Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500.
The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate.
AP via MSNBC.com
But the minimum wage remains unchanged at $5.15/hour since 1997. It would be $6.35 if it had simply kept up with Congressional (self-generated) raises during the same period — 23.3%.
Vote no on Congress.
Thanks to Functional Ambivalent for the pointer.
I wonder if we’d get better government if the jobs were considered “public servants”, they are, after all elected to represent citizens, and got paid the average wage of most citizens. Raising minimum wage doesn’t help much. Companies usually cut costs on the Employee Expense. When profit is sinking, reduced benefits, layoffs occur. Downsizing or restructuring enables them to rehire for a position at a lower wage, then was being earned by a long term high salary employee. To cover the cost of raised wages, they raise prices. So that the low wage earner is again priced out of markets.