Posted on 02/24/2019 6:28:10 PM PST by Robwin
Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced this week that no one on her staff would make less than $52,000 a year, a move aimed at championing a “living wage.”
The progressive firebrand’s policy creates an unheard of salary for young House staffers in Washington, D.C., where the average rent is more than $2,000 a month, Roll Call reported Friday.
“It’s likely one of the highest entry-level salaries on the Hill,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. “We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director, Corbin Trent, told the outlet that salaries for the congresswoman’s office would top out at $80,000 — well below the $154,634 median wage, according to a Legistorm analysis of congressional chiefs of staffs.
Some Ocasio-Cortez staffers might be required to take pay cuts, Trent acknowledged. He is making $67,000 a year and has two children.“Is it easy? No,” he said. “But part of walking the walk is understanding that everyone is going to have a little bit of a struggle. You divide it up. You work together.”
Ocasio-Cortez announced in December that she would also pay her interns at least $15 an hour.
The lawmaker wrote on Twitter that she was facing pushback from people who didn’t understand how congressional salaries work.
“Each member is given a set amount that they disburse. GOP has refused to increase budgets in years to give hard-working staff a raise, which means people helping to run the country are getting paid $30k/year,” she wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
AOC is going to do this noble act and still stay within budget by cutting the salaries of other, more senior members of her staff. She will not be giving up anything and will retain all of her lucrative Congressional salary.
No matter what AOC pays her staff it's no skin off her nose. The money comes from taxpayers, not her. She has never owned a business nor met a payroll, so why should be care, beyond the publicity that is?
For that much money I’d go down on her.
Send her to Venezuela and let the Venezuelans eat her.
Or clean their rifles with her.
I’m OK with either one.
You’d go down on her?
With what?
A belt sander?
She’s didn’t say that or write that comment. If she did she would have said:
“Like to pay my staff a living wage, I am like totally going to pay them like a gabillion zillon tippy top dollars”
LET’S BRING BACK THE 5 CENT CANDY BAR
When politicians particularly members of today’s in name only democrat party started pushing for a higher minimum wage. The focus should have been on purchasing power of the lowest coin of the realm. Each time it was passed the price of an item like an individual candy bar and everything else increased. What began at 5 cents in the 1940’s steadily increased to what it is today. The result has always been since it began devaluing the purchasing power of the dollar.
You wouldn’t? Who would you prefer? Hillary?
>For that much money I’d go down on her.
I wouldn’t be able to stand the stench.
That’s not a living wage in DC unless you’re living in your parents attic/basement.
Is she going to take the same pay?
I guess the tax payers are stuck with this bill?
Entry level for 52,000 per year works out to be $13k per quarter. Here’s a comparison from Rep Grave’s office budget...
PERSONNEL COMPENSATION
BARBER-LILES, LINDA B. . 07/01/18 09/30/18 CONSTITUENT SERVICES REP 14,499.99
BARTLEY,TRACEY A 07/01/18 09/30/18 CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR 16,500.00
BLACK,RACHEL C . 07/01/18 09/30/18 STAFF ASSISTANT 8,124.99
DIFFLEY,RYAN S . 07/01/18 09/30/18 LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT 11,750.01
DONNELLY,JOHN P . 07/01/18 09/30/18 CHIEF OF STAFF . 3,750.00
FILLINGIM,KRISTIN L 07/01/18 09/30/18 SCHEDULER . 11,250.00
HAWKINS,GARRETT D . 07/01/18 09/30/18 COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR . 18,750.00
HODGE, MATTHEW S. . 07/01/18 09/30/18 MILITARY LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT 20,750.01
HOGG,ROBERT S 07/01/18 09/30/18 SPECIAL ASSISTANT . 8,499.99
JONES,VALERIE D . 07/01/18 09/30/18 CONSTITUENT SERVICES REPRESENT 10,500.00
LENTS,DEBORAH A . 07/01/18 09/30/18 STAFF ASSISTANT 8,250.00
LOUDERMILK,TRAVIS B 07/01/18 09/30/18 FIELD REP & SECURITY COORDINAT . 15,750.00
MAHLER,SAMUEL C 07/01/18 09/30/18 SENIOR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT . 18,375.00
MENORCA,DIANE L . 07/01/18 09/30/18 FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR . 3,750.00
MOONEY,JACQUELYN B 07/01/18 09/30/18 CONSTITUENT SERVICES REPRESENT 10,500.00
MURPHY,JASON R 07/01/18 09/30/18 LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR . 23,750.01
VAKHARIA,SHIVANI B 07/01/18 09/30/18 LEGISLATIVE/PRESS ASSISTANT . 10,250.01
WHITMIRE,JOHN J . 07/01/18 09/30/18 DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF . 21,249.99
Lay off half your staff and zaboom! you now can double the pay of the other half!
Problem solved!
Or double your hires and cut all pay but your own.
Or talk to the Clintons on how to make billions in office on a five figure salary.
duh?
The forum’s obsession with Ocasio-Cortez has become tiresome. Keep giving her a stage at your own (and our) risk.
I would think a living wage in DC is at least $100K.
Rush thinks maybe Bernie wants her to be his VP if he gets the nomination. I’ll grant you she is a ditz not worth the comment time, but the rest of the dimwits are so boring there’s not much to say about them. The Dems will burn her down one of these days.
Does she give free health care and free tuition?
Then either Rush or Bernie are stupid. OC doesn't meet the age requirements for POTUS or VP.
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