Okay, fair enough.

Now account for the other 56%. A couple dozen members of Congress sleep in cots in their offices because DC is too damn expensive to find housing in addition to the housing they have back home. Only a couple of them will admit to it, though, I imagine out of a sense of embarrassment.

I know two of the cot-sleepers are Jeff Flake and Jason Chaffetz; I want to give them a little bit of love. They're not from my party, yes, but if you're in Congress and you're sleeping on a damn cot after hours, that's actually kind of endearing. I'd love to know who the rest of the cot-sleepers are; it's really a point in their favor in my book.

Announced by the CRP.

Last political org to use that acronym was the "Committee to Re-elect the President", Nixon era. Pure coincidence of course

So in a discipline that needs a certain amount of ruthless drive to get to the top(politics) there are quite a few millionaires...

Big surprise.

And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.

All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

And most of the rest are multimillionaires and billionaires?

GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.


through marriage too.


/he is such a tremendous douchenozzle

Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

Is that in general or in congress?

Who should have the power to give congress a raise?

Gosling: I know two of the cot-sleepers are Jeff Flake and Jason Chaffetz; I want to give them a little bit of love.

If only they had some sort of device in their offices upon which they could exchange love with their fans.

Then you could visit them during business hours and give them that little bit of love.

I'm surprised it's so low.

and low cost super coverage health care subby

Any congress person that makes more then twice their government salary works for free.

Fair.

OMG, you mean rich people get that way by ensuring that their financial world is in order, even down to selfishly making sure their pay raises reflect inflation and value? You don't f*cking say.

Perhaps your poor ass should take a lesson from it Subby. How did you think rich people got rich? Windfalls?

Con Fabulous: Gosling: I know two of the cot-sleepers are Jeff Flake and Jason Chaffetz; I want to give them a little bit of love.

If only they had some sort of device in their offices upon which they could exchange love with their fans.

Then you could visit them during business hours and give them that little bit of love.

I came to approve of Gosling's comment, but then I saw this, and my day got so much more awesome.

Phil Herup: GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.


through marriage too.


/he is such a tremendous douchenozzle

I've known that since he testified before Congress in the 70's. Back in the shiat, he would have been fragged.

Zagloba: Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

Is that in general or in congress?


Congress of course.


Zagloba: Who should have the power to give congress a raise?


Good question.

Not Congress though.

Yet Democrats still can't manage to pay their taxes. Weird.

GaryPDX: Back in the shiat, he would have been fragged.



No doubt.


He is the factual version of Doug Niedermayer.

GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.

Not anymore.
Kerry lost $127.4 million 2007-2008. That's a lot of ketchup: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29235.html

Bocanegra: Yet Democrats still can't manage to pay their taxes. Weird.



It is not weird. It is hypocrisy.

Zagloba: Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

Is that in general or in congress?

Who should have the power to give congress a raise?

Nobody.

The President doesn't get any pay raises while he's in office, it's in the Constitution. Congress voted itself its very own Amendment to give itself pay raises, and it's high time that was repealed, and they get the exact same pay scale the Chief Executive gets.

If we don't pay Congress decently, the only people able to take office will be millionaires.

Gyrfalcon: Congress voted itself its very own Amendment to give itself pay raises, and it's high time that was repealed,


Absolutely.


Gyrfalcon: and they get the exact same pay scale the Chief Executive gets.



ummmm NO. Where do you get that ridiculous idea?


Congress is already overpaid. The POTUS is not.



I mean seriously... WTF?

marilyn: GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.

Not anymore.
Kerry lost $127.4 million 2007-2008. That's a lot of ketchup: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29235.html

whoa..hahaha. Okay then. 4 of the top 5 richest are democrats. I thought dems hated rich people. Or is it just Republican rich people?

Zagloba: Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

Is that in general or in congress?

Who should have the power to give congress a raise?

The state legislatures would be the ideal authority on that.

Kerik in jail, Rangel HEADS a prime congressional committee though their actions are about the same.

Hypocrites.

GaryPDX: marilyn: GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.

Not anymore.
Kerry lost $127.4 million 2007-2008. That's a lot of ketchup: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29235.html

whoa..hahaha. Okay then. 4 of the top 5 richest are democrats. I thought dems hated rich people. Or is it just Republican rich people?

DC is a crazy place. Democrats are fighting to have their money taxed and Republicans are fighting to stop them.

Phil Herup: Gyrfalcon: Congress voted itself its very own Amendment to give itself pay raises, and it's high time that was repealed,


Absolutely.


Gyrfalcon: and they get the exact same pay scale the Chief Executive gets.



ummmm NO. Where do you get that ridiculous idea?


Congress is already overpaid. The POTUS is not.



I mean seriously... WTF?

No no, I mean the President doesn't get any pay raises while he's in office...ergo, Congress members don't get any pay raises while they're in office.

Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

So you'll be calling for a proletariat revolution against the money-lenders and paper shufflers? I never knew you were a Marxist.

I work for the government, I get paid shiat as it is. Sure we are getting a cost of living increase that covers about 1/2 of what our health insurance rate hike is gonna be. That's cool, since I'm sure I won't have a job after August anyway. Hurray for making less while the politicians rake it in!

Fark them all. Until the 10.2% find jobs again, the politicians need to be making about $25k per year and live on ramen.

inglixthemad: Phil Herup: All who vote for their own pay raises are scum.

So you'll be calling for a proletariat revolution against the money-lenders and paper shufflers? I never knew you were a Marxist.



Just the gov't officials.

How can someone earning $175,000 per year with free healthcare and almost all their expenses and travel covered not be a millionaire? It explains a lot about about the job they are doing managing the country's money.

GaryPDX: Okay then. 4 of the top 5 richest are democrats. I thought dems hated rich people. Or is it just Republican rich people?

Or is that dems don't hate rich people?

Wealth brings power?

Who ever imagined that would be true in America?

I'd expect that anyone that is electable would have some degree of success in something. Typically in the process of developing a successful resume people will tend to accumulate money.

EmmaLou: Until the 10.2% find jobs again, the politicians need to be making about $25k per year and live on ramen.

Do you really want politicians to be even more dependent on bribes and kick backs?

This is the only way that we can continue to lure the best and brightest minds away from the private sector.

Triumph: How can someone earning $175,000 per year with free healthcare and almost all their expenses and travel covered not be a millionaire? It explains a lot about about the job they are doing managing the country's money.

You have to maintain two residences (unless you're one of the aforementioned cot-sleepers), and it's only your public expenses which are covered. Plus, how many reps have been in office more then ten years?

"Ain't no one ever got fark-you wealthy by pulling a salary." (~Anonymous)

Someday we will have a woman president someday we will have an asian president, we will NEVER have a poor president.

bikerific
If we don't pay Congress decently, the only people able to take office will be millionaires.

This, unfortunately. And others have brought up the point that less wealthy people would be more susceptible to bribes, though it seems like the rich twats in Congress seem quite open to them.

We don't need our reps to make less money--we need term limits, like we have for the president. If being a congressman isn't a career path, the wealthy manipulative dicks who currently run for office would do something else. We might get people in office who *gasp* legitimately want to do good. This, coupled with getting control of the lobbyists, would be the best way to go.

Of course, we run into the problem that only Congress can change the rules regarding its own elections. So it looks like we're stuck.

Gosling: I know two of the cot-sleepers are Jeff Flake and Jason Chaffetz; I want to give them a little bit of love. They're not from my party, yes, but if you're in Congress and you're sleeping on a damn cot after hours, that's actually kind of endearing. I'd love to know who the rest of the cot-sleepers are; it's really a point in their favor in my book.

this

GaryPDX: Back in the shiat, he would have been fragged.

Back in the shiat? Do you mean 'Nam? Christ man, how old are you? If you were, as you say, 'back in the shiat' you'd have to be pushing 60.

SwiftFox: Announced by the CRP.

Last political org to use that acronym was the "Committee to Re-elect the President", Nixon era. Pure coincidence of course

also C-reactive protein, a byproduct of inflammation.

equilibrium: GaryPDX: Back in the shiat, he would have been fragged.

Back in the shiat? Do you mean 'Nam? Christ man, how old are you? If you were, as you say, 'back in the shiat' you'd have to be pushing 60.

Is it a Big Lebowski quote?

Triumph: How can someone earning $175,000 per year with free healthcare and almost all their expenses and travel covered not be a millionaire? It explains a lot about about the job they are doing managing the country's money.

Because unless you're from the Delmarva region, getting elected to Congress means that, in addition to your constituent residency, you need to find someplace to stay in the DC metro as well, because you ain't sleeping in the chamber and you ain't sleeping on the street. Which means, by necessity, you've got two homes to pay for.

And DC isn't cheap. $175,000 a year trying to juggle two residencies, one of which is in DC, doesn't go very far.

Phil Herup: GaryPDX: And John Kerry in the richest man in Congress.


through marriage too.


/he is such a tremendous douchenozzle

You know who else married into wealth?




/Yeah, it's hot.

Meh.

Congress shouldn't get salaries. Give them minimum housing in the civilian neighborhoods in DC, peon class plane tickets, and a $20 per diem debit card that's hooked up to a website where anyone can see what they bought.

And lock the rich farks out of their fortunes.

You want to serve? Fine, but it shouldn't be easy.

equilibrium: GaryPDX: Back in the shiat, he would have been fragged.

Back in the shiat? Do you mean 'Nam? Christ man, how old are you? If you were, as you say, 'back in the shiat' you'd have to be pushing 60.

lol..above 50.

Gosling: Triumph: How can someone earning $175,000 per year with free healthcare and almost all their expenses and travel covered not be a millionaire? It explains a lot about about the job they are doing managing the country's money.

Because unless you're from the Delmarva region, getting elected to Congress means that, in addition to your constituent residency, you need to find someplace to stay in the DC metro as well, because you ain't sleeping in the chamber and you ain't sleeping on the street. Which means, by necessity, you've got two homes to pay for.

And DC isn't cheap. $175,000 a year trying to juggle two residencies, one of which is in DC, doesn't go very far.

Paying for homes is not pissing away money. It contributes to your net worth. That's part of how you become worth a million dollars.
And if you are renting on Capitol Hill, a nice townhouse can be rented for $1000 to $1250. An apartment for significantly less.

Lernaeus: Meh.

Congress shouldn't get salaries. Give them minimum housing in the civilian neighborhoods in DC, peon class plane tickets, and a $20 per diem debit card that's hooked up to a website where anyone can see what they bought.

And lock the rich farks out of their fortunes.

You want to serve? Fine, but it shouldn't be easy.

I think it should be akin to serving jury duty.

It's a balancing act. If the pay is too low, you'll have a bunch of aristocrats running the people's business. If the pay's too high, you'll get a bunch of community journalists.

That's mostly at the state level. Obviously, when you spend tens of millions to get a job that pays $170k or whatever, something is fishy.