Another pay raise for US Congress???

Do these people really need ANOTHER raise? If this raise is approved, it will be the fourth straight year that they received, or should I say gave themselves a raise. They make over 154K a year now, I think that's plenty.

CNN
Members of Congress, along with more than 1 million other civilian government workers, are in line for a 4.1 percent pay raise next year under legislation moving through the House Thursday.

The legislation, if approved by Congress and signed by the president, would mark the fourth straight year that lawmakers have included themselves as part of annual pay raises for federal employees. It would boost salaries for representatives and senators to about $158,000 a year from the present $154,700.

The 4.1 percent raise more than doubles the 2 percent recommended by President Bush, who cited the costs of the war on terrorism in seeking a lower rate.

www.cnn.com...

The rich just keep getting richer.

oh good. I've always thought those folks were underpaid.

The ROI we get from these guys sucks! Must be nice to be able to 'vote' yourselft a pay raise. Millions of of Americans are out of jobs and many of those who do have jobs haven't seen raises in a while and/or have actually had pay cuts. I really hope the president doesn't sign that!

....what congress wants,if they weren't allowed to give themselves a raise,they just might get pissed off and admit to us that they do not serve any purpose at all.
They print the money,and skim what they want right off the top.Did you know that taxes are only "taken " from us so we don't begin to wonder where all the money comes from?,just think how nice it would be to get something done for a change,to live the life we deserve for our labor,like congressmen,but wait......they don't labor,most of the legislation they vote on they don't even read.

The economy is in the $hithole, people are being laid off left and right, and these bastards are giving themselves a raise? *sigh*

Is being manipulated into a #hole,while these small businesses are dropping like flies,the corporations become stronger,that is the purpose for the manipulation.Of course those in control will never admit this,they would rather blame it on lack of productivity,but really,What exactly does a banker produce?.

Mortgage foreclosures.They want everyone to live in an apartment box and not own anything.

Bankruptcy.they want everyone to only be able to afford to live in an apartment box..Once you go bankrupt,the system teams up against you to keep you from getting back on your feet,like you have any control over your employment or pay,you Don't!!.And if that's not bad enough,you will be lucky to find a job that will pay the bills anyway,since they are moving overseas.The whole middle class is gone because the jobs are no longer here!!.

Control of Commerce is the key to controlling everything.
If it were up to the greedy little parasites,you and me and others would be slowly starved to death,and that is probably the next step,surrendering what is left of our rights to get just enough to survive.
Sounds like slavery to me.

Lets see......

They:

1. Cut the pay of soldiers in Iraq....

2. Give themselves a pay raise....

I don't know about you, but when I go to the polls, except for the few guys I know who are ok....I'm not putting a check next to anybody with an (I) for Incumbant...!!!

If the people elected were capable of changing anything the people who are there already will either destroy them or the "newbie" will fall right into line with the agenda already in place.
The changes have to be made farther down,the legal system is where the problems start,those in power (lawmakers) etc. pull all these ideas out of their asses,make em laws and then reap the rewards,that's how they get away with this stuff,they make it lawful for themselves to do what was once illegal.
Constitutionality is no longer an issue,they killed the constitution long ago.
I know these things to be a fact,if you want to know the truth you will have to find it yourself,you won't believe me anyway,it's YOUR responsibility to find out the truth,not mine to show it to you.
Or you can just believe what you want to believe.
Yes,I am becoming bitter,so many people are so ignorant and are perfectly happy that way.

Voting won't change anything anyway.

No, but it WILL make me feel better, hehe...and on the lesser elections (state level, etc.) it DOES make a difference.... A few years back, we had a "throw the bums out" kind of election, and it served as a little wake up call for a couple years... Looks like it's due again....

In the courtrooms in my area,defending my rights and proving their fraud,I just hope I have the ability to grasp this legal#.

The problem here is that too many people rely on lawyers,lawyers are bound by the court to a certain code of conduct,per se litigants are not.

After I take my life back I will be introducing issues that are more deeply seated to the courts which lawyers cannot because of their code of conduct they are bound by.

There are more nutcases like me out here too,they fear us.

Sometimes I wonder if it isn't the government that lives in a state of terror of those who know the truth about what they are really doing,and this terrorist crap is all just a fabrication to shift the attention from that fact while simultaneously passing legislation to be rid of whomever they feel like making go away.

What? I thought the mafia already paid them pretty well.
sheesh.

Do they deserve another raise?

Here are some stats on the 535 members of Congress, not sure how accurate it is, I received it as an e-mail.

- 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
- 7 have been arrested for fraud
- 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
- 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
- 3 have done time for assault
- 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
- 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
- 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
- 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
- 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Yeah, U wanna change something, stop voting the incumbant parties, democrat and republican, and investigate indepednats and third party persons.

Because democrats and republicans have spent the past 100 years #ing america up and selling it out or manipulating it. They aint gonna change, no matter how hard you wish or believe.

Please start looking at third parties.

Hey!! And this is the is our conservative-run Congress?!
Does anyone happen to have a list of those who voted for this? I would certainly be interested in doing a cross-reference with the list of those who voted against tax-cuts!

Opppssss.....girlfriend and soon-to-be wife just informed me after writing the above, that this 'pay-raise' is an automatic done thing....this true?

People are like seriously losing their jobs to lay-offs....
Jobs going out of country....
Wages being cut....
Many of them same Congress ****'* want to now take back some, if not all, of what was given in the tax-cuts!!!

Instead of the Federal Government paying these fools....make the states have to start paying them and see how "fat" their raises will be.....right.

"The Poison of Professional Politics"
www.cato.org...

regards
seekerof

Originally posted by Seekerof
Opppssss.....girlfriend and soon-to-be wife just informed me after writing the above, that this 'pay-raise' is an automatic done thing....this true?

It doesn't appear to be automatic, but I wouldn't bet against it. It still has to be signed by the President, I'm sure it will. If and when it happens, it will be a $22,000 increase in the last 5 years, anyone else get those kind of raises? I sure as heck dont.

Boston Globe
The House yesterday agreed to a 2.2 percent pay raise for Congress, slightly less than the average wage increases in private business but enough to boost legislators' annual salaries to about $158,000 next year. The House members decided to allow themselves a fifth straight cost-of-living raise after rejecting them for several years during the 1990s. Their annual pay has risen from $136,700 in 1999 to about $158,000 in 2004, if the legislation clears Congress and is signed by the president. Their salary this year is $154,700.

Only one House member -- Representative Jim Matheson, Democrat of Utah -- expressed objections to the congressional increase during the debate. "We are fighting terrorism on numerous fronts and our economy is in serious trouble, unemployment is at record high levels, and our future budget deficits are predicted to be the highest in the history of this great nation," he said. "Now is not the time for members of Congress to be voting themselves a pay raise."

BOSTON GLOBE ARTICLE

Cost of living raise, my ass.

Seems like ony one member of the House has a clue, Matheson.

-- Representative Jim Matheson --

If I am not mistaken, I think he was the only one that voted 'nay' to this. I'm no Democrat but I would diffently say that his comments were "on mark." Well said Mr. Matheson.

regards
seekerof

Reuters
The White House said on Friday it saw "promising" signs of economic growth despite an unexpectedly bleak report showing Americans are struggling to find jobs.

"There are a number of positive signs in our economy. There are a number of promising signs in the economy. ... "

REUTERS

What signs is he seeing? Despite the outrageous unemployment rate and hurting economy, Bush sees "promising signs"? What perfect timing to give Congress a raise, lets give more money to the rich guys while the economy continues to slip. If these people dont wake up and smell the coffee, things could really get bad, just not for them in their luxury estates.

They are calling them "cost-of-living raises", well here's an idea, how about a freakin' "state-of-the-economy pay cuts!"

THat pisses me off. Well, now I see how much the congress cares about us.