Posted by
thekeenobserver on Friday, May 01, 2009 2:47:34 PM
Got a problem with the high cost of living? Well then, just become a member of Congress!
To get elected to Congress these days, you should have a good head of
hair (a must for TV soundbites), be able speak very emotionally on
the stump, and have well-connected friends. Then bingo--you're probably
in luck of landing one of the most 550 coveted jobs in the entire world!
But the real payoff isn't so much the job itself, it's the probability
that you'll serve comfortably in a lifestyle of the rich and famous for
the rest of your days-- you'll have it made for life.
Don't think so? Well, try this for a wild and crazy hypothetical
question: Would you rather hit the state lottery, or win the next
available congressional seat in your district?
A lottery winner automatically has to pay 35% in taxes, and is besieged
by unwanted publicity. Often times, these winners eventually become losers, especially if they've overspent their millions after having
retired prematurely. Some even end up heavily in debt.
Now compare to a newly-elected congressperson:
They get paid six figure incomes, have few living expenses, and
"government-paid-everything" perks...right down to free shoe shines and
haircuts. They travel worldwide. They have their own limousines,
privately chartered flights, and pay for little else other than a
residence in DC.
Are you worried about retirement? Well again, just "become involved" and run for Congress.
Hardworking congressional members certainly don't have to worry about
contributing to some 401K plan like us common folks. No sir! They can
just feed from the congressional "pension honey-pot," which is kept full by the
overtaxed American public.
After 20 years, a member of Congress can retire with up to 80 percent of his/her salary. Pity...just eighty percent; what's a poor Congressional retiree to do? But then again, it's not exactly a life of having to wear sackcloth and surviving on pet food either.
New House members are entitled to a personnel allowance from which they
may hire up to 18 full-time staff members, and receive office
expenses for travel and supplies. Yearly Senate office costs range from
$3.5 million to $4 million PER member. That's an approximate $400 million
in annual federal expenses, for only 100 Senators!
For House members-- although the figures aren't a matter of public record--18 staff
personnel being paid 50k/year, would equal a nice round 900,000
dollars in salary costs. Now add in office, travel, etc., and that's another $200,000; so EACH representative costs
us lowly taxpayers $1.1 million/year, and x 450, equals $480 million, just in annual House "support" expenses, let
alone their pensions.
So adding it up, we have a combined total of nearly $1 billion/year in annual taxpayer costs, just to keep this aristocracy "functioning."
Now lets get to the real nitty-gritty, and try to compute a rough (very
rough) total estimate of what a Congressional retiree will garner--
although many serve to their "expiration" date.
Figuring on a basis of .80 x 150,000 = $120,000/year annual pension, times
20 years average retirement period= $2.4 million total taxpayer
cost...that's just for ONE retired congressperson! And if you consider
the overall number of living congressional retirees-- plus their free lifetime medical benefits-- the total easily
adds into the billions.
Hoo-wee! Is it any wonder that these people will spend several million
dollars to get elected for a job that
pays 150,000/year, plus "perks" from eager-beaver lobbyists?
Well wonder no more. Getting elected to Congress means celebrity,
status, and possibly becoming a highly-paid lobbyist yourself, if you retire
"prematurely."
How about inflation? Well, fuh-getta about it. If you serve in
Congress, your pay is automatically "pegged" to the increases of
thousands of other high-ranking personnel in the federal government,
including cabinet agency heads and federal judges.
Congress-- in their infinite wisdom-- knows there's never a good time
for headlines about relatively rich public officials deciding to give
themselves more taxpayer money. So it looks like automatic
Congressional pay raises--first instituted in 1989-- are not going away
anytime soon.
And what about the income
taxes these dutiful, dedicated public servants must pay?
We're all familiar with that coveted position-- member of the
congressional "Ways and Means Committee". And why is it so desirable?
You can REALLY call the money shots from this perch:
Members of the House Ways and Means (and the Senate Finance Committee) are directly responsible for our insanely complex tax laws-- but they
need not bother with their own returns.The IRS maintains two "customer
service" centers to exclusively assist lawmakers and Capitol Hill staff
in filling out their tax forms, all at a big cost to taxpayers.
Worried about rising medical insurance premiums? Congress gets free
outpatient care at Bethesda and Walter Reed Hospitals. House members
receive free meals and vacations from lobbyists and others.
Is gasoline burning up your budget? Well then, just consider the "good ole' boy" law allowing members of the U.S. House to lease luxury cars with
taxpayer money, and with no regard for rising consumer prices for fuel. There is no price limit, and gas is included-- once again, all paid by
taxpayers.
And what about parking fees, fines and tickets? No problem, once again it's part of the "free Congressional ride."
Mr. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) paid $1,540 in parking fines on his
Chrysler PT Cruiser with campaign funds. And it was also reported that
Mr. Rangel has been storing a classic 1972 Mercedes-Benz in the House
of Representatives parking garage for at least the last nine years,
slightly more than the 45 allotted days. His penalty? Nada. Nothing.
And for his "work car" Mr. Rangel was among the more "footloose"
representatives, paying $774 a month for a Cadillac De Ville--
courtesy of Uncle Sam, and the tax-paying public.
And if we want something done about all this extravagance, we can just write
our congressperson for relief. They'll surely be concerned.
QUESTION: When was the last time you took an all-expenses paid vacation-- or even had the time to take one?
Congress members often travel to the great golf courses of the world,
paid for by private sponsors, who often have direct interests in
legislation on Capitol Hill. These trips are tagged as "official
business". And members of Congress get to take along spouses and
girlfriends-- it's all part of the cover.
House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio-- avid golfer and
world-class traveler-- took 42 trips between 2000 and 2007, often with
his wife Debbie. And this poor, overworked, overstressed
legislator often had to fly on private, luxury-laden corporate jets,
including R.J. Reynolds Tobacco's private plane.
To add insult to injury, all House Members can keep their frequent-flier miles that we taxpayers have paid for.
And surprise-surprise...the new congressional crackdown on lobbyists is
NOT producing the outcome many had thought it would. For every ban on
gifts and limitations on meals, there seems to be a new loophole around
it. So despite the window dressing, there probably won't be any letup in
public officials accepting lavish gifts, or all those hospitality
perks from "private interests."
Remember Civic's class, where we all learned about the congressional
'franking privilege' of free mail? It was founded by Benjamin Franklin
with good intentions-- to keep constituents back home informed of an
elected official's activities.
But today, these mass mailings are only slick incumbent re-election
packages, masquerading as constituent information. And the best
congressional perk of all? It's the PROLONGED vacation time, so members
can come away with good, first hand information from their districts
back home.
Members of Congress get endless benefits, automatic pay increases, and
enjoy "featherbedded" retirements, while most Americans have suffered
a generation-long period of stagnant wages, due to the over-regulation
of the economy-- all brought on by guess who: Congress.
(Quote) "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. When
the government fears the people, there is liberty"...Thomas Jefferson.
But consider today's 19% Congressional public approval rating. When people
loath the government-- and the government doesn't care about the
people--there is decadence.
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