News item: Congress raises its own pay again.
Congressional pay raises between 1997 and 2007 will add up to $34,900. That’s more than average workers make in a year.
Meanwhile, the minimum wage has been $5.15/hour since — you guessed it — 1997.
But!
A bid to boost the U.S. minimum wage by about 41 percent failed Tuesday as Republicans in the House of Representatives pushed back an effort by Democrats to force a vote on the measure.
[snip]
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said last week that he wanted to hold off on debating minimum wage legislation until possibly after the November elections. House Majority Leader John Boehner also said he probably wouldn’t allow the legislation to reach the House floor this week.
Who do these guys work for again?
It is a bi-partisan shame that Congress increases its pay, plumps it special retirement and medical plans, ensures that earmarks for their fund contibutors, and runs for office in safe-seats (via gerrymandering) while the middle class and lower get the shaft.
I say – – throw out all the bums.
One hopes, one hopes.
Unfortunately my four year old was in the truck with me when they pointed that out on Air America news the other day – both points. He felt compelled to remind me that it isn’t nice to say things like that when I finished my exclamatory remarks.