In case you missed Glenn Beck, he had some really good suggestions for the pay and benefits of our elected officials. I don't have the transcript, but I did DVR that program.
An average soldier (specialist) comes out of the Army after being paid $22,676 a year. The average American makes $50,462. The average Federal Employee makes $74,403. Members of Congress make $174,000 (not an average, that's their base pay.)
He goes on to say that the soldier, who sits on the wall defending America so she can have free speech, etc., makes the least amount. He does get some benefits, but not like Congress. The average American doesn't get the benefits of Congress, either. The Federal employee has a lot of benefits. He talks about the Average American being the master of Congress, who "serves," because it's not really a job, they say, they serve. Why is the master making 1/3 of what Congress makes? He then points out some Congressional leaders who came out of Congress making so much more than when they went in.
Harry Reid went in to the Senate was worth $1.8 million (after serving in the house some). Two years ago, he was worth $4.6 million. Nancy Pelosi, after serving just two years in Congress, had an estimated worth of $7.5 million and today she's worth $21.7 million. How does that happen? Makes me think I should run for office, and all my financial problems will be over.
That's not how it was with our founding fathers. Some did it for NOTHING...no pay...they kept their jobs and only met in congress when something needed doing.
BUT, Glenn has a solution, too, and I love it. He suggests that Congress shall not be paid more than the soldier is paid. And that goes for the benefits as well. Congress gets so much more benefits than the soldier. How about Congress has to go to the VA Hospital for their care? The soldier makes about 13% of what a Congressman makes. They are in the service of their country. Congress says they need to keep two homes. He has a solution for that, too. Build them barracks to live in while they're in Congress. I can tell you barracks are not that bad. I lived in a barracks for almost 3 years (the last year I lived with my boyfriend off base, who became my husband).
People in Federal government should not make more than the Average American. And they should have the same benefits.
We need to get behind this. Let me state it again in summary.
Congressmen shall not be paid more than the average soldier. Congressman shall have the same medical benefits as the average soldier.
Federal employees shall not make more than the average American, with the same benefits.
He says one of two things will happen. Either Congress will raise the wage of the soldier as well as increasing the conditions in the VA Hospitals, or cut their own wages. He said he'd like to see a combination of the two. I agree, because I've heard horror stories about the VA. I know an uncle who had to wait something like 3 months for HEART SURGERY! I don't remember the time, but I remember thinking, wow, he could be dead by then. I know that I had breast cancer surgery ONE MONTH after being diagnosed on an Air Force base. In that time, my tumor had doubled in size. My mom got it a week later in a civilian setting. And that was including the time to diagnose it. I didn't actually include that. I went to the doctor the week after Thanksgiving, and had surgery on January 11th. I got good care, it just wasn't timely.
I wonder how much better Federal Employees would treat us if they only made what the Average American makes? And I guess I'm below average, because we have to include a military retirement to get to that $50,000 mark. I just did the math, and apparently the average American makes $26 an hour. I think that's plenty for a Federal employee, who according to the average currently makes almost $39 an hour. And they get a much better pension than the average American. There wouldn't be as many people flocking to government jobs, I know that. That in and of itself would shrink government. They wouldn't be able to afford to staff so many people if we became their master again.
Sound like a winner of an idea.
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