Posted on 10/19/2013 3:29:38 PM PDT by Libloather
**SNIP**
Lautenberg died in June after nearly three decades in the U.S. Senate. Many people would agree that he is owed a debt of gratitude but not everybody agrees that his widow Bonnie should receive $174,000, funded by taxpayers.
Lautenberg was worth nearly $60-million.
“I don’t think it’s right. I mean most us can’t afford death benefits like that. You know we would be happy to have a little bit saved just to bury ourselves,” Wayne resident Carol Dabaghian said.
The payoff was buried in the government shutdown bill. It is a death benefit that is almost always approved and is typically equal to one year’s salary. Despite the cost some New Jersey residents felt that Lautenberg earned it for his family.
(Excerpt) Read more at newyork.cbslocal.com ...
Lawmakers under fire for $174,000 TAX FREE gift to widow of millionaire senator
The tax-free payment for the surviving relatives of members of Congress is a time-honored perk of public service in Washington. The gift is equal to the member's annual salary at their time of death, which in the New Jersey Democrat's case, was $174,000. The payment is written into the appropriations bill that has been approved by the House of Representatives. If the payment is approved by the Senate, as is expected, it would bring the total amount that Congress has given the families of deceased lawmakers to $2.6 million over the past decade, Fox News reports.
That needs to stop. These people are making an obscene amount of money when you add up all the benefits.
No member’s survivors should get a dime. We can’t afford it.
Don’t forget the insider investment trading, something that is criminal in the private sector but permitted in DC.
They don’t even deserve a damn pension.
It’s all part of the ‘clean’ CR that Obama demanded.
And those are the people who keep electing Democrats.
They don’t have insurance? What is with these people being unable to plan?
No pension for anyone who serves more than two terms.
I don't think I could go through life named "Innocent Anyanw."
They do plan. They plan to take as much of your money as the laws allow, and they make the laws.
A Christian from Africa, speaking of people who vote Democrat.
There are vets and vets' widows, of which I am one waiting 2 to 3 years for VA to get around to paying their benefits. We are waiting around for amounts like 800, 1200 per month, etc.
Meanwhile, VA has used hundreds of tax payer paid workers to work on VA union matters.
Can someone tell me WHAT in govt. works anymore for the people?
I beliee we are just drones to upkeep the elite.
vaudinev
Yes he deserves a gift but more on the order of urination on his grave.
Yes and good drones don’t need to be re-educated in the camps.
Widow Lautenberg is rich as Croesus like her wealthy hypocrite gungrabbing hubby.
This is obscene!
I don’t think Widow Lautenberg should be denied the benefit because she is rich.
But I agree that the various benefits that all Senators and Congresscritters get are far larger than they should be.
And that’s not even including all the kickbacks and money under the table.
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