Congress: New year, new pay hike

Jewish World Review ^ | January 5, 2009 | Jeff Jacoby

[dbz77]

Unemployment is at its highest level in 15 years. Housing prices won't stop falling. The stock market has suffered its most punishing collapse since 1931, and shareholders have lost $7 trillion in wealth. Millions of workers have lost their jobs; millions more are worried about losing theirs. IRAs and 401k accounts have been decimated, and companies are halting their contributions to retirement plans. Retail sales are dragging, the credit markets have seized up, and worse is expected in 2009. The government has gone to unprecedented lengths to improve the economy, yet the economy keeps getting worse. The federal budget deficit is headed for a trillion dollars, and the national debt is well over $10 trillion — and climbing. The number of Americans saying the country is on the wrong track is at or near its all-time high; consumer confidence is at its all-time low.

So what do you do now?

Well, if you're a member of Congress, you give yourself a raise.

Beginning this week, US representatives and senators will be paid $174,000 a year. That represents an increase of $4,700 and the 10th time since 1998 that congressional pay has been given a boost.

[wk4bush2004]

Will there be no end to the circus going on in DC?

[Mogollon]

Congress has a 9% over-all approval rating and yet they get a big pay raise. Time for tar, feathers, etc.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Social Security is going up too, I heard something like six percent.

[DustyMoment]

Will there be no end to the circus going on in DC?

Not until we come to the realization that our government is irrevocably broken and we need to clean house and start over. They did this during the recession of the early 80s when millions lost their jobs and they were handing themselves pay hikes.

In the FWIW department, I think THEY should get their pay raises the same way that the rest of us get ours - they get it approved by their employers . . . . that's US!!! If a majority of taxPAYERS think their Congresscritter deserves a raise, they get one. Otherwise, they can dust off their resume!