Comparable Worth for Members of Congress
We hear that Senator Mitch McConnell and assorted grafters in both parties want U.S. autoworkers to reduce their salaries in line with other workers in the same industry. To extend this excellent idea, we could align the salaries of Members of Congress with those of members of the parliament of India, which as near as I can determine is 16,000 rupees, or about $330.95 -- hell, let's round it off to $331.00 -- annually. As Senator McConnell and other students of economic science are aware, this will forestall the inefficient oversupply of talented people to the U.S. Congress and halt the Indian legislative braindrain.
Advertisement
I dunno, CA, I'm afraid that if we cut congressional pay it would just create opportunities for graft and corruption.
On second thought: Houston, we already have a problem (according to Mark Twain).
December 12, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Grafters"? Hmmmm, I thought the word was grifters, it seemed to fit Congress so well.
December 12, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent!
December 12, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you sure grafters in both parties want worker salaries reduced? I thought it was pretty much only the GOP.
December 12, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Problem is, we have no national referendum to enact your excellent idea. If pay were based on work performed for the betterment of the USofA, the 110th would own us money. The other problem is Congressional pay is self enacted, sort of like masturbation.
December 12, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me Democrats ought to relentlessly pound them on this: "The Republicans claim to be the party of low taxes, but they are really the party of low wages, low salaries and a lower standard of living for the American middle class".
December 12, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hear! Hear!
December 12, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yet another capital idea Dr. Rotwang! Well done!
December 12, 2008 7:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wouldn't it be cheaper to just outsource a third of our legislators to Mumbai? Hell, I bet there are tons of talented business school grads out there who would gladly run a Senate subcommittee for $30k.
December 12, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
What the hey, outsource the whole gubmint to the lowest bidder. Start with Health & Human Services, $716bn budget and 67,000 employees, and work on down to the IRS. The Congress -- they're gone, and we don't need the Supremes any longer since we've had two actual presidential elections. The Pentagon? Blackwater's ready. State? They're useless.
December 12, 2008 9:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Outsourcing our Congress members isn't a bad idea, and that principle could be extended to most of our state legislatures too. My guess is that we would get better service if about half of any of those bodies were living in India. The half that I refer to likes to refer to themselves as "Republicans".
And, now that I think of it, isn't it a cinch that the outsourcing of our US Senators, calling themselves "Democrats" would result in a Senate with at least twice as many backbones as we how have?
December 12, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Most are already millionaires; if not, close enough to being financially well off to run for Congress in order to legislate and secure laws that help(ed) make their millions in the first place - so reducing their pay is nothing, really....
December 12, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
After the new year, GM/Chrysler will go ahead upon their attys' suggestions and file the necessary paperwork for Bankruptcy; that will be the better alternative to tossing good money after bad. The REAL financial scandal is what is happening while the rest of the MSM and nation are focused cross-eyed on Blago. The banks and financial institutions are meeting with the IRS without Congressional oversight and getting the IRS to ok HUGH tax ride-offs on acquiring failed companies--first rape the taxpayer with the BAILOUT and then rape the TAXPAYER again with backdoor under the radar deals with the IRS.
December 13, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
This information is very useful! Thanks!
Best regards, Katya, CEO of hyper v network, linux iscsi initiator howto
April 1, 2011 7:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Si vous etes interesses par le dossier, ou desirez en savoir plus, contactez-moi par mail, et je vous mettrai en contact.
Best regards,Jane, CEO of high availability software
April 29, 2011 5:49 AM | Reply | Permalink