Should everyone in Congress get their pay cut?

by *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T Posted 2012/11/12 22:36:28

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	Yes, explain	116 votes	93%
	No, explain	9 votes	7%

More polls by *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T

lucky 2012/12/11 15:05:07

Yes, explain

+1
Their wages should be based on the economic performance of the country as a whole. If that were the case they might have a better incentive to compromise instead of constantly getting dead locked.

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RTHTGakaRoland 2012/12/10 23:15:49

No, explain

+1
They and all political appointees should be paid primarily by small commissions on that which they save the government, ultimately we taxpayers. Many in the private sector are compensated primarily on commissions on what they make or save. Since government makes nothing, theirs should be on what they save.

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Sister Jean 2012/12/10 22:53:57

Yes, explain

+3
they get way too much even when they leave

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sglmom 2012/12/10 22:42:11

Yes, explain

+3
Definitely ..
absolutely NO 'Gold Laden' parachute ..
absolutely NO pension for the time in office either ..
NO frequent flier stuff ..
NO to luxury digs (whether it is an office or their multiple homes)

Make them punch a time card ..
for when they are actually at their offices ..
(only time to be paid .. when actually working for the constituency)

MINIMUM Wage -- period ..
staffing at bare minimum ..
(they can answer their own phones and mail .. )

ANY time they line their pockets due to insider knowledge -- PROSECUTE fully and remove them immediately from office ..

ANY time they show up -- even in the parking lots .. run random/regular drug/alcohol testing .. FAIL and out .. NO second chances at all .. pack their junk and get OUT ..
(no further pay .. no tolerance at all)

I'd say the same for the Administration as well as their appointees too ..

NO 'servants' for any spouse of a politician ..
TIME to cut out all those 'tentacles' of expenditures that are hidden across all the departments for the Executive branch as well ..
(with the excesses hidden in line items of DoD, State, National Parks, FBI, SS, etc etc etc .. HIGH TIME this never be happening .. be permanently DEFUNDED .. and banned .. )

Just a start ..
let's also make them ALL the test cases for a...

Definitely ..
absolutely NO 'Gold Laden' parachute ..
absolutely NO pension for the time in office either ..
NO frequent flier stuff ..
NO to luxury digs (whether it is an office or their multiple homes)

Make them punch a time card ..
for when they are actually at their offices ..
(only time to be paid .. when actually working for the constituency)

MINIMUM Wage -- period ..
staffing at bare minimum ..
(they can answer their own phones and mail .. )

ANY time they line their pockets due to insider knowledge -- PROSECUTE fully and remove them immediately from office ..

ANY time they show up -- even in the parking lots .. run random/regular drug/alcohol testing .. FAIL and out .. NO second chances at all .. pack their junk and get OUT ..
(no further pay .. no tolerance at all)

I'd say the same for the Administration as well as their appointees too ..

NO 'servants' for any spouse of a politician ..
TIME to cut out all those 'tentacles' of expenditures that are hidden across all the departments for the Executive branch as well ..
(with the excesses hidden in line items of DoD, State, National Parks, FBI, SS, etc etc etc .. HIGH TIME this never be happening .. be permanently DEFUNDED .. and banned .. )

Just a start ..
let's also make them ALL the test cases for anything they desire to inflict on the CITIZENS ..
if they can't survive the test case .. then don't inflict that mess on US involuntarily withOUT being represented ..

(it truly is stunning indeed .. how much of our hard-earned income flows out in taxes .. yet .. we who live outside of the cities .. don't have a voice as to how our funds are spent .. )
(more)

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Sister ... to sglmom 2012/12/10 22:54:16

+3
agree

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nightsky 2012/11/27 06:19:11

Yes, explain

+1
what makes ther pay so mutch more important than anyone else's

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JustMe 2012/11/19 22:36:25

Yes, explain

+1
For many reasons and situations

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juneathomas 2012/11/14 22:15:16

Yes, explain

and be forced to take Obamacare, and can only serve a total of 2 terms.

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wolf sloan 2012/11/14 17:52:24

Yes, explain

+2
A little goodwill gesture to the American people.

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Doc Freeman 2012/11/14 17:04:51

Yes, explain

+2
Over half of them are millionaires on their own and do not need the money, nor have they earned it. When you run for office you are running to be a public servant, they do not deserve the money they are getting.

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DuncanONeil 2012/11/13 18:00:21

Yes, explain

+3
They should only get paid a per diem for those days that they are at work in DC.

Per diem for DC is $273.88. The House is scheduled to be in session for 184 days or $50,393.92, a savings of $123,606.08 per member. The Senate in session for 114 days or $31,222.32 a savings of $142,777.68 per member.

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john.newell.771 2012/11/13 15:34:34

Yes, explain

+3
They are vastly overpaid. Senators and Representatives get $174,000 per year and spend millions of dollars campaigning for the job. What do we get? Over 16 TRILLION dollars in debt. A private in the Army, who is expected to perform at a much higher level and will be held to those expectations or else be jailed, dishonorably discharged or both, is paid $17,892 per year. Why is that? Because congress gets to write their own paycheck, job description, and get to oversee themselves. No wonder those bastards spend millions for a job that pays less than 200K (plus all they can take under the table).

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tom 2012/11/13 14:52:03

Yes, explain

+1
yes but they just elected same so ,government employes think they should get more for doing less

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MayLin 2012/11/13 14:45:57

Yes, explain

+2
Yes!

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crewzer1 2012/11/13 14:45:33

Yes, explain

+4
I say let the special Interest association that Manipulate their mind's with cash & serve them with all their kickback's in reciept of Family and Friend's- fill the Void...Not in relation with the real Patriotic Congress Reps. who know who they are & have with a solid ethical platform to reside on, for what they have constructed around them.

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Flowers 2012/11/13 14:01:32

Yes, explain

+5
Everyone from the Top down, should get a 50% pay reduction. That money should go directly into the deficit they created and there should be a cap of ONLY what is given to social security for cost of living increases. IF a cost of living increase isn't given to those on social security, they don't get one either. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY TO HOLD THE ELECTED OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY SINGLE ACTION THEY TAKE. They have given each other more and more money, and we have sat on the sidelines and allowed it to happen. Shame on all of us. It's time we take action

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laura 2012/11/13 13:17:20

Yes, explain

+6
They are (supposed to be) civil servants. Serving in Congress was never supposed to be a career. They recieve better benefits and lifetime retirement while the people they are supposed to be serving struggle more each day. They should get the national average wage while serving and be subject to the same benefits as we have in the private sector.

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Jdogg 2012/11/13 06:05:12

Yes, explain

+6
And they need term limits on them also.

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Marc m 2012/11/13 05:44:20

No, explain

+3
No, but most should be FIRED

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Cat 2012/11/13 05:34:26

Yes, explain

+5
Their pay should have been locked into the SocSecurity COLA rate back when SocSecd COLA started. They'd be getting much less today. and couldn't just keep voting themselves raises.

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Classy And I Know It... 2012/11/13 04:54:14
scurvison 2012/11/13 04:47:18

No, explain

+1
Everyone but Issa and Rand Paul

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Flowers to scurvison 2012/11/13 14:02:25

+1
why exclude them? I'm curious

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scurvison to Flowers 2012/11/13 17:51:17

I think they are doing a great job

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Flowers to scurvison 2012/11/13 20:11:48

+1
ok, thanks

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Mae 2012/11/13 04:26:10

Yes, explain

+4
Because of the financial crisis, all govt.employees from the top down need to take a pay cut, including, but not limited to Congress! Not only that, but they ought to have their offices' budgets cut at least 5-10%, including their expense accounts. No more having the people pay for their expensive lunches and living large. Their pensions need to be re-evaluated, and they should be subjected to the same horrific mess that o'scammer is forcing on all the rest of us! That's not much, but it would help towards balancing the budget, and if nothing more would be symbolic that they would be sharing the burden with the American people.

The only govt. employees I would say should not have their pay cut would be soldiers--they are sacrificing themselves to fight for our country, so they deserve what they get and more. But even the average fireman and policeman makes far more a month in salary than the average office or factory worker. I know of policemen that make $80-90,000 a year, and when they retire early, they get a pension of almost as much as their normal salary was. Factor that in next time they tell you in your city that they can't balance the budget and need to raise taxes.

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Sapphire 2012/11/13 04:10:42

Yes, explain

+3
I just think they shouldn't get paid more than they have. Being someone in high office shouldn't be about the money (but sadly it is) but it should be more of an honor to be that American to gets to preserve this country's values.

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Just G 2012/11/13 04:10:35

Yes, explain

+7
Members of Congress haven't done their job for quite some time. Of course they should have their pay cut.

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kitkat42 2012/11/13 03:34:07

Yes, explain

+7
All elected politicians should suffer pay cuts, have to pay their own health insurance, and they should have limited terms to 8 years like the presidency. Get rid of those old farts who hang around 20+ years, collect a check, build their pension and do nothing.

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gary ® 2012/11/13 03:31:07

Yes, explain

+4
Congress is a joke

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Kaye 2012/11/13 03:23:42

Yes, explain

+7
We pay their salary,but we're all about broke while they're sitting on their butts doing nothing,blowing our money and no telling what else.

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Kaye to Kaye 2012/11/13 03:25:30

+5
they should have to live on minimum wage and buy their own insurance

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Jaiheena Star 2012/11/13 03:19:51

Yes, explain

+6
You damn right cut each and every last one of their pay checks... Congress doesn't work half of the time, when they work, its a gridlock....

Maybe a pay cut wil stimulate them to do a much better job running our nation. Let them feel the burn of a pay cut, like so many of us have felt,

FEEL THE BURN CONGRES, FEEL THE BURN.

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Kaye to Jaiheen... 2012/11/13 03:28:17

+6
I think we should keep our money and quit paying taxes.See how long they can blow on that.They'd be broke in a month the way they spend

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Flowers to Kaye 2012/11/13 14:03:21

+1
refusing to pay taxes doesn't necessarily hurt congress or the feds first. That is really not a very good option.

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Jaiheen... to Kaye 2012/12/14 01:47:05

You damn right!

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william... to Jaiheen... 2012/11/13 12:44:48

+3
BTW, it is supposed to be gridlock for the most part. That is the intended design of the Congress. Could you imagine if they passed even 25% of every new legislation that came through Congress? That would be terrible!

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Jaiheen... to william... 2012/12/14 01:47:38

+1
indeed

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eyes wide open 2012/11/13 02:54:01

Yes, explain

+3
50 percent at least.

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sjalan 2012/11/13 02:51:15

Yes, explain

+5
By the same amount differential between what a person receiving SS get in an increase and what the REAL COLI was. Which this year is about 1.3% that didn't get reflected in the latest COLA.

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