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One small step for income equality -- a modest proposal [Satire?]
Dan Miller's Blog ^ | January 3, 2014 | Dan Miller

Posted on 01/03/2014 11:23:26 AM PST by DanMiller

If we are to achieve President Obama's fantasy of more income equality, let's  start with our CongressCritters.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwqPBlSxb-0&w=640&h=390]

Video link

Movement toward income equality -- for those who work productively and for those who don't -- is generally a bad idea. The result would likely be to reduce the benefits the economy derives from those who work productively and thereby earn more than their lazy, incompetent and/or disabled fellow humans, as well as more than some who work for the joy of working rather than to earn money. However, if we are to have more equality why not start at top: with the Congress?

ObamaCare Pigs

Under Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution,

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. . . .

Under Article II, section 1,

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them. [Emphasis added.]

Although the compensation paid to our CongressCritters can be increased or decreased as the law shall from time to time provide, that paid to the President during the term for which most recently elected cannot be. However, He cannot constitutionally receive any emoluments other than compensation (salary) from the United States. Emoluments generally include "perks" and other benefits the monetary values of which can be determined; possibly those associated with free air travel for vacations for the entire Obama Family and even when President Obama does not join the rest of the family. How about use of military aircraft at Government expense to deliver First Dog Bo to a vacation spot? Those are topics for further exploration. However, since income equality has become one of President Obama's pet projects, surely He will voluntarily reject any possibly extraconstitutional emoluments out of the goodness of His heart. Right?

That's racist

Change in which we can believe has to begin somewhere. Should the Congress move toward income equality for others, let's ask our CongressCritters to entertain a proposal along the following lines:

The average annual individual wage of citizens and others resident lawfully or otherwise in the United States, but exclusive of Government employees, shall be calculated on an annual basis. The average such individual wage so calculated shall be the compensation paid to members of both houses of the Congress during the following year.

Minor changes might well be necessary, such as by whom and how the calculations are to be made and perhaps that the top one (ten?) percent of individual annual wages be excluded. Note the reference to individual annual wages ($26,695 in 2011) rather than to household annul income ($50,500 in 2011). Members of the Congress received salaries of $174,000 during 2012. There were a few exceptions: majority and minority leaders of both the House and Senate received salaries of $193,400, while the Speaker of the House received $223,500.

My modest proposal is designed to achieve fair, equitable and common sense modifications to the compensation paid to CongressCritters to make it comparable to that of average Amerians. "Fair, equitable and common sense" proposals are always in the best interest of everyone; they are never unfair, inequitabe or nonsensical. Another consequence -- doubtless an unintended one -- might be to encourage movement of deadbeat career CongressCritters out of the Congress and into the much disparaged private sector. That would be good for governance of the Nation and, consistently with Federal policy, bad for the private sector (except that the supply of lobbyists would increase and hence the pay commanded by each might decrease).

Would such a proposal ever be considered seriously by the Congress?

pigs-fly

Obviously not, unless it were to be hidden in massive, unread and comprehensively incomprehensible legislation. However, it might put just a little pressure on our honorable members to tread more cautiously than usual in any efforts to strangle the economy further with income equality legislation for everyone except themselves.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: congress; equality; fairness; obama
Oh well. It's just an idea.
1 posted on 01/03/2014 11:23:26 AM PST by DanMiller
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To: DanMiller

The salary of a Congress person is inconsequential.

They make their money other ways.

Even CNBC writes that Congressmen score “market crushing” investment returns with insider info.

That’s why people spend millions to campaign for a job that pays thousands.


2 posted on 01/03/2014 11:25:36 AM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
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To: nascarnation

We have long had laws, criminal and civil, against insider trading. They are rarely if ever enforced against CongressCritters. Perhaps the comprehensively incomprehensible legislation should include a special exemption from non-prosecution for CongressCritters.


3 posted on 01/03/2014 11:55:18 AM PST by DanMiller (Dan Miller)
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To: DanMiller

How about the citizens keeping 90% of what the citizen earns?

Everyone gets the same 90%-complete equality!!


4 posted on 01/03/2014 11:56:14 AM PST by Darteaus94025 (Can't have a Liberal without a Lie)
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To: DanMiller

Equally distribute Obamacations. It is not fair Obama stays in a Kailua beach house when the vermin from the 99% have to stay in hotels in Waikiki.


5 posted on 01/03/2014 12:14:15 PM PST by Organic Panic
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To: DanMiller

The best way to approach this income equality thing is to only pay the president as much as the lowest paid worker in his jurisdiction. Same should go for NYC’s new mayor. Get them out of the fancy mansions and cars. They can use public transportation like they tell us to use.


6 posted on 01/03/2014 12:27:28 PM PST by JimSEA
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To: DanMiller

Actually Congress was completely exempt from insider trading laws until 2012 when they temporarily weren’t exempt for a few months, and then renewed the exemption in 2013.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130416/08344222725/congress-quickly-quietly-rolls-back-insider-trading-rules-itself.shtml


7 posted on 01/03/2014 12:32:48 PM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
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To: DanMiller

How about:
Member of the House of Representatives shall receive salaries equal to the average income of residents in the district they represent(excluding government employees)+ $2,000 per annum + a room in the YMCA/YWCA while House is in session.
Member of the Senate shall receive salaries equal to the average income of the residents of the state they represent (excluding government employees)+ $2,000 per annum + a room in the YMCA/YWCA while Senate is in session.
Travel to and from place of work at employee’s expense.
No campaign funds are permitted from individuals residing outside the district or state in which the candidate is seeking election. Business’s are considered residents of the location in which they are incorporated.
Alternate to YMCA/YWCA-vacated BOQs and barracks within commute distance of DC.


8 posted on 01/03/2014 12:43:50 PM PST by Nuocmam
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To: DanMiller

My proposal. Take everything from rich democrats. After all, they are always crowing about the income gap, etc. Grab all of clinton’s dough, bloomberg, soros, corzine, chris dodd, and give it to White males who have been denied opportunity of jobs due to their race.


9 posted on 01/03/2014 12:50:15 PM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
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To: DanMiller

A year or so later, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will show a miraculous increase in average wages.


10 posted on 01/03/2014 4:11:50 PM PST by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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