$2 million on coffee and pastries

[ctm]

I did.

 

Still don't see why "high DC prices" is a factor here.

Because it inflates the amount spent.

[Legaltitan]

What is your definition of a huge salary?

 

The absolute minimum you make as a rank and file House member is $174,000.  It goes up quickly from there.  And this is for what amounts to a part time job.

 

And this is combined with the fact that the average House member is worth almost $7M, and the average Senator worth over $10M.

 

Given that, Congressional salaries fit within my definition of "huge."  Certainly enough to afford your own pastries, seeing as those items would be tax deductible anyway.

 

How about you?

[Jamalisms]

Anyone making more than me is rich and needs taxed down to my level.

 

Kidding not kidding.

[Guest]

The absolute minimum you make as a rank and file House member is $174,000. It goes up quickly from there. And this is for what amounts to a part time job.

And this is combined with the fact that the average House member is worth almost $7M, and the average Senator worth over $10M.

Given that, Congressional salaries fit within my definition of "huge." Certainly enough to afford your own pastries, seeing as those items would be tax deductible anyway.

How about you?

I don't consider 147K a huge salary. There are tons of people in the larger metropolitan areas that make comparable money. I would say 250K+ is a huge salary.

[WG53]

I don't consider 147K a huge salary. There are tons of people in the larger metropolitan areas that make comparable money. I would say 250K+ is a huge salary.

Depends on where you live.

[Starkiller]

I don't consider 147K a huge salary. There are tons of people in the larger metropolitan areas that make comparable money. I would say 250K+ is a huge salary.

Then why don't you compare it to productivity. How productive would you say people in Congress are? How many dollars do they make per bill signed into law?

[Legaltitan]

I don't consider 147K a huge salary. There are tons of people in the larger metropolitan areas that make comparable money. I would say 250K+ is a huge salary.

 

First, it's $174k, not $147k.  And again remember these guys are millionaires anyway.

 

And if $250k for a part time job fits your definition, then you are in luck because party leaders and certain senators are in this range.

[Guest]

First, it's $174k, not $147k. And again remember these guys are millionaires anyway.

And if $250k for a part time job fits your definition, then you are in luck because party leaders and certain senators are in this range.

174K then. It still doesn't matter. There are less than 500 members of Congress in total. When compared to a population of 350m it's inconsequential. It's similar to people bitching about salaries of professional atheletes compared to teachers and police. It cost money to do business in towns like D.C. And New York. 2M is nothing over the course of a year. The article is nothing but a witch hunt.

[chef]

That's all fine and good, but we pay these guys a huge salary, and on top of that most of them are rich anyway and getting richer off the contacts they are making on the public dole.

 

When we are cutting everything, including services for the poor, it seems reasonable to ask these guys who, even with the taxpayer provided salary alone, are much wealthier than your average American, to buy their own fucking donuts.

 

 

 

Never said they were angels or that the norm is right.  Just thought worth mentioning that what is being described here is not that far out of the loop of the private sector.  Compared to the often ridiculous abuses of office in exact dollars but moreso spirit of representation, this isn't near the top, albeit reflective.   

 

And though I concur in general with Patsplat about employers (in this case, the US gov't) providing food stuffs in efforts to keep workers around the office and more productive, I have a hard time thinking it applies the same way to this situation.