Congress, do you really want to get my attention?

I guess that could go for the Presidential candidates as well...do you really want to get my attention? I want to know why no one is talking about lowering the salaries for members of Congress?

I looked up some statistics. According to Ask.com:

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•From 1789 to 1855, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session, except for a period from December 1815 to March 1817, when they received $1,500 a year. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1855, when they were paid $3,000 per year.

The current salary (2011) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.

Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400

House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400

A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.

Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation.

Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.

(FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Two of the three parts of FERS (Social Security and the TSP) can go with you to your next job if you leave the Federal Government before retirement. The Basic Benefit and Social Security parts of FERS require you to pay your share each pay period. Your agency withholds the cost of the Basic Benefit and Social Security from your pay as payroll deductions. Your agency pays its part too. Then, after you retire, you receive annuity payments each month for the rest of your life.

The TSP part of FERS is an account that your agency automatically sets up for you. Each pay period your agency deposits into your account amount equal to 1% of the basic pay you earn for the pay period. You can also make your own contributions to your TSP account and your agency will also make a matching contribution. These contributions are tax-deferred. The Thrift Savings Plan is administered by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.)

(The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) is a defined benefit, contributory retirement system. Employees share in the expense of the annuities to which they become entitled. CSRS covered employees contribute 7, 7 1/2 or 8 percent of pay to CSRS and, while they generally pay no Social Security retirement, survivor and disability (OASDI) tax, they must pay the Medicare tax (currently 1.45 percent of pay). The employing agency matches the employee's CSRS contributions.

CSRS employees may increase their earned annuity by contributing up to 10 percent of the basic pay for their creditable service to a voluntary contribution account. Employees may also contribute a portion of pay to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). There is no Government contribution, but the employee contributions are tax-deferred. For more information about TSP, see the TSP website.)

Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.

The amount of a congressman's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.

According to the Congressional Research Service, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of Oct. 1, 2006. Of this number, 290 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972. A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.

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I have to admit some of that surprised me, but it's still more than the average (I thought it was more retirement.)

In a nut shell, of those Congressmen already retired, the average retirement is $48,462.

It also says that they're not supposed to get more than 80% of their highest pay. Let's take the current crop of Congressmen. They START at $174,000 right now. Just 80% of that is $139,200 for retirement.

My husband is retired Navy, getting a pension of about $1380 a month (I'm not real sure because we have a life insurance policy taken out before we see it.) So let's look up what our Current service members are getting:

I'm not sure how to do tables yet (into a blog), but I'll give it my best shot:

E-1 <2 yrs experience ($17,611)
E-2 <2 yrs experience through 6 yrs experience ($19,739)
E-3 <2 yrs experience ($20,758) 4 through 6 years experience ($23,400)
E-4 <2 yrs experience ($22,993) 4 yrs experience ($26,770) 6 yrs experience ($27,911)
E-5 <2yrs experience ($25,081) 4 yrs experience ($29,380) 6 yrs experience ($31,442)
E-6 <2 yrs experience ($27,374) 4 yrs experience ($32,742) 6 yrs experience ($34,088)
O-1 <2 yrs experience ($33,408) 4 through 6 yrs yrs experience ($42,030)
O-2 <2 yrs experience ($38,488) 4 yrs experience ($52,189) 6 yrs experience ($53,262)
O-3 <2 yrs experience ($44,543) 4 yrs experience ($59,422) 6 yrs experience ($62,266)

As far as other compensations:

FOOD ALLOWANCE
The Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is used to pay for food for Enlisted Soldiers and Officers authorized to eat off base. Most Soldiers who qualify for BAS receive more than $200 per month.

HOUSING ALLOWANCE
The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) offsets the cost of housing when Soldiers live off base. BAH rates are based on location, rank and family status. BAH is the second-largest piece of compensation for most Soldiers.

CLOTHING ALLOWANCE
Enlisted Soldiers receive an annual allowance to replace uniforms and uniform decorations. For jobs that require civilian clothes, the military provides a civilian clothing allowance.

COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE
Soldiers assigned to high-cost locations in the continental U.S. and overseas are paid a Cost of Living Allowance. This allowance offsets the higher costs of food, transportation, clothing and other non-housing items. Higher costs of housing are covered separately by the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).

MOVING & RELOCATION ALLOWANCE
The military pays for the transportation of household goods during a permanent change-of-station move. In addition, a Temporary Lodging Allowance covers the cost of temporary housing at the beginning and end of a move. To further offset moving costs, a Dislocation Allowance is also granted for permanent change-of-station moves.

FAMILY SEPARATION ALLOWANCE
Soldiers assigned or deployed to locations where the military will not move families receive a Family Separation Allowance of $250 per month to cover expenses incurred during a Soldier's separation from their family. Soldiers are also entitled to the allowance if their families are unable to accompany them overseas due to medical reasons.

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The military also gets 30 days a year of paid vacation, which rolls over a little. I think you can keep 60 days on the books, 120 if you're deployed.

As far as retirement for military, I found this:

Open to those who entered service on or after Sept. 8, 1980 but before Aug. 1, 1986. The retired pay rate is determined by the average pay rate during the three years when an individual’s pay was highest during his or her military career. That average is multiplied by 2.5 percent for each year in uniform to determine retirement pay. Thus, for 20 years of service, the High-3 formula offers retirement pay equal to 50 percent of average basic pay over the member’s three highest earning years in uniform; 75 percent of average basic pay over the three highest earning years for 30 years of service, and 100 percent of average basic pay over the three highest earning years for 40 years of service.

Those who entered military service after Aug. 1, 1986, can choose to receive retirement pay under the High-3 system or can choose the CSB/Redux option... For example, a service member under Redux with 20 years of service would multiply 20 by 2.5, then subtract ten (ten years short of 30 years of service), which yields 40. Thus, retired pay for a Redux member with 20 years of service would be 40 percent of average basic pay over their three highest earning years in uniform. Similarly, Redux members with 25 years of service would multiply 25 by 2.5, then subtract five (five years short of 30 years of service); their retired pay would be 57.5 percent of their average basic pay over their three highest earning years. Redux members with 30 years of service would simply multiply 30 by 2.5, which yields 75 percent of average basic pay over the three highest earning years in uniform. After 30 years of service, however, the formula for Redux members changes — they get a straight 2.5 percentage points for each year of service beyond 30. As such, retired pay for Redux members with 40 years of service would be 100 percent of their average basic pay over their three highest earning years in uniform.

My husband was in from 1981-2001. He gets about $16,680 a year from his retirement, which means he has to have another job, it's not really retirement. We live on it.

So, to sum it up: After 6 years, Congress supposedly only gets 80% of their highest salary. Let's assume it never goes higher than now, that's $139,200. An O-3 with 40 years in would get $62,266.

So if we lowered the pay of Congressmen by 10%, it would lower it to $156,600, which would mean a retirement the same as it is now, because they go by the highest. I'm suggesting they use the last 3 years in office....which would mean $125,280. that would still be double what the O-3 got. So they should continue to lower it until they match.

If we add in the average reimbursements, you can add about $14,000 to the base pay, so we'll call it $58,543 for an O-3 just starting. I think House members should have time in rank requirements, just like our military, and start out with the salary of an E-6 ($41,374) and let it go up every time they get re-elected. I'll give Senators a starting salary of O-1 ($47,408).