Democrats in the House of Reps want a pay raise beyond their current $174,000 income; for some, beca
72 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Levelog;47766515]If you're going to grad school and paying, you're in the wrong major.[/QUOTE]
Grad or professional school. My tuition for grad is just under that, but it's cut down almost entirely by scholarships. MS programs are almost never cheap and top schools will help, but a full ride for anyone under the median is rare.
[QUOTE=Snowmew;47767246]Grad or professional school. My tuition for grad is just under that, but it's cut down almost entirely by scholarships. MS programs are almost never cheap and top schools will help, but a full ride for anyone under the median is rare.[/QUOTE]
I guess all of my friends currently going to grad school are going for math/science and getting pretty much everything for free + stipend for doing some extra research.
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;47766531]I don't understand why people want their policymakers to be paid less and not more. If anything I'd want the people governing me to be living comfortably so they don't have to worry about anything other than how to do their job right.[/QUOTE]
Because then they forget what it's actually like back out in the real world.
I think the biggest problem is the massive disconnect between the people and the politicians.
Think about it, politicians get their money by remaining in office, which gives them incentive to say ANYTHING that secures them votes. There's also lobbying, which lets face it, is open faced bribery. They are encouraged to say and/or do ANYTHING as long as it lets them keep their positions and continue raking in the dosh.
Then there's the people, your average voter appears to be much less educated and motivated about politics than in the past. These are the people the politicians oftenly pander to because they are easy to sway as opposed to people who actually know a shitty idea when they see one. Then there's the rising distrust the people have for said politicians. Someone else said it best, that politicians have a lower approval rating than a fucking cockroach at the moment. However, voter apathy will not make anything better, and ensures that the only votes counted (or the majority of the votes) are from the uneducated ones that see "muh america" in someone's campaign, and instantly jump on board regardless of said politicians plans or platform.
We need to do away with lobbying, and we need to do a better job not only getting people to talk to their politicians, but also educating them so that more good ideas are pitched instead of shitty ones.
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;47766531]I don't understand why people want their policymakers to be paid less and not more. If anything I'd want the people governing me to be living comfortably so they don't have to worry about anything other than how to do their job right.[/QUOTE]
By that rationale, nurses and airliner pilots ought to be paid more than the president.
Politicians have ridiculously high salaries, without actually having to deliver good work, or even know what the fuck they are doing or talking about (think of law propositions on environmental regulations or internet restrictions).
A major part of politicians are from sectors which already pay well (law firms, most of the time), have the money to invest in the stock market, have high salaries, and might just get bribed by lobbyists on the side. And then they complain about the poor state of the economy they engendered themselves.
I might be biased, but I don't think the derision is undeserved.
[QUOTE=Ager O'Eggers;47767914][B]By that rationale, nurses and airliner pilots ought to be paid more than the president.[/B]
Politicians have ridiculously high salaries, without actually having to deliver good work, or even know what the fuck they are doing or talking about (think of law propositions on environmental regulations or internet restrictions).
A major part of politicians are from sectors which already pay well (law firms, most of the time), have the money to invest in the stock market, have high salaries, and might just get bribed by lobbyists on the side. And then they complain about the poor state of the economy they engendered themselves.
I might be biased, but I don't think the derision is undeserved.[/QUOTE]
Uhhh how often are any of those responsible for the well being of over 1,000,000 people at once?
[QUOTE=Kybalt;47767975]Uhhh how often are any of those responsible for the well being of over 1,000,000 people at once?[/QUOTE]
If they'd survived, ask the pilots of American Airlines Flight 11.
[QUOTE=catbarf;47765849]Just gonna throw this out there, but if you look at the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salaries_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress]historical salaries after adjustment for inflation[/url], current Congressional salaries are dramatically lower than they were in the 60s, late 70s, and early 90s. $174k is a lower equivalent income than any year since 1990.[/QUOTE]
That still doesn't mean jack shit, these assholes get better pay than most of America, and now they are bitching that they can't pay their kid's college, something is fucked up with the system.
Pfft, and I'm going to have trouble paying my fucking $8,000 per year tuition
fuck these guys.
[QUOTE=Kybalt;47767975]Uhhh how often are any of those responsible for the well being of over 1,000,000 people at once?[/QUOTE]
well for airline pilots, every time they fly over any populated airspace, the twin towers were a tragedy, but had they actually toppled like they planned, millions would have died
Here's an idea, fix the fucking broken-ass tuition system in this country. Education shouldn't have a fucking paywall in front of it.
[QUOTE=Sableye;47768675]well for airline pilots, every time they fly over any populated airspace, the twin towers were a tragedy, but had they actually toppled like they planned, [b]millions would have died[/b][/QUOTE]
What lol where did you come up with this?
It's almost as if politicians have considerable expenses because of their job than average person may not.
[QUOTE=Explosions;47768717]What lol where did you come up with this?[/QUOTE]
Twin towers housed millions of people stupid.
Also, avatar fits.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47767289]I guess all of my friends currently going to grad school are going for math/science and getting pretty much everything for free + stipend for doing some extra research.[/QUOTE]
well thats the thing, they're working and being "payed" in tuition and at a much lower rate than an actual researcher/professor would and getting research out of them. even if they're paying a grad student 15k/year with full ride tuition as they research, they're already saving more money than hiring a full time person to that position which would be 50-60k/year
[editline]20th May 2015[/editline]
[QUOTE=Explosions;47768717]What lol where did you come up with this?[/QUOTE]
8.6 million people in new york city, towers were ~ 2 blocks long, and in the heart of the most densly populated area of new york city, so...ya probably a million at least if they toppled considering they were in the sky-scraper filled part of the city and they could have fallen towards the many high rise appartments near by or towards the competing large skyscrapers south east towards wall street , the fact that only the buildings in the WTC were destroyed was a miracle of engineering
[QUOTE=Sableye;47768881]8.6 million people in new york city, towers were ~ 2 blocks long, and in the heart of the most densly populated area of new york city, so...ya [B]probably a million at least[/B] if they toppled considering they were in the sky-scraper filled part of the city and they could have fallen towards the many high rise appartments near by or towards the competing large skyscrapers south east towards wall street , the fact that only the buildings in the WTC were destroyed was a miracle of engineering[/QUOTE]
Is this guy being serious?
[QUOTE=Levelog;47767289]I guess all of my friends currently going to grad school are going for math/science and getting pretty much everything for free + stipend for doing some extra research.[/QUOTE]
That "extra research" is an assistantship, which is a paid job. That doesn't really count. You're paying in labor.
[QUOTE=Snowmew;47769270]That "extra research" is an assistantship, which is a paid job. That doesn't really count. You're paying in labor.[/QUOTE]
Yeah my view was just a bit skewed because I don't really know anyone in grad school without that setup.
It would take me like eight years of working at my current job to make that much money.
I don't think congress should get a raise because they are inept.
People get by on much less and still send their kids to college.
[QUOTE=Sableye;47768881]
8.6 million people in new york city, towers were ~ 2 blocks long, and in the heart of the most densly populated area of new york city, so...ya probably a million at least if they toppled considering they were in the sky-scraper filled part of the city and they could have fallen towards the many high rise appartments near by or towards the competing large skyscrapers south east towards wall street , the fact that only the buildings in the WTC were destroyed was a miracle of engineering[/QUOTE]
Wikipedia says 50k for workers with 200k of tourism... Not even close to a mil
[QUOTE=Sableye;47768881]8.6 million people in new york city, towers were ~ 2 blocks long, and in the heart of the most densly populated area of new york city, so...ya probably a million at least if they toppled considering they were in the sky-scraper filled part of the city and they could have fallen towards the many high rise appartments near by or towards the competing large skyscrapers south east towards wall street , the fact that only the buildings in the WTC were destroyed was a miracle of engineering[/QUOTE]
hahahaha what the fuck
[editline]21st May 2015[/editline]
Are you somehow under the impression that manhattan is literally the entirety of new york city?
Or that it's like 10 blocks long?
[editline]21st May 2015[/editline]
Like I'm actually curious if you're fucking around right now because believing that the twin towers falling over sideways would've caused "a million at least" deaths implies like a 10 year old child's sense of scale
You could probably drop the the burj khalifa sideways from a height of 100 meters on manhattan and kill less than a million people
[QUOTE=ferrus;47766154]These fuckers are so disconnected from the reality for most U.S citizens. They really shouldn't be in a place of power.[/QUOTE]
Money decides who wins elections in the US. Its been shown time and time again. They need to prioritize their wealthy financiers and lobby groups before their constituents. They're also usually rich themselves anyway since most of them are millionaires.
[QUOTE=Explosions;47768717]What lol where did you come up with this?[/QUOTE]
The 9-11 attacks arguably lead to the the 2000s Iraq War and that war arguably lead to the rise of ISIS and ISIS arguably lead to the rise of the 7th Imperium of Europa which killed tens of millions.
Is this thread being run by Amtrak or something?
Getting back on topic:
[QUOTE=Aspen;47765775]I can send myself to college on a little over a third of that. It's a shame some of these people reproduced.[/QUOTE]
These politicians should practice safe sex and go fuck themselves.
In general, I wouldn't mind them being paid more if they actually did a decent job and managed to meet demands.
I'm not a political person, but even I hear and see too much bullshit to endorse this. If 170k isn't enough to get your kids into college, and keep your livelihood intact, then you're just not doing it right.
[QUOTE=Crazy Ivan;47765843]I don't think that's really fair to say because, taking them at face value, (I know, no one here wants to do that with politicians) the complaint is primarily cost of living for DC means that only politicians who are making a lot of money on-top of being politicians can be politicians, rather than career "just-a" politicians.
You might send [I]yourself[/I] to college on "a third" of that, but could you afford to book flights across country for rallies, pay off your house, host fancy dinners for supporters and manage your staff ON TOP OF making sure your family is taken care of on, "a third" of that?
The complaint is a good one. We don't want a world where the only people who can afford to be politicians are the 1%. That's how landed aristocracy begins. That's how the same landed aristocracy comes to only pass legislation that favors itself. America was founded with the intent that a thing like that shouldn't happen. That's why politicians even [I]have[/I] a salary. It used to be that they didn't at all, and more than a few went in to obscurity with nothing because of it.
I don't think we want that.[/QUOTE]
That unfortunate eventuality feels like it's already come to pass. Does the US really feel like, at least on a Federal level, it's run by anything but corporate interests and lobbyists? Even the Supreme Court is corrupt.
I sent Hastings a very strongly worded email about what I think of his 'need' for a pay increase (Respectfully worded but in a definite "Your mom is disappointed in you" tone)
I had to fucking lie about where I lived to be able to send it.
I hate it when representatives do that. "Oh you can only contact me if you live in my district I don't care what you think if you live somewhere else"
[QUOTE=Snoberry Tea;47777323]I sent Hastings a very strongly worded email about what I think of his 'need' for a pay increase (Respectfully worded but in a definite "Your mom is disappointed in you" tone)
I had to fucking lie about where I lived to be able to send it.
I hate it when representatives do that. "Oh you can only contact me if you live in my district I don't care what you think if you live somewhere else"[/QUOTE]
What exactly did you say?
I mean someone already posted this but
people in congress have residences in their home states PLUS they have to live in DC, an overpriced shithole
they haven't had a raise in a long time so i fail to understand why it is an issue that they would ask for one
[editline]23rd May 2015[/editline]
the only place that beats DC for cost of living is the bay area i think which is why so many six figure jobs are there in the first place
[QUOTE=Sableye;47768675]well for airline pilots, every time they fly over any populated airspace, the twin towers were a tragedy, but had they actually toppled like they planned, millions would have died[/QUOTE]
I think you're severely overestimating the casualty count, bruh
[QUOTE=Solo Wing;47765804]1: How about FUCK no. Those people are already better off than alot of people in America.
2: Oh look, College is too expensive for THEM? I think that should tell this country something.[/QUOTE]
Regarding number 2, I don't really think it works because these people can already pay to send their kid to most colleges anyways. I think only private colleges and certain state ones would be expensive enough to demand that much money.
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