Fiscal Cliff Approaches, and Congress Gets a Raise (illegal, holidays, statistics)

[boner]

Im thinking the entire Federal workforce is getting that 0.5% raise. Really the pay freeze didnt accomplish much in the way of addressing the debt. I said that at the time.

Drop in a swimming pool

[dreamofmonterey]

While the 98% believe manufactured fiscal cliff and media talking points, The following in todays news:

According to the order, Biden's pay will increase from $225,521 to $231,900 a year, before taxes. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will see his salary increased to $224,500 and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will take home an annual pay of $194,400 after his raise.

While the order made no mention of merit for such a raise, HuffPost's Amanda Terkel reported on Friday that the 112th Congress is set to end the session as the most unproductive since the 1940s, with only 219 bills passed by the body becoming law. .

[Harrier]

Per the 27th Amendment - it will be the 113th Congress which benefits from the raise.

Since when is the number of bills becoming law an indicator of the quality of Congress's work?

I would only support more laws if they repealed earlier ones.

No new regulations or taxes would be the ideal.

We need a part-time Congress.

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by dreamofmonterey

While the 98% believe manufactured fiscal cliff and media talking points, The following in todays news:

According to the order, Biden's pay will increase from $225,521 to $231,900 a year, before taxes. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will see his salary increased to $224,500 and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will take home an annual pay of $194,400 after his raise.

While the order made no mention of merit for such a raise, HuffPost's Amanda Terkel reported on Friday that the 112th Congress is set to end the session as the most unproductive since the 1940s, with only 219 bills passed by the body becoming law. .

Best thing to come from the Federal Governmment since I've been alive.

[dreamofmonterey]

P/T Congress sounds like a good idea.

that and a pay cut.

[Fox Terrier]

Originally Posted by dreamofmonterey

P/T Congress sounds like a good idea.

that and a pay cut.

AND term limits!!!!!!!

[dreamofmonterey]

and an oversight committee that prosecutes for fraud and graft.

[HappyTexan]

Congress should be an LOA from your regular job, what it used to be, not a career.
No penion, temp benefits while you serve and very little pay.

One term and then you're out and back to work. Let the next guy take his turn.

Give government back to "the people". Government today is a total sham.

[old_cold]

Works this way for you,too,doesn't it?
"You get nothing done, take lots of vacation, leave work early and you get a raise?"

"And since, by law, Congress can’t get more of a raise than federal workers, those folks are getting one, too (that sound you hear is the rearranging of deck chairs). Assuming $152,625,000,000 in annual pay to federal workers (2,035,000 federal employees making an average of close to $75,000 – not including benefits which would have bumped the figure to more than $100,000), that works out to a planned increase of $763,125,000."
Congress Hasn't Fixed The Budget Yet, Getting A Raise Anyway - Forbes

[MTAtech]

Federal workers have had their salaries frozen for three years and the proposed increase is a meager 1/2 of one percent.

In the meantime, Federal workers have had health insurance premiums rise, and for those in the Civil Service Retirement System (hired before 1987) there was no payroll tax holiday, because they pay ~8% of salary (with no cap) directly into the retirement fund. So their paycheck has been steadily diminishing for most of the last three years. A half-percent raise won't come close to covering what was lost to even the current low inflation rate.