Congressional pay raises (a correction)

Remember last week when I wrote about congress voting themselves a $ 93,000 per year pay raise?

Well that wasn't exactly right.

It was a $93,000 increase in their yearly petty cash account. It was given to purportedly stimulate the economy.

What the fuck over?

This $93,000 is not taxed in any way shape or form. Members of congress can spend it any way they want.

This is significant because there was an additional $4700 per year pay raise added to the porkulous bill that was removed at the last minute. That's a red herring if I ever smelled one.

A while back, the Senate got tired of the embarrassment of having to vote themselves pay raises on national TV so they decided to make their pay raises automatic.

Go have a looksee if your Senator voted for the Automatic raises. HERE

Only 4 Republicans voted for the auto raises. Cochran (R-MS) Gregg (R-NH) Lugar (R-IN) Wicker (R-MS) Martinez (R-FL) if that makes it any easier.

So while the rest of we Americans are losing jobs, homes, cutting expenses and making sacrifices, our lawmakers are bathing in your tax dollars and using your money to bribe their constituents into into re-electing them.

Here is a list showing some of the perks members of congress receive.

...The high salaries and petty cash accounts that I already mentioned.

...Pension benefits that are two to three times more generous than those offered in the private sector. Taxpayers directly cover at least 80 percent of this costly plan and they are inflation protected.

.

...Free Health and life insurance, whose costs, are subsidized by taxpayers.

...Limousines, parking spaces on Capitol Hill, and choice spots at Washington's two major airports.

...Travel to various destinations as well as to home states and districts.

.

...Free health clubs and fine furnishings.

...The franking privilege, which gives lawmakers millions in tax dollars to create a favorable public image. Basically we pay for all the campaign literature and postage they send out.

.

...Congressional incumbents have spent as much on franking alone as challengers have spent on their entire campaigns.

...An office staff that performs "constituent services" Incredibly, this staff is exempt from the minimum wage law. They do not get paid overtime and are not protected by any of the labor laws that most of us enjoy.

...Congress entitled themselves to exemptions and immunities from tax, pension, and other laws that burden private citizens -- all crafted by lawmakers themselves.

.

I think Congress has been living fat dumb and happy on our dime for way too long.

Our lawmakers have become accustomed to picking our pockets, stealing half, redistributing the rest and acting like they are doing us a favor.

It's time to clear out the whole fucking lot of them and start over from scratch.

No more professional politicians.