you made $100K net from the online business, your SE tax alone would run about $3416 (you are went past the fica cap). The income tax will be based on $100K - $1708. If single, this income is at the 28% tax bracket, so that's $28K. Did you realize you'd owe about $31K in extra tax? I doubt you had that withheld on the $60K W-2. If you failed to make estimated tax payments, you will owe a penalty. The estimated tax penalty is based, in part on your prior year so it won't be too bad if you made $60K last year. You don't mention expenses. In order to claim any you a) had to spend money, b) have proof that you both spent the money and what it was spent on. (No proof, no deduction for the expense.) If you are selling stuff, your money spent on inventory is limited to the amounts actually sold.

Answer 4

Because they earn it.


Hate it if you want, but the reality is that they are underpaid. They must travel almost constantly at their own expense to and from Wa.DC, maintain lodging, communications and generally two households worth of expenses.

Their job is fairly stressful in that their decisions are constantly under the microscope. They hold power to affect potentially millions of peoples every day lives in their day-to-day activities.

They are lobbied by powerful and VERY RICH corporations that...if they were to make your stated 'average 30k salary' they would IMMEDIATELY be in the pocket of any donor that made it into their office.

Think of it this way, you get what you pay for.

Answer 5

Some good answers...besides making over $160,000 they get free lunch, free hair cart, free breakfast, free air travel, free medical insurance and much more. Also, they decide if you should have medical insurance free (which we don't) or should you pay portion of it (which we do). They allow, through laws that American corporations can shut their operations at home and reopen in Mexico, China, Canada, Indonesia and so on. We must wake up and elect the government "For the people and from the people" not just in books but in real life.

Answer 6

cause they are allowed to vote for their own pay raises. That little bit of money is just the tip of the iceberg of course, the president doesnt make much more, but you dont spent millions and millions to make that as take home pay. Add in all the (legal) perks and that sum is probably closer to over a million.

Answer 7

Because they give themselves nice, fat, raises every year while the average American (you remember those people once called the "middle class?") can't even get a cost of living increase. As for those "minimum wage" workers.. at $7.25/hr., even if they worked a 40 hour week, that's a whole $290/week!!! WOW!!! .. Oh wait... that's BEFORE taxes.

Answer 8

They can vote themselves pay raises. Wouldn't it be nice to tell your boss that you are giving yourself a 20% pay raise PLUS a generous pension plan PLUS a great medical plan?

It's not called public service anymore. It's called public fleecing.

Answer 9

Because they have voted themselves many, many raises and we did nothing to stop it.

Answer 10

cause the gov is greedy so they can grossly overpay ppl in power