Posted on 01/08/2023 4:56:11 PM PST by RandFan
When the federal government moved down to Washington, D.C., in 1800, lawmakers grumbled about leaving behind Philadelphia's plentiful accommodations for the new capital's limited housing stock of boarding houses and taverns.
Thus was established a tradition of politicians complaining about finding housing in D.C., which continues to this day.
Amongst the incoming 118th Congress are several freshmen progressive representatives who say that having to spend their $174,000 congressional salary on housing in the District is not just difficult but a deliberate effort to exclude them from the government.
"For those of us who are working-class, this is yet another reminder that this place wasn't designed for people who actually represent their communities," said freshman Rep. Delia Ramirez (D–Ill.) to The Cut yesterday.
Ramirez—herself a homeowner and landlord back in her district—said that D.C.'s housing costs are so high that she's had to give up on her plan of renting an apartment by herself. Instead, she is splitting the $3,000 rent on a Capitol Hill rowhouse with another congresswoman.
Some 34 percent of D.C. households, and 43 percent of renter households, are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Ramirez is certainly more fortunate than that. Per the numbers she gave The Cut, she's paying only 10 percent of her congressional salary on her D.C. accommodations.
The Cut nevertheless asserts that Ramirez "knows the housing struggle." She apparently isn't the only one.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
GP tinys
A-MRE-B meal plan.
IFYKYN.
Same conditions as troops at a FOB or a COP.
Seconded.
Seconded.
A good idea IF YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH.
They should all have to live in dorm room type housing
Fine. Let’s build an open barracks for them to live in then. And no additional money for housing. They have the barracks, that’s good enough. After all, they are “public servants” right?
The way I see it, the bass turds are already way overpaid. It’s time Congress is made a part time job. Two weeks in January and two weeks in June. The bass turds have way too much mischievous time on their hands. If they have time for their J6 Bullsh*t Show, we really don’t need them in Washington.
Just cozy up to Valero, Raytheon, et. al. and enjoy the bennies.
Yet they never want to leave and when they do leave are much wealthier than when they got there.
They are also supposed to maintain a residence in their home district.
But the real working class are used to roommate situations and living in unfashionable areas.
But even young HBS graduates first moving to investment banking jobs in NYC, for example, often team up as roommates so they can afford nice places in nice and convenient neighborhoods from the start.
Don’t worry. In one term, Liz Cheney came out $32 million richer.
IIRC-—Last year-—under Pelosi-—they raised their pay to mid $230,000 range.
My raise was not comparable…
They can ESAD as far as I am concerned.
Imagine AOC having to wake up in the middle of the night and dealing with that, destroying her precious sleep cycle. Guaranteed to bitch more than we did.
Why does anyone even live in DC in the first place? The ONLY people who should be official residents of DC is the first family. EVERYONE else is temporary residents, at best. They can live in MD or VA if they want to officially move their residence to the DC area.
Congresscritters should each be given a 3-4 room military barracks-style suite, and they and their staff can stay in that. None of them should be permanently living in DC, they should be going back to their districts often to meet with their people.
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