Comments on: A raise for Congress, Sarah Palin, and a poem http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:48:34 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sandy http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-10394 Sandy Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:59:33 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-10394 I told all the politions whose offices I contacted that I didn't want any standard form letter, so guess what, I haven't heard from any of them & have not gotten any results regarding th4\e change I would like to see made regarding that Earned Income Tax Form law with the age requiirements. I told all the politions whose offices I contacted that I didn’t want any standard form letter, so guess what, I haven’t heard from any of them & have not gotten any results regarding th4\e change I would like to see made regarding that Earned Income Tax Form law with the age requiirements.

]]> By: Sandy http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-10393 Sandy Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:56:02 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-10393 I think that the members of Congress should start & realize that they are SUPPOSED to be working for the citizens they supposedly SERVE. They should NOT be in control of voting themselves pay raises (as they are grossly overpaid)& I think, in my opinion, that voting themselves is a GROSS CONFLICT OF INTEREST & just a poor display of their supposed intelligence to vote themselves a pay raise what with the way the economy is now. I know how they got voting themselves a pay raise into law ( because THEY have to PASS a bill before it becomes law. If they think they need a pay raise, they should ask the citizens they work for and WE should determine IF they get it or not(is it ANY wonder that taxpayers think the government is corrupt with these type of actions going on? They seem to have lost the perception of their jobs. Also, I have been trying to get them to change the age requirement regarding the Earned Income Tax Credit Form. Since the credit is based on the income you earn, the requirement that in order to qualify you must be between ages 25 & under 65 at end of the year, should NOT be in the rules. I am doing the same job and just because I have turned 65, I no longer qualify. I feel, in my opinion, that I & others like myself are being discriminated against because of my age. I have contacted ALL the appropriate Washington officials and gotten nowhere because I am only one person who is apparently complaining about this & the I.R.S. laws can only be changed by them.What can be done to change these problems.I would bring a class action suit against them for discrimination if I found out I could do so, maybe then they would wake up and change it. One last thing, what was it I heard on the news about (as part of that stimulus bill they are now working on) that they wanted to purchase NEW GOVERNMENT CARS? What is that about & WHY does the Government need new cars? If these GOVERNMENT CARS are for these overpaid politicians, then in my opinion, THEY CAN PAY FOR THEM THEMSELVES out of their own pockets fro m their over inflated paychecks which they voted for themselves. Can you check into this? & I think there are quite a few items included in this so called stimulus bill that would be better labled "PORK" as I really don't see how giving money to the ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT and other items like to do with a golf cours are going to stimulate anything.These politicians are so used to living so high on the hog that they don't seem to realize that they have virtually killed the goose(the people) who lays their golden egg(their lifestyles) and yet they expect people on Social Security to live on hot air in comparison. If you are living on Social Security and get a cost of living raise, then food stamp people want to know about it so they can cut your stamps, so where is your cost of living raise???? plus when you turn 65, they take: $96.40 per month for MEDICARE (which I realize is cheap) but if you don't take it when you turn 65 then they penalize you 10% per yr. increase in the cost for every year that you haven't taken it since you became eligible for it.How do they expect people who have worked most of their lives to feel? I was .getting: 554.00 per month in widow's benefits & when I turned 65, it got knocked back to: 457.00 per month, along with the approx. $ 4,000.00 I make from being self-employed & I see them making so much money & hear abouthow much more they make writing books, giving speeches, and etc. and the extravagent parties they throw. No I don't think they are worth the kind of money they get!!! They hire their friends & relatives and make sure they are paid well and in my opinion they live a lavish life style. NO WONDER they like to spend a fortune getting elected so they can vote themselves MORE money. A politician should be elected because of what he or she believes in NOT on how RICH they are and can outspend their competition. I think that the members of Congress should start & realize that they are SUPPOSED to be working for the citizens they supposedly SERVE. They should NOT be in control of voting themselves pay raises (as they are grossly overpaid)& I think, in my opinion, that voting themselves is a GROSS CONFLICT OF INTEREST & just a poor display of their supposed intelligence to vote themselves a pay raise what with the way the economy is now. I know how they got voting themselves a pay raise into law ( because THEY have to PASS a bill before it becomes law. If they think they need a pay raise, they should ask the citizens they work for and WE should determine IF they get it or not(is it ANY wonder that taxpayers think the government is corrupt with these type of actions going on? They seem to have lost the perception of their jobs. Also, I have been trying to get them to change the age requirement regarding the Earned Income Tax Credit Form. Since the credit is based on the income you earn, the requirement that in order to qualify you must be between ages 25 & under 65 at end of the year, should NOT be in the rules. I am doing the same job and just because I have turned 65, I no longer qualify. I feel, in my opinion, that I & others like myself are being discriminated against because of my age. I have contacted ALL the appropriate Washington officials and gotten nowhere because I am only one person who is apparently complaining about this & the I.R.S. laws can only be changed by them.What can be done to change these problems.I would bring a class action suit against them for discrimination if I found out I could do so, maybe then they would wake up and change it. One last thing, what was it I heard on the news about (as part of that stimulus bill they are now working on) that they wanted to purchase NEW GOVERNMENT CARS? What is that about & WHY does the Government need new cars? If these GOVERNMENT CARS are for these overpaid politicians, then in my opinion, THEY CAN PAY FOR THEM THEMSELVES out of their own pockets fro m their over inflated paychecks which they voted for themselves. Can you check into this? & I think there are quite a few items included in this so called stimulus bill that would be better labled “PORK” as I really don’t see how giving money to the ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT and other items like to do with a golf cours are going to stimulate anything.These politicians are so used to living so high on the hog that they don’t seem to realize that they have virtually killed the goose(the people) who lays their golden egg(their lifestyles) and yet they expect people on Social Security to live on hot air in comparison. If you are living on Social Security and get a cost of living raise, then food stamp people want to know about it so they can cut your stamps, so where is your cost of living raise???? plus when you turn 65, they take: $96.40 per month for MEDICARE (which I realize is cheap) but if you don’t take it when you turn 65 then they penalize you 10% per yr. increase in the cost for every year that you haven’t taken it since you became eligible for it.How do they expect people who have worked most of their lives to feel? I was .getting: 554.00 per month in widow’s benefits & when I turned 65, it got knocked back to: 457.00 per month, along with the approx. $ 4,000.00 I make from being self-employed & I see them making so much money & hear abouthow much more they make writing books, giving speeches, and etc. and the extravagent parties they throw. No I don’t think they are worth the kind of money they get!!! They hire their friends & relatives and make sure they are paid well and in my opinion they live a lavish life style. NO WONDER they like to spend a fortune getting elected so they can vote themselves MORE money. A politician should be elected because of what he or she believes in NOT on how RICH they are and can outspend their competition.

]]> By: Will Becker http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-9013 Will Becker Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:06:17 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-9013 Believe it my friends,Socialism is here,and it will only get worse. You know if Americans could stand together,we could save our country. Believe it my friends,Socialism is here,and it will only get worse. You know if Americans could stand together,we could save our country.

]]> By: The Historian http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8858 The Historian Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:14:59 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8858 AMERICANS DON'T KNOW BASIC CIVICS It is so bad that college graduates cannot pass a simple civics exam: http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/elected-officials-flunk-easy-civics. html AMERICANS DON’T KNOW BASIC CIVICS
It is so bad that college graduates cannot pass a simple civics exam:

http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/elected-officials-flunk-easy-civics. html

]]> By: Thinking Person http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8855 Thinking Person Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:19:22 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8855 I'm thinking it's almost time to drop the word "elected" from in front of the word officials. They seem to be keeping their offices now through osmosis or in what is soon to be Sen. Caroline Kennedy's way, through political lineage. The idea of sending representatives to Washington to represent us is gone. They represent whomever is paying for their next reelection. Anyone notice how many of our representatives voted for the bailout when the majority of the public was against it? So much for the voice of the people. I’m thinking it’s almost time to drop the word “elected” from in front of the word officials. They seem to be keeping their offices now through osmosis or in what is soon to be Sen. Caroline Kennedy’s way, through political lineage. The idea of sending representatives to Washington to represent us is gone. They represent whomever is paying for their next reelection. Anyone notice how many of our representatives voted for the bailout when the majority of the public was against it? So much for the voice of the people.

]]> By: thegre8_1 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8850 thegre8_1 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:18:22 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8850 Douglas I'm with you President Government can't spend what we won't pay. Oh yeah they will just print the money. If 100 million taxpayers claimed the max allowed on their W4 that would hurt big time.Same thing if small business stop making quarterly tax payments. Or the oil companies do likewise. Not enough b@lls in this banana republic. Douglas I’m with you President Government can’t spend what we won’t pay. Oh yeah they will just print the money. If 100 million taxpayers claimed the max allowed on their W4 that would hurt big time.Same thing if small business stop making quarterly tax payments. Or the oil companies do likewise. Not enough b@lls in this banana republic.

]]> By: thegre8_1 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8849 thegre8_1 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:11:05 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8849 WHY? If private sector did their jobs like Congress does their jobs we would have 98% unemployment and only the UAW would have jobs. WHY? If private sector did their jobs like Congress does their jobs we would have 98% unemployment and only the UAW would have jobs.

]]> By: jonesy55 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8842 jonesy55 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:17:41 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8842 Maybe congressional pay should be indexed to median household income or something like that, we have the same problem in the UK, MPs are pretty much the only people who can decide their own pay rise to be paid with other people's money. Maybe congressional pay should be indexed to median household income or something like that, we have the same problem in the UK, MPs are pretty much the only people who can decide their own pay rise to be paid with other people’s money.

]]> By: Quick links around | The Anchoress http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8834 Quick links around | The Anchoress Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:16:19 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8834 [...] Lots of folks have already heard they won’t be getting bonuses or raises in 2009; most of us will feel lucky to remain gainfully employed. But congress sure did take care of itself. [...] [...] Lots of folks have already heard they won’t be getting bonuses or raises in 2009; most of us will feel lucky to remain gainfully employed. But congress sure did take care of itself. [...]

]]> By: R Stevenson http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/12/20/a-raise-for-congress-sarah-palin-and-a-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8824 R Stevenson Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:10:40 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/?p=516#comment-8824 Great post...however it should be mentioned that at least one US Congressman, the very honorable MIKE PENCE (R-Indiana), REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE RAISE!!! RHS Great post…however it should be mentioned that at least one US Congressman, the very honorable MIKE PENCE (R-Indiana), REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE RAISE!!!

RHS

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