Posted on 05/17/2005 8:24:52 AM PDT by ArmyBratproud
No record vote was taken when the House approved a bill that would automatically boost the already generous retirement benefits of the "elected class" -- the name legislators call themselves and statewide elected officials, including the governor.
-snip-
"We all work very hard, and we're underpaid. We're all losing money that we could earn in our own professions, and I think it's very appropriate," said Hartnett, a lawyer. "We work extremely hard for basically food-stamp pay."
But critics questioned the need for the increase in pensions.
"When you're talking about the budget itself increasing somewhere between 14 and 20 percent ... is it appropriate to then go to the taxpayer and ask for even more generous retirement benefits than they're already getting?" asked Michael Sullivan, a vice president at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation.
(Excerpt) Read more at dfw.com ...
This will tick ya off PING
Houston/Texas PING
I see that now that they are done with things like the school cheerleader bill they can tackle the REAL BIG issues that everyone wanted them to get to.
Posted on 05/17/2005 9:07:57 AM CDT by Dubya
Uhh,.... so don't run for the job.
Except when you realize some of the gigs they get out of it (including lobbying after they serve).
Why not include the cost of their campaigns if the gig pays so little?
Obviously if they want to serve the people of their state and don't mind low pay, they could get jobs as school teachers but they would rather make a change other ways.
My jobs have never paid me a pension. The leg. needs to quit their bitchin'.
How much hard working did they do when the Chicken D's fled to state to avoid voting on redistricting?
So wait, these guys, who through their campaigns ASKED us to give them these legislative jobs are now complaining? They can quit at any time. If they were doing the jobs because they cared they'd be happy as hell. I hope these guys who voted for it get voted out.
don't forget the PACs they all have.
LAST CHANCE TO CALL REPS AND SENATORS!!!!!!! STOP THE PAYROLL TAX!!!
HERE IS THE LIST FOR THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WHERE HB 3 IS IN THE JOINT HACKING OUT PHASE! This is the bill that involves the Payroll Tax (Backdoor income tax)
CALL THESE MEMBERS AND DEMAND THEY REMOVE THE PAY ROLL TAX COMPLETELY FROM THE BILL!
Senate Members-
Find their numbers in the directory
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members.htm
Ogden ( this may be someone who will notice the pressure)
Zaffarini
Staples (Staples has taken notice of pressure from the voters before. So he needs some phone calls)
Troy Frazier
Brimer (Sen. Brimer is another that should be pressured.
House Members
Find their numbers in the directory
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/welcome.htm
Chisum
Geren (Rep Geren is a business man in the Fort Worth area...so he may be one that folks should call and ask to have a pay roll tax removed.)
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist99/geren.htm
Keffer
Otto
Swinford
IT IS ALSO TIME TO START CONTACTING THE GOVERNOR AND TELL HIM THAT HE NEEDS TO VETO ANY BILL THAT HAS A PAYROLL TAX OR PAYROLL TAX OPTION!
REMIND HIM THAT HE SAID HE WOULD VETO A JOB KILLER.
RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT A PAYROLL TAX WILL COST THOUSANDS IN JOB GROWTH!
Remember, if ANY critter wanted to go on the record against this it could have asked for a roll-call vote. As far as I'm concerned, voice votes are unanimous.
Like other posters have said, if the economic "burden" is too hard for them, they can give up their seat and get a real job.
This just means it will take more research.
What actually is the salary of a Representative? Isn't it an act of service? The problem is that members of Congress treat it as if it were their careers instead of just serving a few terms and then going back to their "Careers" where they would make more than a "food stamp salary".
Be it that rank and file members make $158,100 per year that is some big time 'food-stamp pay'. Almost makes me wish *I* could get 'food-stamp pay'.
Dear Congress,
STFU!
Regards,
MAU
Doesn't matter what it is IMO. IF they actually did their job, they'd only be in session a few months every two years. They should be billed for every single day they are in "special session" because it is a measure of their own failure to do their job that they are there.
Keep in mind...that there are administrative funds that their offices get. So yeah...they get their part time pay....but they make it up elsewhere.
And then the PACs that most of them have.
AND...most of them have a ton of cash to begin with.
The thing is....THEY KNOW ITS A SERVICE GIG.
I wish I could get 30000 plus a year retire pay....AFTER ONLY 12 YEARS!!!!!
Especially since they only meet half of those years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.