Should senators be giving up their pay?

sourapplemartini · July 2011

If an agreement on the debt ceiling can't be reached, should they work without pay until a deal is made?

I say yes. If you are making $176k a year and can't go a week or two without a paycheck, then I think you have some bigger problems. Maybe it will be a good wake up call for them to see what millions of Americans are going through right now.

NavyClan · July 2011

lol, I think it's dumb. Maybe ALL Americans should spend time not getting paid to learn what it's like in other countries!!! Let them do their job, however much they suck at it. I don't get why people are surprised at the ineptitude.

HollySC13 · July 2011

Eh, I kinda agree with you OP. Maybe it would light a fire under them to get them moving.

Birdies08 · July 2011

I know one of our representatives is donating the pay he gets during the shut down to community services who have been hurt by budget cuts. I think that's pretty badass.

Mysterious_wife · July 2011

They shouldn't make that much to begin with.

GBCK · July 2011

hell, for starters, at the frickin STATE LEVEL here they could quit getting LIFETIME incredible health benefits for serving one term. for a total cost to them of...$0

Because you know that made me much happier when they passed laws making it mandatory that I pay large percentages of my bennies.

HollySC13 · July 2011

Birdies08:
I know one of our representatives is donating the pay he gets during the shut down to community services who have been hurt by budget cuts. I think that's pretty badass.

That's awesome! Yes

mrsadamc 05 · July 2011

Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.

I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).

What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.

And the fact that there are no term limits.

cherokeemomma87 · July 2011

Birdies08:
I know one of our representatives is donating the pay he gets during the shut down to community services who have been hurt by budget cuts. I think that's pretty badass.

I want to have representation like that! That is really badass, why can't all politicians be like that?

Mysterious_wife · July 2011

mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.
I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).
What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.
And the fact that there are no term limits.

You do realize that there are millions who are barely making min. wage right now. These assholes are doing nothing but padding their pockets and throwing tantrums. There are families who rely on the benefits and organizations they are wanting to cut. How about cutting pay for themselves and keeping the items most of the citizens rely on? My tax money could be put to better use. They can learn to live on a modest income and a modest living like the rest of us. Most of them are also gaining income from their own companies and investments. It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them.

HappyAardvark · July 2011

I agree. These senators are elected to do one very important job - to keep the government running an operational. If this was any other business, the leaders would be fired and new teams brought in. You don't do your job, you don't deserve a paycheck.

cherokeemomma87 · July 2011

Mysterious_wife:
mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.
I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).
What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.
And the fact that there are no term limits.
You do realize that there are millions who are barely making min. wage right now. These assholes are doing nothing but padding their pockets and throwing tantrums. There are families who rely on the benefits and organizations they are wanting to cut. How about cutting pay for themselves and keeping the items most of the citizens rely on? My tax money could be put to better use. They can learn to live on a modest income and a modest living like the rest of us. Most of them are also gaining income from their own companies and investments. It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them.

"It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them. "

I agree with this, and even taking a $100,000 pay cut, they will still be making $75,000 a year or around there. And that is $45,000 more than the average American makes a year.

mrsadamc 05 · July 2011

Mysterious_wife:
mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.
I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).
What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.
And the fact that there are no term limits.
You do realize that there are millions who are barely making min. wage right now. These assholes are doing nothing but padding their pockets and throwing tantrums. There are families who rely on the benefits and organizations they are wanting to cut. How about cutting pay for themselves and keeping the items most of the citizens rely on? My tax money could be put to better use. They can learn to live on a modest income and a modest living like the rest of us. Most of them are also gaining income from their own companies and investments. It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them.

Yes I do realize that.

I also agree with you that there is a lot of padding of pockets going on.

But I don't think that they shouldn't make that much to begin with.

And taking a $100,000 pay cut would certainly hurt my father and mother. They currently budget based on what my dad makes. Losing over half his paycheck would be a big hit.

Can people live on $75,000 a year? Sure.

If you've been living on $175,000 would it be hard to make a drastic change? Yes.

cherokeemomma87 · July 2011

mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.
I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).
What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.
And the fact that there are no term limits.
You do realize that there are millions who are barely making min. wage right now. These assholes are doing nothing but padding their pockets and throwing tantrums. There are families who rely on the benefits and organizations they are wanting to cut. How about cutting pay for themselves and keeping the items most of the citizens rely on? My tax money could be put to better use. They can learn to live on a modest income and a modest living like the rest of us. Most of them are also gaining income from their own companies and investments. It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them.
Yes I do realize that.
I also agree with you that there is a lot of padding of pockets going on.
But I don't think that they shouldn't make that much to begin with.
And taking a $100,000 pay cut would certainly hurt my father and mother. They currently budget based on what my dad makes. Losing over half his paycheck would be a big hit.
Can people live on $75,000 a year? Sure.
If you've been living on $175,000 would it be hard to make a drastic change? Yes.

There is one problem with this. The OP isnt talking about your father, she is talking about the elected officials who, from what I can tell, are not doing their job. PP had a point when she said that if this were any other business they would be fired and new people brought in.

Mysterious_wife · July 2011

mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
mrsadamc 05:
Mysterious_wife:
They shouldn't make that much to begin with.
I have no problem with how much they make a year. My father makes more than that a year and isn't a Dr. or a lawyer. And DH should make more than that in the future (assuming at some point the economy rebounds).
What I do have issue with is what GBCK mentioned, lifetime bennies after serving as little as 1 term.
And the fact that there are no term limits.
You do realize that there are millions who are barely making min. wage right now. These assholes are doing nothing but padding their pockets and throwing tantrums. There are families who rely on the benefits and organizations they are wanting to cut. How about cutting pay for themselves and keeping the items most of the citizens rely on? My tax money could be put to better use. They can learn to live on a modest income and a modest living like the rest of us. Most of them are also gaining income from their own companies and investments. It isn't like taking a $100,000 pay cut is going to hurt them.
Yes I do realize that.
I also agree with you that there is a lot of padding of pockets going on.
But I don't think that they shouldn't make that much to begin with.
And taking a $100,000 pay cut would certainly hurt my father and mother. They currently budget based on what my dad makes. Losing over half his paycheck would be a big hit.
Can people live on $75,000 a year? Sure.
If you've been living on $175,000 would it be hard to make a drastic change? Yes.

What about the other Americans who took over 50% income cut? They are struggling too. My point is the reps for our country need to see what everyone else is facing.

I feel anyone with an income should be investing and/or saving something. If you are making $175,000 a year and are not saving, you are a fool. Sure a pay cut would suck, but you have savings to back up on for a reason.

As a one paycheck family, we have a budget. We save what we can, when we can, for hard times. If DH lost his job in May or took a pay cut we would have been fine for a year without unemployment or assistance. I don't see why gov. officials or anyone else can't do the same. You will learn what to live with and what to live without.

I still stand by my statement. $100,000 pay cut is drop in the bucket to most of the gov. officials. That isn't their only income.

WaitingOnTwoPinkLines · July 2011

NavyClan:
lol, I think it's dumb. Maybe ALL Americans should spend time not getting paid to learn what it's like in other countries!!! Let them do their job, however much they suck at it. I don't get why people are surprised at the ineptitude.

They aren't doing their job. That's the problem.

If I didn't do my job, I'd be fired, not just lose my pay until I could figure out how to do my job again.

I think they make asinine amounts of money when they are (largely) a bunch of incompetent morons. But if they would DO THEIR JOBS, I wouldn't have nearly as much to b!tch about.

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