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SOME people got a raise this year

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Nofsdad Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Posts: 7090 Location: Central CA	Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 2:29 pm    Post subject: SOME people got a raise this year   Congress helps self to $3,100 pay raise Quote: WASHINGTON -- The Republican-controlled Congress helped itself to a $3,100 pay raise on Friday, then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation. Quote: The cost-of-living increase for members of Congress - which will put pay for the rank and file at an estimated $165,200 a year - marked a brief truce in the pitched political battles that have flared in recent weeks on the war and domestic issues. Nice to know there's something these idiots can agree on, even if it is only their own greed. At a time when the ordinary American worker is being told to do with less and lower expectations, these twits have proved that they come together when it comes to making sure they get theirs. Quote: So much so that the issue was not mentioned on the floor of either the House or Senate as lawmakers worked on legislation whose passage will assure bigger paychecks. Lawmakers automatically receive a cost of living increase each year, unless Congress votes to block it. By tradition, critics have tried to block increases by attaching a provision to the legislation that provides funding for the Treasury Department. One such attempt succeeded in the Senate earlier in the year, but the provision was omitted from the compromise measure moved toward final approval. You'd think that with all the money these guys are sucking down from special interests such as Indian gaming lobbyists and oil profiteers, they could forego a raise at a time when wages for much of the rest of the population have stagnated and buying power has actually eroded, in some cases back to pre-1990 levels. But not this bunch. They need a truck just carry their balls around in.
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magneticshoes Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 203	Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:15 am    Post subject:   And yet, minimum wage hasn't budged in eight, going on nine years. I suppose what's fair for them up in Congress isn't fair for us, the people they allegedly represent. Enjoy the raise Congress!
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Nofsdad Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Posts: 7090 Location: Central CA	Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:25 am    Post subject:   I spent most of my adult life (almost 35 years) fighting fires for the state of California and there were several years when we didn't get a cost of living raise but you can damned well bet the state legislators got theirs. And this was before working for the government became the cherry job it is now. Most of us qualified for welfare in the early days even though we were working 120 hours a week.
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FOOTSOLDIER Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 1037 Location: Formerly 3333	Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:34 pm    Post subject:   Nofs, I'm glad you pointed out this has been going on for decades and isn't unique to THIS congress. Congressmen voting to increase their pay is just about the one thing that isn't partisan. When the Democrats controlled congress, they voted themselves fat pay raises, then got criticized by the Republicans for being fiscally irresponsible. I'd love to hear what the Republicans are saying now to justify THEIR raise. When you have a system where the fox is guarding the chicken coup, you're going to have this happen. I believe congressional raises ought to be put to a vote in a national referendum. Let the voters decide if they DESERVE a raise, just like it's done in the private sector. Footsoldier
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