Congress Set to Recieve $5,000 Pay Raise on Thursday

 On Thursday congress will be getting a pay raise of almost $5,000 in their $169,000+ salary. They will be getting this raise automatically as they do every year. Congress has the power to stop the raise, they just need to vote to stop it. So far they have refused. While many ordinary Americans struggle in this economy the congress will be getting a nice little raise.

 The fact that the pay raises are automatic every year is a stroke of genius. No politician in his right mind would vote himself a raise in this economy so instead the raise is automatic, allowing the congressmen cover to avoid voting for a raise. The raise could be stopped with a vote, but that doesn’t appear likely to happen. Instead of voting for a raise the raise will just slip in under the cover of darkness with no vote and barely any media coverage.

 Brilliant.

 But some in congress are mounting what is most likely a futile attempt at stopping the raises. Rep. Jim Matheson finds these raises unconscionable and is fighting to bring the issue to a vote.

In a situation where there aren’t many people in this country who are seeing their salaries go up, and in fact a lot of people are losing their jobs, the notion that Congress should be having an automatic pay raise without even a vote just doesn’t pass the smell test

 He is being joined by the head of an organization called Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.

While thousands of Americans are facing layoffs and downsizing, Congress should be mortified to accept a raise

  This issue is nothing new to Rep. Matheson, he has tried every year to force congress to vote on the issue of pay raises, he has failed every year but he feels that the economic downturn could push public opinion to his side enough that politicians will be forced to listen this year.

He doesn’t just talk the talk either. He gives the amount of his pay raise that he receives every year to charity.

 As I wrote earlier this is a brilliant way for the congress to give themselves raises. You can rest assured that there would be an onslaught of media coverage if the congress had decided to vote themselves a raise, especially in this economy. But instead this will slip through without much notice by the American people, just the way they like it.

 Congress, instead of at least appearing to be sensitive to the plight of ordinary Americans by voting against a pay raise when many Americans are fearful of their jobs, will instead let a pay raise go into effect while many Americans don’t know whether they will have a job in the new year. And it will on be done on the down low without the media attention that would accompany a vote on a pay raise. It will just slip in silently. Just the way it was envisioned.

 At least as a symbolic gesture congress should stop this raise to show the American people that they understand that times are tough. They should act responsibly in an economic crisis and stop this automatic pay raise. To do otherwise shows an elitist attitude and an unwillingness by them to do the sacrificing that we are constantly being told that we must do by these very same elitist snobs. These people are just plain arrogant and lets face it, what have they done over the years that justifies any type of raise whatsoever?