why dont our represenatives in D.C. take pay cuts and use that money to help others?
The current salary (2009) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year. congressional pay rates also affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government executives. imagine they all take pay cuts down to 100k/year that would save $39,590,000 a year from congressional saleries i mean why should they make more the then national average salary (In the United States of America, the average annual wage was $36,764 in 2002) oh and they work less the the average person (Since 1985, Congress has allocated an average of 152 days per session) i got this info by doing yahoo searches im not saying they shouldnt get paid just that if we need 800billion to help out the economy why shouldnt they help pay some of it and your right 39 mill isnt that much but then again how much is 800 billion going to cost you in the long run
Government - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Because few of them on either side of the aisle truly care about the people they work for -- us. Instead, they're more concerned with scoring partisan points or simply keeping their jobs from one election cycle to the next.
2 :
The policies of this type are never implemented to harm oneself. You are right on the huge sum a country can save by giving a small contribution from everyone. The executives would rather come up with a package for the salaried class against the increased price instead of a pay cut. Your suggestion should be heard by all major MNC's in India as well.
3 :
I disagree with this line of reasoning. George Washington initially offered to serve as the first U.S. President for free. He later decided that it wasn't a good precedent because it shouldn't be a requirement that one is already wealthy prior to running for office. Think about it. In order to become a representative, you actually have to win an election, give up all of your privacy, open your personal life to vicious attacks by your opponent, and potentially quit your day job while you are in the process of campaigning. We have enough wealthy elitists in congress as it is. The last thing we need is a change in policy that would make it impossible for working professionals to run for office. By the way, 39, 590, 000 doesn't even buy one jet for the military. That particular change in policy would not help with the budget deficit at all.
4 :
A cut in their salaries alone wouldn't make a dent but at least it would be a gesture. Let's remove their dining rooms, cafeterias, health clubs, and all the other crap-ola we're paying for. And this is just the icing on the cake: Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Congress left town for their annual retreat at Kingsmill Resort and Spa in nearby Williamsburg, Va., which offers "unforgettable golf, luxurious accommodations... and an abundance of recreational opportunities." And before anyone screams that the Republicans just had a retreat, yes they did, but we're not paying for it: "Republicans spend no public money on their retreat...Democrats spend taxpayer money on their retreat but do not permit lobbyists to accompany them. The public pays for a charter train from Washington to Williamsburg for many of the 200 members who attend, as well as conference rooms, security and catering." I'm sick of the entire bunch and it's only been a couple of weeks.
5 :
They won't they think they deserve a lot of amenities because they are working for us. Never mind how rotten things have gotten because of the greed, political favors, and the general screwing over of the american people that have been going on for years thanks to "special interests" of all kinds.
