posted on Feb, 18 2009 @ 08:40 AM
This just makes me sick. I guess there really is no honor or ethics remaining with our elected officials. They get salaries. Let them pay for their
own BS.
online.wsj.com...
The sour economy and public outrage have put a damper on corporate junkets to posh resorts, especially for banks that took taxpayers' money as part
of the financial rescue plan.
But as they fume over inflated salaries and lavish travel by executives whose companies are on the federal dole, members of Congress are getting a
raise, and making travel plans.
Last month, when 600,000 Americans lost their jobs, the House and Senate allowed themselves a $4,700 cost-of-living raise, bringing their annual
salaries to $174,000. This week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic House leaders said they would forgo a similar increase next year. So
far the Senate hasn't followed suit, but a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said they plan to.
Democrats held a two-day issues conference at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Va., a property owned by brewer Anheuser Bush-Inbev NV and
whose spa is known for its hops and chamomile massage. Taxpayers helped foot the bill, which was paid partly with money appropriated for congressional
office expenses.