Pity The Poor Congresscritters?
Apparently 10% or more of the House sleep in their offices. It would appear they have a hard time finding a place to live in DC on their piddling salary of nearly $170K/year. The justification is that they have to maintain a “residence” in their home district and can’t afford the prices on two places.
First off, they generally are only in DC during the week, heading back to their home district on the weekends, so they don’t really need a house in DC, but I would think they could pool their resources and get a room somewhere. Perhaps they should look at all of the military bases in the area that Rumsfeld closed, like Walter Reed, they have Bachelor Officers Quarters and barracks that could be converted into domitories for homeless Congresscritters.
Actually, I’ve long advocated networking Congress from their home districts. Carry the sessions on a VPN or a Congressional satellite hook-up to cut out the absurd travel expenses of these people going home every weekend.
There is something unsanitary about these people living in their offices.
6 comments
There is something unsanitary about these people living in their offices.
Ummm… you are talking about Politicians, right? LOL If one was bitten by a rabid rat, the rat would be dead in seconds (and the politician would hardly notice a thing). LOL
Or, is that just code for “They are a bunch of tight-arsed, cheap bastards”? LOL If they spent their wages on accommodation, a lot of hookers, one-night Hotels and restaurants in DC would be out of business in no time. The poli’s would have to spend more time in *men’s rooms* to find stress relief from all that hard work they don’t do! LOL And think of the added burden on the economy! 😀
It just ticks me off that these people are “poor mouthing” about a $170K job with a staff and a lot of perks, complaining that they can’t “afford” it get a place to sleep. What about the school teachers, cops, and waitresses who make a damn site less than half of that, but are forced to live there?
Whiners, they are a bunch of whiners who vote against extending unemployment benefits, children’s health care, aid with heating bills, and a lot of other programs that aid people making a hell of a lot less money than they do.
I have long advocated military type bachelor quarters for these bozos. Taking your family to live there? Military housing! DoD schools (which are wonderful, mostly).
What about that poor E3 marine with a wife and 2 kids guarding the White House door? Where is he supposed to live?
And I bet they could downsize that 2.2 million dollar house in their home district and afford a lovely efficiency (I can never spell that word) in DC.
They make me sick!
They started out living in taverns around the area, so let them return to that “conservative” model.
Excuse me, but less than three years is an unaccompanied tour. They aren’t in session long enough at any given time for this qualify as more than a TDY, not a PCS. They can stay in transit quarters, i.e. a cot and a wall locker.
I’d give ’em a cardboard box and a moldy old blanket and a spot in the back alley. Then maybe they will have some faint idea what the poor have to deal with.
Actually, I’d make all politicians and civil servants pay scales geared to the cost-of-living and the amount of *actual work* they do, and tied to *positive only* outcomes. The rest of the money would go towards social services and job creation. That would be a LOT of money! One benefit would be that only people with an actual conscience would want to be a Politician, since they would actually have to work for a living. 🙂
I think the blanket and designated spot is a bit much. Let them scrounge on their own, but give them the box made from the recycled Chinese cardboard that dissolves on a humid day.
Civil service in the US is below market salary levels, the health insurance and pensions are considered the equalizers. You still have a hard time living around DC if you are in civil service. You actually have to take a test to get a civil service job, unlike Congress.
I’m sure they could find a trailer park in Maryland they could afford to live in.