I found this:
Staff salaries for members of the House of Representatives. These are their staffers. They pick up the phone whne you call. THey do the research. They maintain the offices there. AND Washington DC is a hugely expensive place to live.
It's amazing. Do you have any idea of how much a Congressman or Congresswoman makes?
Well here ya go!
$165,200 WITH BENEFITS. (No wonder they open themselves up to lobbyists with such a cushy salary and job).
Is it somehow a class battle when Congressmen earn 165,200 per year and the staffers earn 1/10th of it? They can vote themselves a raise--which they FREQUENTLY DO and the members are free to not accept the wage increase--which many DO NOT DO! And yet FINALLY after 10 years of 40% COL increases and a stagnant minimum wage, the Democratic Congress is going to approve a minimum wage increase.
That means instead of earning approx. $10,500 and working 40 hours per week (poverty level is approx 15,500), their salary will finally make it up to around poverty level!
Congressmen 165,200 >>> Staffers >>>>> 15,000 or less>>>> fulltime minimum wage earners 10,500...
(and MILLIONS of Americans are minimum wage earners. Had the minimum wage increased at the same rate as CEO pay, it would be $22.08 today, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. (Washington Post, 8/30/99))
What do you think about this class divide? Is it socialism to try to even it out? And what about all the middle-class income families who are now unable to find jobs above 35k per year yet alone the 165,500 that Congressmen pay themselves?
Is public service only for elistists nowadays? (In case you're curious, many Congressmen become lobbyists when they retire or get voted out. Lobbyists earn--$300,000/year) Read More »
