Post by TRIPWIRE on Jun 27, 2006 22:38:06 GMT -5
June 27, 2006
Is Harry Reid's Light Bulb On?
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally Posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2006_0627.html
Aparently Senator Harry Reid (a Nevada Democrat) and I agree on something! I'm honestly quite amazed, perhaps even spooked, by this, so much so that I felt compelled to write something about it.
Reid, among others, believes that the federal minimum wage should be raised. This I am quite staunchly opposed to, in and of itself, and was the topic of my September 13, 2004 article [2] in which I blasted Kerry's proposal to raise it to 8$ per hour. There is a silver lining however -- Reid is insisting on a hold on congressional pay raises until the minimum wage is increased [1]. I agree with this idea so much that I'll go so far as to suggest that the more conservative members of congress should dig their trenches and hold their ground in responce.
I really feel like this is a good thing for the country. A few years of this would help to equalize, even if only partially, the ridiculous salaries our elected officials recieve, while allowing the states to decide what they feel is best for their population. You see, that is what counts. The federal government cannot determine what a fair minimum wage is for the whole country because the cost of living can vary wildly from one location to another, sometimes even within the same state!
Senators have some of the most lenient jobs in the world -- we're talking about people that make 165,000$ per year and don't even have to come to work for each of the 130 to 160 scheduled days each year. How many of these people will let their own pocketbooks decide rather than doing what is best for the country? I intend to pay close attention to this as it develops -- I feel strongly that wallet-politics is part of what creates the entitlement society that we have become. Everyone thinks they deserve a new car or their own house, but not many are willing to bust their rear-ends to actually get those things. Congresspeople are the worst offenders, in my opinion. They should have to earn their pay increases by justifying it to the taxpayers by being at work and by producing quantifiable results. As it is, every year there is an automatic 2-percent raise, and while that doesn't seem like a huge percentage, it is a lot more actual money than any 30,000$ per year employee would see if given even a 5% increase -- we're talking about over 3,300$ in comparison to 600$, respectively. Gee, I sure wish I could essentially give myself a 3-grand raise every year without having to improve my job performance -- or even go to work every day.
Anyway, I'll monitor this and make sure I share any insights, no matter how convoluted, I may have.
References:
1. www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/27/congress.wage/index.html
2. tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2004_0913.html
Is Harry Reid's Light Bulb On?
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally Posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2006_0627.html
Aparently Senator Harry Reid (a Nevada Democrat) and I agree on something! I'm honestly quite amazed, perhaps even spooked, by this, so much so that I felt compelled to write something about it.
Reid, among others, believes that the federal minimum wage should be raised. This I am quite staunchly opposed to, in and of itself, and was the topic of my September 13, 2004 article [2] in which I blasted Kerry's proposal to raise it to 8$ per hour. There is a silver lining however -- Reid is insisting on a hold on congressional pay raises until the minimum wage is increased [1]. I agree with this idea so much that I'll go so far as to suggest that the more conservative members of congress should dig their trenches and hold their ground in responce.
I really feel like this is a good thing for the country. A few years of this would help to equalize, even if only partially, the ridiculous salaries our elected officials recieve, while allowing the states to decide what they feel is best for their population. You see, that is what counts. The federal government cannot determine what a fair minimum wage is for the whole country because the cost of living can vary wildly from one location to another, sometimes even within the same state!
Senators have some of the most lenient jobs in the world -- we're talking about people that make 165,000$ per year and don't even have to come to work for each of the 130 to 160 scheduled days each year. How many of these people will let their own pocketbooks decide rather than doing what is best for the country? I intend to pay close attention to this as it develops -- I feel strongly that wallet-politics is part of what creates the entitlement society that we have become. Everyone thinks they deserve a new car or their own house, but not many are willing to bust their rear-ends to actually get those things. Congresspeople are the worst offenders, in my opinion. They should have to earn their pay increases by justifying it to the taxpayers by being at work and by producing quantifiable results. As it is, every year there is an automatic 2-percent raise, and while that doesn't seem like a huge percentage, it is a lot more actual money than any 30,000$ per year employee would see if given even a 5% increase -- we're talking about over 3,300$ in comparison to 600$, respectively. Gee, I sure wish I could essentially give myself a 3-grand raise every year without having to improve my job performance -- or even go to work every day.
Anyway, I'll monitor this and make sure I share any insights, no matter how convoluted, I may have.
References:
1. www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/27/congress.wage/index.html
2. tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2004_0913.html
