# What's wrong with this picture. Congresscritters.\* **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867 "2005-11-20T02:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/1 "2005-11-20T02:14:31Z")
They allow themselves a $3100 a year pay raise. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111802165\_pf.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111802165_pf.html) All the while, the house is doing it’s best to take food from the working poors mouths… [http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?id=2005111818110002569401&dt=20051118181100&w=RTR&coview=](http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?id=2005111818110002569401&dt=20051118181100&w=RTR&coview=) What is going on?? I realize it’s not a done deal yet. Well the raise is. But the senate may win the battle over food stamps. But I doubt it. Do they have no shame? \*at the time of this posting I had only one thread on the page. And that’s just people calling each other names. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/2 "2005-11-20T02:24:20Z")
I think they really deserve a cut in pay, not an increase. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/3 "2005-11-20T02:31:45Z")
Myself, I’d be willing to cut them a raise…if they could actually be shown to do something to earn one. 😉 Not surprised though…its what government types do best. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/4 "2005-11-20T02:33:48Z")
C’mon, they’re in charge of their own salaries. We’re lucky they’re not voting themselves free blow and hookers. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/5 "2005-11-20T02:49:49Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > C’mon, they’re in charge of their own salaries. > > We’re lucky they’re not voting themselves free blow and hookers. $3100 gets you three hours with a medium-range D.C. hooker and at least half a gram of decent blow. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/6 "2005-11-20T03:15:41Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > C’mon, they’re in charge of their own salaries. > > We’re lucky they’re not voting themselves free blow and hookers. It would probably be cheaper, and they’d be more productive. Maybe you have an idea there… Stranger ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/7 "2005-11-20T03:21:52Z")
Come now! Do you really want us to model our government after a _parlimentary_ system? Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/8 "2005-11-20T03:30:57Z")
Dear me, an elected official at the highest level of legislative power makes 162,000 a year. My God, what is the world coming to, those spoiled brats… Come on people, CEO’s of companies LOSING money make this each day. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/9 "2005-11-20T03:43:35Z")
Those who seek an elected office should make the minimum wage. The achievement of the power they sought is good enough; there’s no reason for them to pull down six-figure incomes as well. Realistically though, $3100 a year is what, about a $1.50/hour (presuming a 40 hour work week) raise? Sounds like a fairly reasonable cost of living wage increase for a metro area… except for the fact that they already make five times what most of us are getting by on. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/10 "2005-11-20T03:55:41Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > Dear me, an elected official at the highest level of legislative power makes 162,000 a year. My God, what is the world coming to, those spoiled brats… > > Come on people, CEO’s of companies LOSING money make this each day. Math question: Wrong+wrong=\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ If our elected officials were worth a shit right now, I’d agree with you. This batch? That’s way too much money to pay people that sit around calling each other names. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/11 "2005-11-20T04:30:32Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > $3100 gets you three hours with a medium-range D.C. hooker and at least half a gram of decent blow. What do I need to bring for 15 minutes with the low-range variety? ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/12 "2005-11-20T05:13:00Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > What do I need to bring for 15 minutes with the low-range variety? Sale today, $36.50 plus tip. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/13 "2005-11-20T05:50:54Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > Those who seek an elected office should make the minimum wage. The achievement of the power they sought is good enough; there’s no reason for them to pull down six-figure incomes as well. They’d just steal even more then. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/14 "2005-11-20T05:54:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > $3100 gets you three hours with a medium-range D.C. hooker and at least half a gram of decent blow. And if they don’t know where to find all that, they can just ask Marion Barry. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/15 "2005-11-20T05:57:01Z")
Exactly who came up with the wonderful idea that Politicians should be allowed to controll their own pay? And if they can do it, why can’t the rest of us (who work for a living) do so as well? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/16 "2005-11-20T05:58:42Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > Sale today, $36.50 plus tip. Nah, they only charge the tip to the lepers. They know they’ll leave it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/17 "2005-11-20T06:22:01Z")
I assume everyone is aware that the 27th Amendment mandates that no Congressional pay raise can take effect until after another election is held. So anyone who is really offended by the pay raise will have the opportunity to make sure their representative doesn’t collect it. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/18 "2005-11-20T09:32:24Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > Dear me, an elected official at the highest level of legislative power makes 162,000 a year. My God, what is the world coming to, those spoiled brats… > > Come on people, CEO’s of companies LOSING money make this each day. Yeah, but you **never** read, “He used to be a member of Congress, but now he’s a heroin addict.” Congresscritters get all kinds of “benefits” that CEOs **don’t** get. There’s lifetime health care, pension, executive franking, free “advertising” (i.e. the gov’t picks up the tab for them to make news conferences and other videos, which are designed specifically so the critter can be featured on the local news in their home district), secret service protection, free background checks on anyone they want, and the list goes on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/19 "2005-11-20T09:38:06Z")
Don’t they have to be paying into a pension plan for a certain time before they’re eligible for the lifetime medical care and pension? Aren’t the conferences part of their job? Do you happen to have any proof of your “free background checks on anyone they want” assertion? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867/20 "2005-11-20T16:56:07Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > Those who seek an elected office should make the minimum wage. The achievement of the power they sought is good enough; there’s no reason for them to pull down six-figure incomes as well. I disagree. I feel that our congresspeople and other elected officials _should_ be well-paid. As with anything else, you get what you pay for with wages. I think it’s tragic that a bright mind suited to public office might prefer to go into the private sector because they can’t _afford_ to serve their country. You don’t go into politics a brand-new person, after all. There are outstanding bills like mortgages and car loans from your “old life.” Minimum wage won’t cover those. Nobility is all well and good, and I salute the man who says that service to his country is its own reward, but there are practicalities to be considered for people who have families. It’s a high-stress, high-responsibility job, an should be paid comenserate with the private sector. Yes, I’m sure some go into it for the power, but I think we’d all agree that your average junior-grade congressperson isn’t all that powerful in the first place. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-congresscritters/331867.md?page=2)