Can someone tell me why Congress needs a pay raise?

Question

Congress is going to vote themselves a $4,000 pay raise. At a 64% disapproval rating right now, don't you think they should focus on making things better than voting themselves a pay raise, which means that taxes have to go up again?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_PAY_RAISE?SITE=OHCIN&SECTION=AMERICAS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Answer 1

Hezblows, yes, I complain about it EVERY year, regardless of party controlling the Congress.

They do need an increase to balance out for inflation, but it should never exceed 2-3%, when you serve as a politician, you are not supposed to make money for your service. Your pay is just supposed to be enough so that you don't have to worry about the life problems. That is what Cicero would say, he would be slapping ALL of our Congress in the head were he alive today.

To serve is to suffer.

Answer 2

I'm actually finding it slightly amusing now that I've had time to think about it. The same set of folks that are going to not renew tax breaks are going to give themselves are raise that will be eaten by the same taxes hmmmm serves them right. (And the new minimum wage increase lol can't wait til that first paycheck comes back to folks that cried for it and see that now they are in a different tax bracket and they even make less since their buddies are taking out more.)

Answer 3

THEY DON'T!! I think that they should have to live on the average salary of the american people which is about 30,000 per year and raise a family on that amount. They are no longer in touch with what it takes to survive in this country. Cost of living!!? At $165,000 per year they have no idea what it takes to raise a family on only $30,000. They are blinded by greed and their own agenda! Their cost of living adjustment is over $4,000 per year where mine is .50 cents. I would love to do what they do and I am sure a lot of us could do a much better job. But who has the money to get themselves elected unless you are in Hollywood or Bill Gates. They really need to get over themselves, they do not need the raise and I think that we as citizens of this country should protest it to it's limits!! By the way, I am a republican and think this way!

Answer 4

It's Simple

The Forbes list now has 500 Billionaires Congress is Jealous they all want a Billion Dollars too.

Go Team Congress Go

Answer 5

Do you think it is a coincidence that this pay raise proposal is equivalent to the raise in a minimum wage job at 40 hrs a week and 52 weeks a year? $2.10 an hour X 40 hrs = $84.00 X 52 weeks = $4368.00

One huge difference is that the minimum wage worker will not see that entire wage increase for two years.

Answer 6

They don't!!!! We have turned a Public Service Office into a ruling class...OUR BAD for sleeping at the wheel for 250 some years, because most of us are too busy in our day to day lives to worry about the Rats in Washington. Its time to reduce the power in DC & empower everyday people who are civic minded & believe that Congress is a duty to serve the public not an entitlement for self interests. Politicians...Stop using Congress to enrich yourself!!!!!

Answer 7

They don't deserve it...neither did the Republican Congress that got it every year...I am fine with people complaining about it, but you had better have been complaining last year and the year before when the Republicans were getting annual pay raises for doing nothing but rubber stamping Bush's war.

Answer 8

Apparently the topic nobody wants to talk about, except Ron Paul, INFLATION is killing every American.

I need a pay raise too!

Lets go back to a stable monetary system.....Gold & Silver!

Answer 9

Their approval rating is only 14%.
They don't deserve a pay raise.

+

Answer 10

I see big changes coming. I can see a lot of these people being voted out.

Then they will learn (maybe) that this country was founded on "WE THE PEOPLE"