Soldier's pay (enlisted) (E-4 with 3 years service) - $25,128*Average American worker's pay (Note: these are the employers of government workers) - $50,462
Average pay of government employees - $74,403 (not really begrudging them that, btw.)
Base pay before extras for congressmen and senators (the public servants of the American workers) - $174,000
*They also get free food and free ammunition.
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A motion: "Congress shall never make a higher salary than the people who are standing on the front lines taking bullets."
What do you say? Are are military families the only ones who are expected to sacrifice for their country?
Motion #2: If congress declares or allows war, their children must withdraw from university and go to the front lines with the poor people's sons and daughters. Better yet, every 4th congressperson, by lot, shall serve on the battlefield in some capacity as well.
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The constitution says congress gets to set their own compensation. The constitution was written on the erroneous assumption they were dealing with honorable men more or less. It used to be that every time congress voted to increase their salaries, there was a big stink from their employers back home. It made them look bad to slap on another 10 grand a year when so many of their employers were making only a fraction of their congressman's OLD salary. So congress, I'm told, got a bright idea and passed a law which increased their salaries AUTOMATICALLY every 3 months, without having to have a public vote. Ok, not every 3 months. Not quite. So, they DO have workable thought processes, even if devious.
Why can't I do that too?
Crap.