Ontario disabled versus MPPs who got a$16,000 raise while on a 5mth break..Doug is so generous to his cabinet while the disabled starve! He said "there just isn't any $ to help the disabled." BTW, that $16k raise is about what PWD get for an entire year!
Pay them a more realistic wage. And to combat the "Living in DC is expensive" bullshit, buy or build a hotel with 535 rooms that they can stay in while in session, at a free or reduced rate.
They're gonna cry about housing in DC. Problem solved, they live in govt provided apts & get max of 2 govt paid trips home IF they hold town halls. +No lifetime pension for 2 terms. If that means getting a job after Congress 🤷♀️, that's what the rest of us do when we leave a job b/4 retirement age.
If they do good, they can maybe get a 20¢ raise in a year. As long as they do their duties, the duties of their coworkers, dont take any sick days, work overtime, and work holidays.
I agree that most Americans are not obsessed with money, but people do need to be fairly compensated for their time and expertise for them to be able to afford to serve.
The post said “$35k per year, no benefits” who could afford to take a job where you would need to live part time in an expensive place like DC for that much? I think only the already wealthy, and we have too many of those people in congress.
Odd how the idea to remove money from politics is to just incentivize getting side hustle money through political appointment...checks notes... even more?
Limited appointment is good but adds "get what I can while here" incentives.
We need actual teeth in campaign finance law we have + more hurt.
I love how a few years back a congressman, completely unironically, said that no one will do it for such money... Completely flying through the point and hitting the twin towers in the process...
That, Is exactly right.
The weirdos making these decisions have no frame of reference for consequence.
They’ve never had to worry about, not having enough.
No, Congress people should make wages competitive with the private sector so that very smart, very principled, innovative people would work in public service. Pay them a lot more and get rid of Citizen’s United so politicians aren’t bought off.
I have a petition is at https://change.org. I call it: An Amendment to the US Constitution, Checks and Balances. Here is the link. https://chng.it/DBqPdkb5YV Add to that recall petitions across the country.
Recall Trump, the GOP Congress and for good measure Democrats as well. The idea is to see just what the American People are thinking. To establish how they expect issues to be dealt with.
I didn't think about Congressional salaries. That will now be added to my petition.
Nice idea, but conservatives the world over are doing it for self-interest not the salary - they already have enough money and sponsor back-handers to push their agendas over ordinary people.
I agree. They represent Americans so they must have the same living wage, & benefits. It demonstrates what regular Americans feel & they can emphasize their daily struggles & not feel disconnected from the govnt.
Citizens United must be removed ASAP. Donations should just be limited to i.e. $100.
No. $100 a day for every day they appear in congress (no capital letter until proven worthy). That money is taxable at the highest rate available. No raises or bonuses. No second jobs. No money from lobbyists. Nothing. They must also face a review from their own office staff monthly.
The also have access to a pension where only 15% of private employees have one. No wonder they do anything to hold on to their jobs rather than uphold their oath to the constitution.
It’s more the “citizens united” that has caused this crazy money grab. It made being in congress serving (S) a money maker. Allowing all kinds of influence that is NOT centered on citizens at all. Our leaders used to be like us. No more.
The British Parliament wasn't paid until 1911. The result was that only rich people could afford to be MPs. Even people elected from Labour or Liberal districts couldn't be working class people. The result was that the "left" was represented only by the wealthy. With expected results.
By wealthy, I don't mean like a person worth $1 million in today's US dollars. More like a person worth $50 million, or more. No matter how well-meaning such a person is, and some were very well-meaning, their point of view is still tinged by their life and class. Making Congress poor won't work.
Take away the ridiculous medical benefits for life! No one else gets that! They only have to serve one term to get it. That’s bullshit! Absolute bullshit! We are paying their salary and health insurance and we don’t even get a livable salary let alone health benefits that work. BULLSHIT!
They want to do away with Medicare, after they sink Medicaid. Their health insurance is far better than ours. I believe they do pay into it some but it does not compare to the fees we pay. We never figured Medicare into our retirement planning because I don’t believe it will be there.
Full-time workers who are still low income get denied medicad all the time. Especially in red states. While rich congressmen and women leave to go work in the private sector getting paid millions, and taxpayers are footing the bill for their healthcare?
It starts at age 65. I’m paying $1000 a month for insurance right now. I’m healthy and not even 60 yet. $7500 deductible and copays for everything. And I’m working.
But! Hear me out on this JasonC, Corpos have forced 2 tier on everyone union.
Let's do the same in reverse. First term, full pay based on your suggestion. Every subsequent term, you step down another rung.
Well, I figure if you want your representatives to fight for a better life, let them be fighting for their own betterment at the same time. Rather than already granting it to them by receiving the job.
Go the other way. Give them 100k a year plus raise in line with inflation for the rest of their lives but they can never earn anything on top, in any way. Nothing else. Ever. The selfish rich pricks would run a mile
I don’t think their salary makes a difference. A lot of them invest outside for example in the stock market, lobbyist, some have book deals, others had 9-5 before politics those that didn’t are nepo babies. Getting 35k a year wouldn’t shake them much in my opinion.
Background check, drug test.
Pay for their own healthcare and travel to work.
I offered these things to Mike Pence when he was the shitty governor of my state.
Funny thing is, he never got back to me.
But he did steal 20 mil from the taxpayers to bail out his brothers toxic gas stations in 3 states.
Law requires them to maintain places in both DC & the district they serve. It's already pretty expensive at their high salaries for most of them & why we tend to only get wealthier individuals who can't relate to us peons in Congress.
That’s not really a great idea. Then only the already wealthy will be willing/able to serve in Congress, or they’ll be even more beholden to corporate money or they’ll be on the grift because otherwise they won’t be able to afford to take the job.
Then they would have to make it up with even more ownership by donors. They have to keep 2 places to live and fly a lot. Cutting pay would mean bigger opportunities to grift.
Their raises should also not be dependent on them voting NOT to get them. They are automatic right now unless they say no. No one says no to a pay rise.
Nothing demonstrates the need for term limits more than watching the ineffectiveness of rich geriatric democratic congressmen trying to fight back against the orange menace.
Whilst I understand the point, do you really think you will get good electoral candidates capable of running a company the size of the US when all they are capable of earning is $35k ? They would be as dumb as Trump. You would just get millionaires who can afford to do the job for nothing.
They should have a pretty good salary and benifits, to attract competent people. But they should be completely cut off from coorporate money, no lobbyists, no superpacs, no private donations, nothing. Anywhere else than in US, this is called corruption.
I have always thought that politicians are underpaid considering the impact and the scope of their job. Same with teachers. The only politicians we get with the current pay is rich people and/or corrupt people.
That means I (Average American) couldn’t afford to do that job - which means only the wealthy would do that job. We need livable wages and an equitable Tax Code
Should rise in fall based on the job they are doing…merit based, right? As judged by constituents. Since they abdicated their two primary roles…they shouldn’t be being paid right now.
I have said that all political representives voted in by the people should have to make the average wage of their state, which also includes sick day, vacation time, and pension!
If you think lowering the pay of Congress will make things better you’re deeply mistaken. A lowered income just means regular citizens wouldn’t be able to hold congressional seats. Those seats would only be limited to the wealthy.
The problem is that mega corporate interests spent a fortune working out how to make political donation money untraceable, and use it to run adds against politicians that they don't like.
So even without bribes, you have a setup that favors the very rich
They would not care so long as they can get big $$$ from donors and trade stocks with insider info. That's how they get their lifestyle and get their money.
This is a red herring. It's the sort of shiny object issue that just riles people up and makes them angry, and defeated, so they don't work to elect people who could change it. At's a page straight out of the John Birch Society's anti government libertarian manifesto.
In this administration there are no more appointments based on merit, knowledge and experience, only for opportunists using their position to get ahead by bending the knee to fElon47.
Same goes for the GOP congress.
I have said for decades our Reps should make the average salary of the area they represent. If they want more the need to improve things for their citizens.🤗
No gifts, donations or remittance of any sort allowed!
Originally the Constitution states the Congress shall meet once per year. This means they work the rest of the year to make their own living.
Now they are paid via super pacs, $174,000 and better medical care than most Americans. Retirement benefits for life.
Yep..if it truly IS for the people by the people "our" legislators should be making the average salary of those they "serve". Definitely not bennies when they leave office.
I've long maintained that any & all elected officials at every level, should only be allowed to earn their state's minimum wage. Then see how quickly they change minimum wage.
In New Mexico we don't pay our legislators a salary. So only people who can afford to miss paychecks can run for office. Your idea would ensure that *every* member of Congress would have to either be very rich, or funded by America's enemies. Don't we have enough of those people already?
Never should a member of Congress pass legislation that puts more tax burden on their constituents than it does to themselves!!! Rules for thee but not for me! Disgusting!
Paid by the hour, vacation after 1year, shitty health insurance w/o dental & vision, no ot pay, pre-existing conditions, high deductible on all insurance, fired for no reason, no worker's comp, everything in a 'right to work state.'
I forgot. Skip the $35k they should earn minimum wage so they have to work 3 jobs to survive. Also, threaten to take pension, Social Security & Medicare away.
Over half of them are millionaires before they even get there, then their stock trading investments skyrocket. Then you have young ones like Maxwell Frost, who had to couch surf early on in his first term before he could find and afford an apartment in DC.
They don't make an extreme amount but are vested for retirement benefits after 5 years. I had to work 25 years to get them. And, many become millionaires from the Thrift Savings Plan 401K.
…and they shouldn’t be allowed to vote themselves a raise, and they all should be vetted and have to qualify for their jobs before they even get to run for office.
Newsflash: most of those in Congress are fairly well off so they don't need the salary. I am for tripling salaries in Congress, make it really worth something. At the same time restrict money into campaigns and create a firewall making it very difficult to go from public to private sector.
This is the right response!
It’s called incentivization. If you want them to do good, then good myst be incentivized and bad disincentivized.
Congress responds to who pays them the most and where that payment comes as a demand for services rendered.
They'll just take money from the wealthy and life will go on. As much as I appreciate the sentiment behind this, in practice, it won't change anything.
Our country was in much better condition before lawmakers became wealthy from donations, were treated like royalty, made a full time job out of their position, & could accept dark money campaign donations. Now wealth & power are their rewards for staying in office too long. Term limits needed.
It’s a problem when they are allowed to vote on their own raises. I’m not against giving them a living wage and even basic benefits but maybe that wage should be tied to the national average and allowed to fluctuate. 🤷🏼♂️ but…for sure more good stuff would get done for the public.
It's similar here in AU. Not all politicians are there to enrich themselves, many are. Annual entry backbencher wage is circa $233,000AUD. Average full-time wage is $93,000AUD. Median full-time wage is $56,547AUD. Social security is circa $19,000AUD. Median city house is $1,010,182AUD. All pre tax.
Most of them earn far more from “donations”, speaking engagements, and cushy jobs for spouses than from their Congressional salaries. I am not sure they’d notice a pay cut.
You are VERY wrong. It will just mean that rich (or wanna be rich) people beholden to other rich people will be the only ones who serve. I know there's a lot of that now. But with salaries reduced it would mean that the number would be 100 percent.
How do we pass that law without their consent?
Who can live in their state and DC on $35k?
It would result in a worse concentration of “wealthy people only” in office.
Let us be more targeted than the ax weilding in DC.
When we get rid of the 🟠🤡 and his jester cabinet, we can change somethings for the betterment of America and maybe we will never have to deal with this situation again.
This will make it more corrupt. Pay the $1M each a year. But they are allowed no stock, no second jobs, and no other financial interests. It’ll clean up real quick
This would have the opposite of the intended effect. Only rich people would run for Congress. Even now, members of Congress don’t get rich from their salary, they get it from books, speaking fees, and insider trading.
What we should do is RAISE the salary, and ban outside income.
I think they should make more like 65,000 if they work full time for US, but, if part time, then less, and they should have the same compensation package incl health care as the rest of us, and we all should have Universal Health Coverage and health care should be not for profit.
Make that Zero dollars until they reach complete consensus on every bill and maybe then they'd learn to grow up and actually think instead of just politically posturing to keep their jobs.
This is how to ensure that we only have millionaires in Congress. I think it's 60% millionaires now. What we need is campaign finance reform and other rules to level the playing field. If you want to cut things look into their benefits. I think they get food allowances and things like that
I've proposed that, also. I said a minimum of 60% of the median wage. But it could vary or go higher as a base. Also, the top salary per company should be limited to 10-15 times the median wage for executives. There are no stock option giveaways unless all employees get the same.
Comments
$7.50 per hour, no benefits, no health insurance, no overtime, no 401K.
these days pays a pension after 5 years but no insurance till 2o
and it's expensive.
HOW ABOUT A MINIMUM WAGE EQUAL IN COMPENSATION
TO THEIR PAY GRADE!
You think they’re getting rich from the SALARY?
What a moron.
Be based on performance- only a few would Be making money.
Limited appointment is good but adds "get what I can while here" incentives.
We need actual teeth in campaign finance law we have + more hurt.
🖕🏼 them 💩s
They are not in it for the people..
The weirdos making these decisions have no frame of reference for consequence.
They’ve never had to worry about, not having enough.
I didn't think about Congressional salaries. That will now be added to my petition.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Citizens United must be removed ASAP. Donations should just be limited to i.e. $100.
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400
Senate President Pro Tempore - $193,400
House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400
https://www.ntu.org/foundation/tax-page/congress-pay-perks
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/15-percent-of-private-industry-workers-had-access-to-a-defined-benefit-retirement-plan.htm
Let's do the same in reverse. First term, full pay based on your suggestion. Every subsequent term, you step down another rung.
Eh?
Pay for their own healthcare and travel to work.
I offered these things to Mike Pence when he was the shitty governor of my state.
Funny thing is, he never got back to me.
But he did steal 20 mil from the taxpayers to bail out his brothers toxic gas stations in 3 states.
Then Congress will finally care about improving conditions for the average American.
1. Only the richest in society would run for office and would have the exact opposite effect
2. It would raise levels of corruption to extreme levels - something you can see in other countries today.
How did Mitch McConnell become a multi multi millionaire as a Senator?
We know about his STRONG TIES TO CHINA,
Because if not that probably needs to change, right?
Get corp dollars and lobbyists out if politics.
So even without bribes, you have a setup that favors the very rich
Focus on the big stuff.
"As of 2020, over half of the members of Congress were millionaires and the median net worth of members was approximately $1 million."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth
Same goes for the GOP congress.
No gifts, donations or remittance of any sort allowed!
Now they are paid via super pacs, $174,000 and better medical care than most Americans. Retirement benefits for life.
🇮🇪🇪🇺
It’s called incentivization. If you want them to do good, then good myst be incentivized and bad disincentivized.
Congress responds to who pays them the most and where that payment comes as a demand for services rendered.
If you’re right, then I’m happy to change my mind.
I’m not sure what your second sentence is intended to mean.
💙🇺🇸🌊💯💁🏻🏳️🌈🦋💙
Who can live in their state and DC on $35k?
It would result in a worse concentration of “wealthy people only” in office.
Let us be more targeted than the ax weilding in DC.
The downside to that is it ensures that only wealthy people who don’t need a living wage will run for office
What we should do is RAISE the salary, and ban outside income.
You want a raise? Bring better paying jobs into your constituency.