Originally posted by smirkley
WASHINGTON - For the fifth straight year, members of Congress will see a jump in their paychecks in 2004, with election-year salaries rising from the current $154,700 to about $158,000.

I would really like a job there. Maybe I'll run for office, then vote a raise for myself. This is an example though, of politics gone wrong, how can they do this and sleep at night, while they contemplate their raises, while their 'constituants' struggle to pay their bills!

story.news.yahoo.com.../ap/2003102 3/ap_on_go_co/senate_pay_raise

How can Congress give itself a $3,400 pay raise while nearly 9 million people are unemployed, and 2 million have been out of work for more than half a year," Feingold asked.

Three thumbs down ..

What kind of law did they pass, that gives them a raise automatically, and without merit for performance, unless they vote to exempt themselves from it ?! and only one senetor did this?

[Edited on 23-10-2003 by smirkley]

from insite...

But when I asked my political science teacher why they have such huge pay checks for performing a duty to their community he said because you want upstanding individuals who would otherwise be paid a lot if they worked for a corporation somewhere. You have to give them some encouragement or incentive to get them to leave their corporate job.