Pay raises in Washington

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Originally Posted by GloriaInTX

If you don't want people to make assumptions on you being well off don't post things about your beach house and your rich circle of friends that go on safaris to shoot zebras. Just a suggestion.

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Good point. Though id like to point out that knowing people who are rich no more makes you rich than knowing people who had affairs makes you an adulterer. but anyway. If the average poor family finds the 50/month too much to bear maybe they can sell some of their guns, I know you mentioned they are quite expensive. The country is in massive debt- we all have to pitch in some. While its going to hurt us financially I see why we have to help. I'm part of society. I get it.

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Originally Posted by Potter75

The country is in massive debt- we all have to pitch in some. While its going to hurt us financially I see why we have to help. I'm part of society. I get it.

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Do you also see then why the raises were not a good idea? I would also think you could make the assumption that you are not hurting for money if you do not think $900 is very much money. That would be a lot of money to much of the country.

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Originally Posted by Potter75

Good point. Though id like to point out that knowing people who are rich no more makes you rich than knowing people who had affairs makes you an adulterer. but anyway. If the average poor family finds the 50/month too much to bear maybe they can sell some of their guns, I know you mentioned they are quite expensive. The country is in massive debt- we all have to pitch in some. While its going to hurt us financially I see why we have to help. I'm part of society. I get it.

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I wouldn't mind pitching in if they actually cut spending instead of adding to the debt. At this point its just like throwing money into the wind. If someone is already wasting all the money they have it doesn't help to give them more money.

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The Senate package does not include any material spending cuts, infuriating those on the right. It angered many on the left because it worsened unionized government workers' job insecurity, is overly generous to the rich on inheritance taxes, and it doesn't protect entitlement programs. The head of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, said the deal "sets the stage for more hostage taking."

Further, the deal addresses only a tiny slice of the economic problems confronting America. Not only does it not address the $16 trillion national debt, it ignores the far bigger and more challenging deficit associated with looming retirement health care obligations. It also does not in any way address the still great need to help stimulate growth and create jobs in the U.S. economy. And it leaves in place most of the loopholes and provisions that allow America's richest to steadily accumulate more and more while inequality in this country gets worse and worse.

So, this was both a manufactured crisis and an unnecessary distraction from bigger issues. The deal that was hastily cobbled together actually increases our deficit, and it creates an even bigger potential crisis just weeks from now. That said, other than its lack of vision, creativity, accountability, sense of responsibility, courage, basic math skills, wisdom or competence, this cliff deal is not bad.

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Cliff deal hollow victory for American people - CNN.com

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Originally Posted by AlyssaEimers

Do you also see then why the raises were not a good idea? I would also think you could make the assumption that you are not hurting for money if you do not think $900 is very much money. That would be a lot of money to much of the country.

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You can continue to try to talk about my income if you like but it's kind of jerky. My point is that $900 is a tiny percent of their current income- which was published-thus a tiny tiny raise to them. Has nothing at all to do with me. Continue to try to talk about or infer my income level if it makes you happy- but please note it does not relate to the debate. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Potter75

You can continue to try to talk about my income if you like but it's kind of jerky. My point is that $900 is a tiny percent of their current income- which was published-thus a tiny tiny raise to them. Has nothing at all to do with me. Continue to try to talk about or infer my income level if it makes you happy- but please note it does not relate to the debate. Thanks.

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I am not trying to relate it to your income, just that to the majority of the country it was a lot of money and an insult that it came in the midst of a financial crisis.

I don't know how I feel about it. It sounds like a lot of money but when I break it down, I'm not so sure... Even with their other financial privileges, they still have to spend a lot of their own money for their career. To be a rep you have to continue to live in the district where you were elected, but you also have to maintain quarters of some sort in DC. No way would I want the hassle of flying from Bakersfield to DC all the time. I know the cost is covered, but the time spent isn't. Not to mention all the appearances and time spent campaigning (except for my rep - he's run unopposed for 2 of the past 3 elections; this time another Republican ran against him).

I looked at the history of congressional pay, it hasn't increased all that much. Comparatively, the annual salary of congress is about the same as the cost of 1 day of the war in Iraq. At 540 (or is it 541?) members * $176,000, the amount of the salary amounts to $1 per family of 4.

Since 2008 I've considered running...to file it costs 1% of the current salary (whatever it may be at the time). Like I said before, our rep runs unopposed so I figure it's just a waste of time and money.

I won't see an increase in my taxes but I have seen a steady pay decrease over the past 5 years.

Again, please don't make debates personal (i.e. "I know it's not a lot of money to a rich person like you...")

I would hate for the atmosphere of the debate board to become one where we feel like we can't share aspects of our lives (be that homeschooling or that we know people who can afford to go on safari) without fear that it will be thrown back in our faces later.

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Potter75

You can continue to try to talk about my income if you like but it's kind of jerky. My point is that $900 is a tiny percent of their current income- which was published-thus a tiny tiny raise to them. Has nothing at all to do with me. Continue to try to talk about or infer my income level if it makes you happy- but please note it does not relate to the debate. Thanks.

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I recently received my annual raise, and it totals about $900 - and I make a heck of a lot less than those in DC who got raises. This was a very small percentage for me, so it must be practically 0.5% for them.

a 900 dollar raise is not a huge raise for them. It has nothing to do with individual perspective, its simply not a big raise given their skill set and their income.

Of course all of us will have to pay more taxes, but special interests still get their tax breaks. Obama wants to tax the rich unless they are on his special list. I guess Hollywood got their payback for all the money they raised for his campaign.

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So how did the special deals make it into the fiscal cliff compromise?

"The White House insisted," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.

The measures did get examined in detail by the Senate Finance Committee, which approved them by a 19-5 vote in August. The package includes extensions on popular breaks that benefit individuals, including the deduction for state and local taxes.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), one of the few who voted against the measure in committee, said he fought vigorously against what he called "tax goodies for special groups."

"I lost every vote," he said.

"I'm sure there were people on both sides that wanted it in" the fiscal cliff deal, Coburn said. "You have people calling for fairness, but they want to protect the wealthy or their supporters. And that's on both sides of the aisle."

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'Fiscal cliff' deal has billions in business tax breaks - latimes.com

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