Pay raises for Congress? Really?

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Just unbelievable. Guess it is still Christmas in Washington.

Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress, Federal Workers, Joe Biden

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ObamaSantaComintoTown.jpg
 
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LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Yeah, that's a great start toward solving our fiscal problems. Let's see how many of them refuse the raise and speak against it.
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I've been thinking a trip out of town on a rail, dressed in tar and feathers would be more in keeping-- for BOTH parties. We put these guys in charge of our nation's budget and so help me, I wouldn't trust them with my piggy bank.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
TOO LATE! I TOLD you all to vote ALL the bums out in November, now we are stuck with the results.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
TOO LATE! I TOLD you all to vote ALL the bums out in November, now we are stuck with the results.

The problem with that is that it requires everyone to vote for the candidate most likely to defeat the incumbent, not the 3rd party feel good candidate and not the write in a name someone likes candidate and some people didn't do that. That's my I told you so to everyone and I was correct.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The problem with that is that it requires everyone to vote for the candidate most likely to defeat the incumbent, not the 3rd party feel good candidate and not the write in a name someone likes candidate and some people didn't do that. That's my I told you so to everyone and I was correct.

MY vote for president was a waste, no matter what I did. It had ZERO effect. Moses could not have won here.

As to congress, I voted AGAINST my soon to be former congressman, John Dingellberry every two years ever since I moved back in here in 2000, not that it made any difference. I have NO idea who I vote for, or against, in my congressional race. I knew nothing about either of them. I did vote AGAINST my useless senator, Debbie Stabthemnow, not that it mattered. In MICHIGAN, which where I live, there ARE no candidates, other than those who are in , that CAN win! It are what it are.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I have to disagree partially. If everyone who thought their vote couldn't make any difference had voted Romney the margin of victory would have been much narrower. If nothing else, it might have given pause to at least some of the bums who might have thought a little longer about their next run when the margins were so close. It might also give pause when considering SC nominations. Bottom line, it couldn't have hurt anything and stood more chance of helping than this way.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I have to disagree partially. If everyone who thought their vote couldn't make any difference had voted Romney the margin of victory would have been much narrower. If nothing else, it might have given pause to at least some of the bums who might have thought a little longer about their next run when the margins were so close. It might also give pause when considering SC nominations. Bottom line, it couldn't have hurt anything and stood more chance of helping than this way.

Romney won in my precinct. By over 100 votes, a land slide for such a small precinct. It made ZERO difference in the out come. It are what it are. I had no say in this election, nor any that I have voted in since returning to Michigan in 2000.

The ONLY thing that causes a politician to 'take pause', it the chance of not being reelected. Besides the SC is a joke. Roberts thinks that the word "penalty" is synonymous with tax.

Carl (Marx) Levin, is a flaming Marxist, as is Stabthemnow. I have NO idea about the new congressman I am getting. He MAY be OK since out of State Marxists are going after him and protesting his office for refusing to vote for tax hikes.

He does own guns. He becomes my congressman at 0000 on Jan 1. Other wise known as tomorrow.
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
that pay raise ,,,reminds me of this

While the people of the USA are out of work, the rich government officials get their share ( the dogs) , well that's about it gentlemen, you and I are not members of "The I've Got Mine Club".....but
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I'm talking about the grand total of all votes in the entire nation and I'm talking about the difference between a squeaker and a landslide. Now, anyone with common sense knows it wasn't nearly a landslide like when a candidate wins 49 states but the lame brain media being so Obama slanted look at it that way. If Obama had a couple million more votes, even without changing the outcome of a single state, it still would have been a different talking point. Would it help? Maybe not but maybe so. Would it hurt? Absolutely not, no question about it.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Just unbelievable. Guess it is still Christmas in Washington.

Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress, Federal Workers, Joe Biden

.




ObamaSantaComintoTown.jpg
This really shouldn't come as a surprise. Obama's presidency is based on "free stuff", and this is just a slightly higher level of "free stuff". Baraka Clause is right.

Obama ordered the raise as he continues to negotiate unsuccessfully with congressional leaders to find a deal in order to avoid the fiscal cliff at the end of the year.
It's also one of the most blatant examples of vote-buying-free-stuff that I can recall.
 

Hightech_Hobo

Expert Expediter
I'm not smart enough to consider all the "Un-intended consequences" of such a move, but....

Has anyone ever considered Single Term Limits for our Congressmen and Senators and...???
Basically we elect a guy..(name your term 2,3,4,or 5 years) and he serves that term...gets a nice equal to a military retirement for his efforts and thank you very much for your service and goes back to the private sector..(No sir!! you may not become a lobbiest after your term...)...

Seems to me if you take away the need for re-election...A senator or congressman might vote his concience and do the "right thing"...I also think lobbiest bedfellow relationships might be harder to form...

On the down side I worry that big money may be more able to put "their man" in office ...

I'd love to hear ya'lls thoughts on the subject...its been sticking in my craw for some time now..
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
We should start a nation wide effort to take the power to pay themselves OUT of the hands of the congress. The states should take that over, choosing to pay their senators what the PEOPLE feel they are worth. Congressmen should be paid by the district they represent and any increases or decreases done by popular vote. Talk about taking control of government.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I agree. Their pay should be voted on in a general election with some basic guidelines. Right now I would say zero, but then no one would run. Just a basic starting point or minimum. Also, they should have no greater benefits higher than anyone in military.
Limit the term(s) to a prescribed amount and pay for one year after service and health benefits and no retirement period. Don't need that if they only serve one or two terms.
 

AMonger

Veteran Expediter
AND senators should be ejected or appointed by their governor and/or state legislators, however each state wishes to do it. Senators are there to represent the States, not the People.
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I think politicians should be paid as contractors just like we do. No or poor results no pay.
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
I'm not smart enough to consider all the "Un-intended consequences" of such a move, but....

Has anyone ever considered Single Term Limits for our Congressmen and Senators and...???
Basically we elect a guy..(name your term 2,3,4,or 5 years) and he serves that term...gets a nice equal to a military retirement for his efforts and thank you very much for your service and goes back to the private sector..(No sir!! you may not become a lobbiest after your term...)...

Seems to me if you take away the need for re-election...A senator or congressman might vote his concience and do the "right thing"...I also think lobbiest bedfellow relationships might be harder to form...

On the down side I worry that big money may be more able to put "their man" in office ...

I'd love to hear ya'lls thoughts on the subject...its been sticking in my craw for some time now..

Many of our Founders envisioned citizen-legislators who came to Congress briefly, then returned to private life. Certainly, it was seen as a part-time job as Congress had no need to be in session year-round. Term-limits have a lot of appeal. Currently, incumbents, even bad ones, nearly always get re-elected because of gerrymandering. Our entire system of government has wandered far astray from original intent. As government grows, the private sector shrinks. We all know where that leads.
 
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