Coffee and tea are not the only things tha perk

                                                                                         

Coffee and tea pots are not the only things that perk

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. Social Security benefits obviously are not suitable for persons of their rare and elevated status in our society.
They felt they should have a special plan for themselves, so many years ago they voted-in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need or urge to change it.
After all, it is a great plan! One of the greatest ever conceived. For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the "same" pay until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. (That includes those Representatives and Sentors who are kicked out of office for nefarious reasons).
For example, Al Gore draws approximately $95,000 per year and if he lives for another thirty years will draw close to three million dollars, and former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each.
Their cost for this excellent plan is...you guessed it... $00. Nada! Zilch! This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. We the People... pick up the tab for this wonderful plan because the funds for this incredible retirement package come directly from the General Funds--our tax dollars at work!
By comparison, a combat soldier, retiring after 20 years of hard labor and life threatening duty can expect to receive only one half of his/her basic pay which can be as low as $600 a month, $135 a week. Is a Senator or Congressman worth that much "more" than a citizen who puts their life on the line for their country? How can we compare Al Gore's $2,000 per week with poor Joe Smedlap's $135? You say a Senator works harder, is wiser, does more for our country, deserves more? Prove it! Our founding fathers didn't think so!
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into--every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)--we can expect to get an average $1,000 per month after retirement - if we're very lucky. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000. monthly benefits for 68 years and one (l) month to equal just Congressman Bradley's benefits, and be around 133 years old!
By approving a 3.1 percent pay hike for themselves this year, and the low 1.4 percent Social Security cost-of-living increase, our US Senators and Representatives are sending us a clear message. And that message is that they want people who have lost their jobs and workers who will go without raises this year because of the economy to know that the Golden Rule still applies. Their Golden Rule is... those who have the gold make the rules!
Our elected representatives constantly bicker over how to improve Social Security and never get anything done. What they fail to understand is that Social Security could be very good for everyone if only one very small change is made. One little, insignificant change. And that change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan out from under the Senators and Congressmen and put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us... and then watch how fast they will fix it!

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