What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Congress will be Voting Themselves a Raise? (1 Viewer)

Opie said:
I'm sure.

...but had this been a Republican held Congress.....oooooh the outrage!!   :rant:

Your bias is blinding.

I don't care who's pushing this agenda (Republican or Democrat)....Congress is already overpaid for what they do....and especially for what they don't do.
Click to expand...
Not really no. Guarantee you I would have written the same thing if Republicans do it. 

I don’t care about Trump’s vacations either. Dumb to complain about. Let him play golf all he wants so long as he does a good job for the country (he’s not, but that has nothing to do with the golf.) 

Honestly in the scheme of things stuff like this is so unimportant. 

 
The main reason our representatives are paid in the first place is to keep it from being solely a rich man’s club. Up until the 20th century most politicians were quite wealthy before they ever ran for office, which prevented anybody from the working classes having a voice. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Opie said:
Oh...that makes if fine...they vote to give themselves a raise....put it on hold...then, vote to remove that hold.

TOTALLY different than voting yourself a raise.
Click to expand...
That’s actually not what’s happening. I am against their raise but am trying to accurately explain the situation.

Summer Wheat said:
Who approved it?   I would love to be able to vote on my own raises. YES!!
Click to expand...
Congress in 1989

Opie said:
2009?  Any guesses?.
Click to expand...
2009 was when they first voted to stop the raise 

 
Ilov80s said:
That’s actually not what’s happening. I am against their raise but am trying to accurately explain the situation.

Congress in 1989

2009 was when they first voted to stop the raise 
Click to expand...
Okay....keep it stopped...or get rid of it entirely until Congress has a approval rating that rates a pay increase.

 
timschochet said:
Not really no. Guarantee you I would have written the same thing if Republicans do it. 

I don’t care about Trump’s vacations either. Dumb to complain about. Let him play golf all he wants so long as he does a good job for the country (he’s not, but that has nothing to do with the golf.) 

Honestly in the scheme of things stuff like this is so unimportant. 
Click to expand...
Totally agree....and as soon as Congress does a good job for the country....talk about giving them a raise.

Last I checked, the Congress had an approval rating around 20%....hardly worth getting a paycheck at all...much less, a raise.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Opie said:
So, you're okay with it?

Good for you.
Click to expand...
I am okay with the most important legislators in our country getting a 2% raise after their pay has been frozen for a decade.  I am not okay with the POTUS spending $10s of millions of our tax dollars at his own golf clubs.

Anyone outraged at the former but silent about the latter has zero credibility.  

 
tommyGunZ said:
I am okay with the most important legislators in our country getting a 2% raise after their pay has been frozen for a decade.  I am not okay with the POTUS spending $10s of millions of our tax dollars at his own golf clubs.

Anyone outraged at the former but silent about the latter has zero credibility.  
Click to expand...
...it works both ways.

If you were outraged about golf...why not now?

Where was your outrage when Michelle Obama took her family and entourage to Africa?

I'm against ANY member of Congress getting a raise.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
timschochet said:
The main reason our representatives are paid in the first place is to keep it from being solely a rich man’s club. Up until the 20th century most politicians were quite wealthy before they ever ran for office, which prevented anybody from the working classes having a voice. 
Click to expand...
Yup. But it's still a rich man's club because you have to raise a lot of cash in order to actually get elected. And running in rich man's circles is pretty handy when you're trying to raise money.  Publicly funded elections combined with a wage that is liveable would do a lot to open up the lower levels of politics to people who aren't wealthy, and guess where the upper levels of politicians often start?

You still have to be well off enough to be able to afford to take the time to run, I don't think we'll ever make it as egalitarian as we'd like, but we can do a lot better. 

 

 
Ramblin Wreck said:
Let's hear more facts about wage inequality from the folks giving themselves a raise from $174K
Click to expand...


Opie said:
Summer Wheat said:
Democrats want this??
Click to expand...
 SHOCKER!
Click to expand...
You know shame on me for actually expecting this would be a topic we’d all agree on and talk about the solutions for our failing congress and not one where R’s would blame the D’s or vice versa.   Shoulda known better.  As the wise and sage George W Bush said “Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!'"

 
tommyGunZ said:
You’re outraged about a 2% cost of living raise for a group of people whose salaries have been frozen since 2009.  The total estimated cost of this raise would be ~ $2.5M, spread across 538 people.

You’re not outraged at > $100M taxpayers have spent on Trump to play golf in 2.5 years, mostly at his own country clubs, meaning that likely $10s of millions of taxpayer dollars went directly into Trump’s business profits.  He is quite literally using your money to pay himself to play golf at his clubs.  Dead silence from you.  
Click to expand...
Per HuffPo:

Trump added at least another $3.6 million to his taxpayer-funded golf tab after his Trump to his Ireland golf resort, making the overall total for 2 1/2 years of trips to his clubs nearly $106 million

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-doonbeg-video_n_5cfa7f93e4b0c7edd0b661a5

 
Opie said:
Totally agree....and as soon as Congress does a good job for the country....talk about giving them a raise.

Last I checked, the Congress had an approval rating around 20%....hardly worth getting a paycheck at all...much less, a raise.
Click to expand...
Again the weird thing about Congress is people hate them but they like their reps. Incumbents typically win above 80% in the Senate and above 90% in the House. So they do have an argument for a raise in that sense.

 
timschochet said:
Not really no. Guarantee you I would have written the same thing if Republicans do it. 

I don’t care about Trump’s vacations either. Dumb to complain about. Let him play golf all he wants so long as he does a good job for the country (he’s not, but that has nothing to do with the golf.) 

Honestly in the scheme of things stuff like this is so unimportant. 
Click to expand...
I’m pointing out Trump’s kleptomania to highlight the absurdity of Opie’s outrage.  I agree that whining about POTUS vacations is a waste of time, though the nature of Trump personally profiting from his vacations is absolutely a scandal, and should be a much bigger deal, IMO.  

 
Opie said:
I'm sure.

...but had this been a Republican held Congress.....oooooh the outrage!!   :rant:

Your bias is blinding.

I don't care who's pushing this agenda (Republican or Democrat)....Congress is already overpaid for what they do....and especially for what they don't do.
Click to expand...
The first bold is the picture perfect definition of ironic.   But I digress....

The second bolded I tend to agree with under the current situation (last 20+ yrs current not today specifically) but I’d be all in for a raise, even a substantial one, if we could get term limits attached to it. 

 
Opie said:
...it works both ways.

If you were outraged about golf...why not now?

Where was your outrage when Michelle Obama took her family and entourage to Africa?

I'm against ANY member of Congress getting a raise.
Click to expand...
Because I have a brain that is able to distinguish between a 2% COLA raise after a decade of frozen salaries and > $100M in taxpayer dollars spent on trips to Trump resorts?  

 
dkp993 said:
The first bold is the picture perfect definition of ironic.   But I digress....

The second bolded I tend to agree with under the current situation (last 20+ yrs current not today specifically) but I’d be all in for a raise, even a substantial one, if we could get term limits attached to it. 
Click to expand...
...and  agree totally with term limits.

 
dkp993 said:
You know shame on me for actually expecting this would be a topic we’d all agree on and talk about the solutions for our failing congress and not one where R’s would blame the D’s or vice versa.   Shoulda known better.  As the wise and sage George W Bush said “Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!'"
Click to expand...
I'll be honest I don't even know what the heck side you're even on with this issue.  I'm not a D or an R I have made it clear both suck, IMO.  I don't believe Congress should be voting themselves a raise.  I think they should be finding ways to cut our spending, spend that money more wisely, get a hold of the entire healthcare industry, and for gods sake stop being bought off by big business.  

 
tommyGunZ said:
Because I have a brain that is able to distinguish between a 2% COLA raise after a decade of frozen salaries and > $100M in taxpayer dollars spent on trips to Trump resorts?  
Click to expand...
Frozen salaries that are too high already.

$200 / hr plus a lifetime pension....for stepping on the floor??

Yeah...they deserve much more than that....especially for the stellar job they do for us.

 
timschochet said:
Not really no. Guarantee you I would have written the same thing if Republicans do it. 

I don’t care about Trump’s vacations either. Dumb to complain about. Let him play golf all he wants so long as he does a good job for the country (he’s not, but that has nothing to do with the golf.) 

Honestly in the scheme of things stuff like this is so unimportant. 
Click to expand...
This makes no sense.

 
Ilov80s said:
Again the weird thing about Congress is people hate them but they like their reps. Incumbents typically win above 80% in the Senate and above 90% in the House. So they do have an argument for a raise in that sense.
Click to expand...
Misleading.  How often does the incumbent get challenged by someone in their own party?  Many of those voters are voting by party no matter what. 

 
Ramblin Wreck said:
I'll be honest I don't even know what the heck side you're even on with this issue.  I'm not a D or an R I have made it clear both suck, IMO.  I don't believe Congress should be voting themselves a raise.  I think they should be finding ways to cut our spending, spend that money more wisely, get a hold of the entire healthcare industry, and for gods sake stop being bought off by big business.  
Click to expand...
There are no "sides" to this.

Congress (both sides) feel that $174,000/yr. and perks is not enough compensation to do what they do.

I disagree.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ramblin Wreck said:
I'll be honest I don't even know what the heck side you're even on with this issue.  I'm not a D or an R I have made it clear both suck, IMO.  I don't believe Congress should be voting themselves a raise.  I think they should be finding ways to cut our spending, spend that money more wisely, get a hold of the entire healthcare industry, and for gods sake stop being bought off by big business.  
Click to expand...
The bolded is pretty much is exactly how I feel. So we’re in alignment.

What I was pointing out though was I was hoping this thread would be a discussion similar to your bolded statement, instead it was the standard “Dems - Shocker!” Or “Let's hear more facts about wage inequality from the folks giving themselves a raise from $174K” digs at Democrat’s from the right (which is no different the what the left would do to the right by the way).  I was looking for a non partisan based discussion I guess, and like I said I shoulda known better.   

 
Apple Jack said:
This makes no sense.
Click to expand...
Well let me try to explain myself a little better. 

1. I think Trump is a very poor President. There are 3 reasons why: he has poor ideas, he’s incompetent for the job, and he hires incompetent people. This is all apart from his corruption. None of that has anything to do with how much golf he plays. If he had good ideas, was competent, and hired competent people, I wouldn’t care if he spent 90% of his time playing golf because the 10% would be worth it. Results are all that matters. 

2. Congress is ineffective, because the partisan divide in our country prevents things from getting done and even when one side takes over they never take over quite enough to prevent gridlock. That’s a real problem I have no idea how to solve but it certainly has nothing to do with how much money they make. I’m indifferent to that and always have been. Let them make 4 times what they earn now; I don’t care. 

3. As an aside since it’s been brought up: term limits are awful. We’ve got complex problems in this country that demand complex solutions, and that means you’ve got to have people in public office with long term vision and goals. Otherwise everything we do will be for short term gain at the expense of long term prosperity. This is already happening far too often. Let me offer a real time example that conservatives and liberals should agree with: President Trump, like previous Presidents before him, borrowing from the deficit in order to improve the economy right now. Why should any of them care about the long term effects on the debt? They’ll be out of office by then and it will be somebody else’s problem. I don’t want term limits for ANY office. 

 
Ramblin Wreck said:
Misleading.  How often does the incumbent get challenged by someone in their own party?  Many of those voters are voting by party no matter what. 
Click to expand...
Very fair point. I don’t have that data but my counter would be if the representative is so bad and the job pays so well, wouldn’t they be challenged at high rates? Also if they are so bad, why wouldn’t voters elect the other party? 

 
dkp993 said:
You know shame on me for actually expecting this would be a topic we’d all agree on and talk about the solutions for our failing congress and not one where R’s would blame the D’s or vice versa.   Shoulda known better.  As the wise and sage George W Bush said “Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!'"
Click to expand...
I am a dem and want no raises for any of them! 174K is a very nice income considering you also have a full staff that does all your leg and homework. Cut back on one staff and take the raise and divide the rest up among the rest of staff.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Summer Wheat said:
I agree and we have many Trump threads..but this thread is about Congress.  How do you feel about them?
Click to expand...
I have no problem given that none of the Trump supporters here have any issue with his golf expenditures (which also serve as a promo for the golf course he is playing at).

 
squistion said:
I have no problem given that none of the Trump supporters here have any issue with his golf expenditures (which also serve as a promo for the golf course he is playing at).
Click to expand...
Lets keep Trump, Trump supporters and golf out of it.     How do you feel about congress voting themselves a raise in this social climate? I am a lefty and I disagree with it for all.  174K is a great wage.

 
Summer Wheat said:
Lets keep Trump, Trump supporters and golf out of it.     How do you feel about congress voting themselves a raise in this social climate? I am a lefty and I disagree with it for all.  174K is a great wage.
Click to expand...
The disfunction in Congress over the last few decades is abhorrent.  Widespread changes must be made and term limits are the quickest way to accomplish this.  The old guard in both sides need to go immediately.  The founding fathers never intended public service to be a career.  It was something you did a period of time then you got back to life living with the policies you put into place. The career politicians have ruined the spirit of what this country was founded on and it’s isolated them from feeling the repercussions of their actions.    

 
According to the president we have the greatest economy of all time and tariffs adding in billions to the coffers on almost a daily basis  Now would seem like the perfect time request a rise.  

 
Mile High said:
According to the president we have the greatest economy of all time and tariffs adding in billions to the coffers on almost a daily basis  Now would seem like the perfect time request a rise.  
Click to expand...
So you must be a Trump supporter.  I am not for Trump or raises for Dems or GOP in congress. Raises for top earners does not sit well with Progressives.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Opie said:
There are no "sides" to this.

Congress (both sides) feel that $174,000/yr. and perks is not enough compensation to do what they do.

I disagree.
Click to expand...
I'm fine with the money and I'd agree that a raise is due since the last was in 2009, however I do think that Congress should balance the budget first before giving themselves a raise against the debt of the American people.

 
Summer Wheat said:
So you must be a Trump supporter.  I am not for Trump or raises for Dems or GOP in congress. Raises for top earners does not sit well with Progressives.
Click to expand...
You must of really hated the big tax break the Republicans gave to the top 1%ers then. Bet opie didn't complain about that one.

 
Summer Wheat said:
So you must be a Trump supporter.  I am not for Trump or raises for Dems or GOP in congress. Raises for top earners does not sit well with Progressives.
Click to expand...
You’re confusing populism with progressives.  Most progressives don’t have a problem with folks at the top of their field giving themselves a COLA once a decade.  

 
Mile High said:
Anyway this whole thread was made so opie could take a dig at the Democratic lead house. 
Click to expand...
That's quite an assumption seeing as how I didn't include in this thread, anything about "The Democratic lead Congress...". 
You are the one who pointed that out....

...oh...and POLITICO pointed it out in the title in their article entitled, "House Democrats propose $4,500 pay raise for Congress"...

As someone who puts your party over The People....you leapt to the defense against a perceived attack on the Democratic party.   :bow:

But I'm sure that plenty of Republicans will vote, "Yea" even though Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) told reporters“I think the American people would think that Congress ought to earn it first,”

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mile High said:
You must of really hated the big tax break the Republicans gave to the top 1%ers then. Bet opie didn't complain about that one.
Click to expand...
 I was not happy with the tax break, not happy with people getting to vote on their own raises as well. I am more for socialism and everyone bearing a little of the burden. Cap all congress at where they are at now or cut a staff member and take their money.

 
Mile High said:
You must of really hated the big tax break the Republicans gave to the top 1%ers then. Bet opie didn't complain about that one.
Click to expand...
Seeing as how I am not a member of the 1% ...and I paid less taxes to the government in 2018....It really didn't bother me either way.

Should I pretend like it did?

You act as if there are no Democrats in the top 1%.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Commish said:
Half of Congress IS held by the GOP :confused:

I know that sorta takes the edge off the OUTRAGE shtick but context sorta matters. 
Click to expand...
...and control of the direction of Congress is held by....?

I never claimed that this was a Democrat or Republican issue....I am pretty sure that I said that CONGRESS wants to give themselves a raise.

Others here pointed out which party introduced it and had it been a Congress with a Republican majority....I still would have been pissed....along with others here who are trying to defend it because it has been introduced by Democrats.

At a 20% approval rating, how the hell can anybody defend giving members of Congress more money?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

GordonGekko
The Official Katie Porter (HOR/D-CA45) And Her "Whiteboard Of Justice" Appreciation Thread (10/24/22 17:34 PST)
Replies
2
Views
313
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
Will The GOP Push For A Nation Wide Federal Abortion Ban When It Attains Needed Majorities? (7/2/22 12:11 PST)
Replies
0
Views
237
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
The Atlantic: "Democrats Really Are That Dense About Climate Change" (6/23/22 01:00 PST)
Replies
47
Views
1K
Maggot Brain
Maggot Brain

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top