FTA: "The federal government has no rules that disqualify former congressmen from retirement benefits if they are convicted of felonies, according to the Federal Office of Personnel Management."

Well, there's a budget cut everyone can get behind.

/except Congress
//and the Executive branch
///yeah, and probably the Judicial branch too

ZAZ [TotalFark] 2011-12-11 09:46:33 AM
Even if there were a federal rule revoking pensions for corruption he is not accused of felonious conduct related to his service as a Congressman.

That's not a reason why there should not be such a rule. U.S. taxpayers shell out $800,000 a year in pensions for convicted former congressmen, according to the National Taxpayers Union. Link (new window)

Goddammitsomuch

F**k these politicians. 1 term limit, no pension. IT SHOULDNT BE A CAREER!

String them all up in the street

U Mad, Submittard?

Blagojevich is deserving of the treatment Winston receives at the end of 1984.

(hint: it's ugly)

$350,000 over twelve years? that's a little under $30,000 per year. Not exactly an outrageous sum...

The cost of incarceration isn't outrageous - cheaper than many colleges- though having 'em run on a treadmill for 8-12 hours a day to generate electricity for the closest town would be nice. It's the federal pension for Congressional crooks that is ridiculous (yeah, yeah, Blago doesn't come under that....unless it got extended to crimes committed after federal service....which it never would). Pretty of blame to go around Link (new window)

DarwiOdrade: cry moar

$350,000 over 12 years is about one one-hundredth of a cent per US citizen per year.

This. In fact, I'll gladly give an entire penny to show assmunches such as this that abuse of power is bad, m'kay?

winterwhile: he's a dem-o-rat

now can be in Obama's White house staff

tell Obama thats not a door, its a window

take Obama on his 57 state tour

and his Tel-o-Promptard

with Jilad at Tanagra.

A Terrible Human: Damn this thread got the derp quick.

An imbecile at post 5 and back to back trolls at 7 and 8. One of the worst outbreaks of Derpes I've seen in a while.

DarwiOdrade: BSABSVR: A Terrible Human: Damn this thread got the derp quick.

An imbecile at post 5 and back to back trolls at 7 and 8. One of the worst outbreaks of Derpes I've seen in a while.

As poster #6, I thank you.

You were the Herpes to the Derpes.

if you read the article, you will be much less upset than reading the headline.

Unfortunately for our bottom dollar line, we don't have a giant pit to throw prisoners into. His being classified as minimal security risk saves a few thousand a year. Is it worth thousands more to punish? Maybe, but you can't BOTH complain about prison costs AND complain about the minimal security bit.

The pension is another matter. I don't see why someone's pension should go away for committing a crime, as a general matter; you put in the time at a job with a pension plan, and that's part of your salary. In this case, his crimes are linked to the job that earned him the pension, so we couldn't really say he was performing his duties and still earned the money. Take every year in which he did the job in a provably dirty manner, and take that out of the pension imo.

We start to throw away our values as Americans when we see these despicable human beings treated in a humane manner, but we still need to follow those values.

_In this case, his crimes are linked to the job that earned him the pension_

No, he was convicted for crimes committed as Illinois Governor. The $15/yr pension is for 6 years in the US House

CornDog in 2012: F**k these politicians. 1 term limit, no pension. IT SHOULDNT BE A CAREER!

That's an exceptionally bad idea.

While I don't think elected office should be a career; filling our legislative houses with newbies who can't pour piss from a boot is an exceedingly BAD idea. One only has to look at California to see the results of doing that.

winterwhile:

why? you just mad Blogo did not get a higher bribe for Obama seat?

Yes, that's exactly what he dislikes. You nailed it.

Have a cookie.

CornDog in 2012: Goddammitsomuch

F**k these politicians. 1 term limit, no pension. IT SHOULDNT BE A CAREER!

String them all up in the street

I'm 100% OK with that, at least to try it for a few of decades.

Smackledorfer: Unfortunately for our bottom dollar line, we don't have a giant pit to throw prisoners into. His being classified as minimal security risk saves a few thousand a year. Is it worth thousands more to punish? Maybe, but you can't BOTH complain about prison costs AND complain about the minimal security bit.

Hopefully he will have the good graces to die quickly like Ted Stevens.

Dwight_Yeast: That's an exceptionally bad idea.

While I don't think elected office should be a career; filling our legislative houses with newbies who can't pour piss from a boot is an exceedingly BAD idea. One only has to look at California to see the results of doing that.

California's issues have nothing to do with term limits. Its the lame structure of their government and the proposition system. And the research that have been done to date on term limits in California has shown that there has been little difference in the legislation passed by 'newbies' versus 'experienced legislators'.

/supports term limits on every level

DTRFA.

What is it I'm supposed to be enraged about here, again? Enough that I should vote out Congress?

Congresspeople convicted of corruption should be executed. Seriously. Representing citizens is serious farking business and anyone who betrays that trust for personal gain deserves to be die.

FTFA: Blagojevich will have amassed more than $77,000 in pension payments if he is released on schedule in 2024.

Plus he gets 129k refund back from his pension fund?

There oughta be a law.

Consider a lower cost alternative ?

Cheaper than an ankle bracelet, just sayin'.

Dammit, deserves to die

While I wish it would cost us less....I'm ok with this. If you want to spend my money to lock people up, I would much have it be corrupt elected officials than some kid smoking a spliff. In fact, if you want to keep spending money on locking people up, lets stop going after drugs and start going after the government and Wall Street. I'm perfectly happy to spend money on white collar crime.

/IMHO

I wonder if more than a few minimum security prisoners might like to take a swipe at mike. Have a hunch medium security would be safer for him.

whidbey: What is it I'm supposed to be enraged about here, again?

The existence of prisons.

Apparently we would be sending criminals to the Soylent Green factory if the sheeple would wake up and learn THE TRUTH!1!!!

DarwiOdrade: cry moar

$350,000 over 12 years is about one one-hundredth of a cent per US citizen per year.

Agreed. Big fricken whoop.

a federal pension worth about $15,000 a year

minimum-security prisoners cost $20,987.50

So, about $36k a year? Hey, look at all the f*cks I give.

jaytkay: whidbey: What is it I'm supposed to be enraged about here, again?

The existence of prisons.

Apparently we would be sending criminals to the Soylent Green factory if the sheeple would wake up and learn THE TRUTH!1!!!

There's got to be a joke in there about how his hair would be a separate Soylent category on its own, but I don't think I'm high enough to think of it yet...

aearra: I wonder if more than a few minimum security prisoners might like to take a swipe at mike. Have a hunch medium security would be safer for him.

And trade their country club gig for PMITA prison ? Not likely.

I wonder how hard it is to break INTO min security places

jaytkay: _In this case, his crimes are linked to the job that earned him the pension_

No, he was convicted for crimes committed as Illinois Governor. The $15/yr pension is for 6 years in the US House

Oh shiat, ya, my bad. Posting right after getting up ftw!

Then yup, the pension is his rightfully, regardless of how despicable he is.

Cost taxpayers $250K+ to incarcerate in a minimum security country club.

And that's just for hair care.

DarwiOdrade: cry moar

$350,000 over 12 years is about one one-hundredth of a cent per US citizen per year.

okay, send me that amount just for kicks then. it's nothing, right?

BlippityBleep: DarwiOdrade: cry moar

$350,000 over 12 years is about one one-hundredth of a cent per US citizen per year.

okay, send me that amount just for kicks then. it's nothing, right?

Sure, in 2023 I will send you a check. Hell, I will pay you in advance. It's $0.0012. And it's in the mail. Don't spend it all in once place. Buy yourself something nice.

NINDroog: While I wish it would cost us less....I'm ok with this. If you want to spend my money to lock people up, I would much have it be corrupt elected officials than some kid smoking a spliff. In fact, if you want to keep spending money on locking people up, lets stop going after drugs and start going after the government and Wall Street. I'm perfectly happy to spend money on white collar crime.

Well said.

bravian: Dwight_Yeast: That's an exceptionally bad idea.

While I don't think elected office should be a career; filling our legislative houses with newbies who can't pour piss from a boot is an exceedingly BAD idea. One only has to look at California to see the results of doing that.

California's issues have nothing to do with term limits. Its the lame structure of their government and the proposition system. And the research that have been done to date on term limits in California has shown that there has been little difference in the legislation passed by 'newbies' versus 'experienced legislators'.

That would be because at this point, there are no experienced legislators in Cali. Everyone spends their first term voting for what will make their constituents happy so they'll get their second term and pension, then spends the second term voting for whatever as they know they can't be held accountable for for their actions.

The proposition system is one part of the problem, but term limits are another; you can't govern one of the world's largest economies though direct democracy, but putting it into an ever-revolving cast of amateurs who only care about getting paid doesn't help.

/The Founding Fathers intended politicians to do what they did: have a career, retire, then go into politics when their wisdom was at its peak so they could better the nation, then retire when they got old and go back to the farm. They didn't set specific limits as they expected nature and good sense would take their courses.

bravian: /supports term limits on every level


You've been at your job way too long. In order to protect your employer from potential corruption it's imperative that your employment be terminated and a replacement hired to fill your position.

Dwight_Yeast: /The Founding Fathers intended politicians to do what they did: have a career, retire, then go into politics when their wisdom was at its peak so they could better the nation, then retire when they got old and go back to the farm. They didn't set specific limits as they expected nature and good sense would take their courses.

Well that's too bad. I like the concept, but they really REALLY should have imposed term limits at the get-go so we don't have to be stuck guessing about what they wanted.

DarwiOdrade: cry moar

$350,000 over 12 years is about one one-hundredth of a cent per US citizen per year.

Or about 20 needy families that could be on food stamps. Just sayin'