Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Senate's Millionaires
The Wall Street Journal ^ | Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Posted on 06/25/2002 4:13:50 AM PDT by TroutStalker

Edited on 04/22/2004 11:46:42 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last
To: MRAR15Guy56
This may interest you. http://www.etherzone.com/2002/ moor061402.shtml
Ref. 17th Amendment.
21 posted on 06/25/2002 10:30:07 AM PDT by OXENinFLA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: tom paine 2
I hope some of you will take up the fight and oust these bastards.

Me too!

22 posted on 06/25/2002 10:30:41 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: dawn53
Yes, Mr. Heinz made his "millions" by marrying a trust fund baby. Ditto with Mr. Hensley, aka McWhineyBaby.

The hypocrisy of these inherited/married wealth class-baiting CLYMERS is spectacular. They'd sing a different tune if they'd actually earned their money the way Frist did.

23 posted on 06/25/2002 10:34:51 AM PDT by RooRoobird14
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TroutStalker
No wonder they can throw millions and billions of our money at everything. They're inured to it.
24 posted on 06/25/2002 10:39:41 AM PDT by abishai
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RooRoobird14
They'd sing a different tune if they'd actually earned their money the way Frist did.

The summer a wack job broke through the security at the Capital Bldg in DC (1998 I believe); I was house sitting for a friend who lived adjacent to a Secret Service agent.

He told me while everyone was hiding under their desks in the Senate, Dr. (Senator) Bill Frist came running to the victims with his medical bag.

25 posted on 06/25/2002 10:42:47 AM PDT by SkyPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: TroutStalker
The richest Republican by far is Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island ($53.6), who is also by far the most liberal GOP Senator

I wrote this little story about an old friend named "Linc":


A RINO Speaks To His Son


Welcome back, son.

Dad, you are not angry at me?

Not at all. You were entitled to some years of privacy and peace, a chance to live a little out West.

You said this was important, so I am here.

You are here because we need to talk about your future, the family's future. I am getting old and not feeling very well these days, so the family responsibilities are going to fall on your shoulders. It is time so speak truthfully about what those responsibilities are.

Ooooo. Kay.

You have been fortunate to be born in a comfortable household. Any material thing you could want we have always provided. You have been to the best prep school and college in the area, and all of your needs have been taken care of for these many years. So where do your think the money comes from?

Your salary as a U.S. Senator?

No chance. That salary would barely keep us out of the poor house. Your grandfather worked hard to accumulate a small fortune for this family. More importantly he worked with others to assure that my family and your family, and, if you play your part, your children's family will well for the rest of their lives.

How did he manage this?

Well, you always said you were a conservative and you claimed to understand the free market. Now you have worked a bit in the real world. Have you learned how capitalism works in the real world?

What do you mean?

I mean, if you are a rich capitalist, do you understand what the odds are of keeping that wealth for generation after generation?

I confess I hadn't thought much about it. But I guess in a highly competitive worldwith great technological changes they aren't very good.

Exactly. If the game is fair We Lose. So your grandfather worked with others to Rig The Game to make sure we won. I continued that effort. You now have to decide if you are ready to join the team.

(to be continued while I rest my typing fingers :-) )
26 posted on 06/27/2002 6:20:55 PM PDT by cgbg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgbg
And if decide not to join then what?

You lose. Your family is struggling to make ends meet. Your kids struggle to go to college. You become a nobody, and our family name fades into distant memory.

So you are telling me that I can't just inherit Grandpa's money and go my own way?

Correct. It is your grandfather's wishes that only those who do their part to maintain the family fortune receive their benefits--once they are old enough make an informed choice. For you that decision time has come.

So what is the deal? What do I have to do to keep the good life?

You just have to do as you are told. Trustees were appointed by your grandfather to handle the family's financial affairs. They in turn appointed successors. You know who they are. They will tell you what to do and when to do it.

Well, what exactly are we talking about here?

We are talking about following in my footsteps as a liberal Republican Senator from our state.

I don't understand. We are wealthy. Why would I be a stupid liberal?

Son, I was explaining it to you earlier. We have to rig the game. Let me give some examples:

Environmental Policy--We own a lot of undeveloped land out West. If developers are permitted to build houses in areas adjacent to ours the value of our land may stay the same, decrease or increase. If the government prohibits development in these areas our land becomes extremely valuable.

Drugs--We own companies that produce a variety of drugs to combat AIDS and other diseases. These drugs are very expensive and can't be afforded by most people who need or think they need them. We need the government to subsidize health care at home and give foreign aid abroad to create a market for our drugs.

Antitrust--Leave our companies alone, and prosecute the competition.

Son, do you get the idea yet?

Then this liberal stuff is just a racket for people like us?

You got it. We are the con men. The public is the suckers.

But won't I get caught? In my youger days I was known as a conservative. I opposed all these government policies and many more.

We own the media, son. They write what we tell them to write. If any reporter is in your face we will ridicule them as crazy or extremist and if they are local we will get them fired. If necessary we can do a lot more than that.


RINO Has A Guest


Son, I invited an old school friend of yours to help fill you in on how it works on the inside.

(Old friend enters. Handshakes and hugs.)

Dad, ___ is a leading conservative. Everybody know that. I don't understand.

Welcome to the real world, son. There are some big plans for ___. He will soon increase his conservative credentials by saving the Party in a critical election. Then we hope that he will follow in his father and brother's footsteps.

His brother? But, you would help elect a conservative?

___ will move to the center when it counts. That will be when he gets his new nickname.

And that new nickname will be?

45.
27 posted on 06/27/2002 6:44:02 PM PDT by cgbg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

Gee, reads like you’ve been to the estates of the Rothschild’s, etc.


28 posted on 01/25/2018 10:48:36 AM PST by MHGinTN (A dispensational perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: TroutStalker

This article is almost 16 years old. What are the current figures?


29 posted on 01/25/2018 10:58:00 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleDawg

In this section, explore what lawmakers reported in personal financial disclosures through 2015, which we used to estimate their net worth. (Learn about our methodology and why these reports matter).

Richest Members of Congress, 2015
Below are the top ten richest members of both the House and Senate, collectively they account for almost half of the entire net worth of Congress.

Name Estimated Wealth
Darrell Issa (R-Calif) $330,050,015
Jared Polis (D-Colo) $313,556,221
Mark Warner (D-Va) $238,157,630
John K Delaney (D-Md) $232,816,089
Dave Trott (R-Mich) $177,149,145
Vernon Buchanan (R-Fla) $115,534,558
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) $100,643,521
Scott Peters (D-Calif) $95,569,028
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) $81,745,158
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) $79,067,057
Poorest Members of Congress, 2015
The salary of a typical member of Congress is $174,000. No one is qualifying for food stamps, but some lawmakers carry significant personal and/or business debt. Here are those “poorest” members.

Name Estimated Wealth
David Valadao (R-Calif) -$24,367,004
Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo) -$2,240,994
Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas) -$2,052,449
Alcee L Hastings (D-Fla) -$1,592,001
Lou Barletta (R-Pa) -$1,178,470
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif) -$461,498
Duncan D Hunter (R-Calif) -$387,500
Tom McClintock (R-Calif) -$385,498
Rick Crawford (R-Ark) -$375,000
Norma Torres (D-Calif) -$365,999
Biggest wealth increase in Congress, 2005-2015 Download .csv file
Not all politicians come into office wealthy – but many leave that way. Here are the top 10 winners of the past decade.

Name Growth Percentage Avg. Wealth 2005 Avg. Wealth 2015
Calvert, Ken (R-Calif) 4900.1% -$99,997 $4,800,003
Fortenberry, Jeffrey Lane (R-Neb) 4457.9% $267,511 $12,193,002
Thornberry, Mac (R-Texas) 3973.0% -$16,499 $639,005
Scott, David (D-Ga) 2994.3% $81,537 $2,523,001
Sanchez, Linda (D-Calif) 2441.6% -$32,500 $761,010
Peterson, Collin C (D-Minn) 1933.1% $83,001 $1,687,509
Jackson Lee, Sheila (D-Texas) 1921.3% $175,505 $3,547,506
Blunt, Roy (R-Mo) 1658.7% $231,502 $4,071,509
Collins, Susan M (R-Maine) 1570.9% $223,002 $3,726,047
Poe, Ted (R-Texas) 1290.5% $32,003 $445,008

https://www.opensecrets.org/personal-finances

somewhere south of kcmo


30 posted on 01/28/2018 6:06:05 PM PST by TroutStalker ("Protect the hypersensitive. Ban everything.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

holy carp !


31 posted on 12/07/2019 4:03:31 PM PST by stylin19a ((2016 - Best.Election.Of.All.Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

As to ‘inherited’ wealth....

The Cosby episode where Theo is ‘lazing off’ and the Doc is giving him what for???

Theo: But Dad, we are RICH

Dad:,,, NO SON, your mother and I are well off, you just happened to get lucky and born into this family...(close etc)

Bills other advice to Cockroach (Theos ‘pal’)

I don’t need school, my grandfather is willing me his scrap yard.

Dr-You will need to read
Cockroach-I will hire secretarys

Dr- you will need Math
Cockroach-I will hire bookkeepers..

DR-Don’t get schooling and I can see your secretary and bookkeeper OWNING the scrap yard in about a year.(close)


32 posted on 12/07/2019 4:26:09 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

I have been around here for a long time also. I don’t remember ever seeing you post, or reply.

Your reply in 2002 is dynamite, and this latest one is a damn fine one too.

I posted to both BTW so I could see it later.


33 posted on 11/22/2022 3:35:57 PM PST by Glad2bnuts ("None of the people I know who didn't take take the Jab regrets their decision" ZERO)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson