Government Shutdown

[Chase 390]

LET THE GOVERNMENT BODIES HIT THE FLOOR

LET THE GOVERNMENT BODIES HIT THE FLOOR

LET THE GOVERNMENT BODIES HIT THE....FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR

[Skippy 82]

Are we screwed yet or did the bill pass

They made an agreement, it hasn't passed, but they avoided a shutdown.

Besides that, 90% of the people in this country would be unaffected by a shutdown, as we saw back in '95

[Aethix 129]

It isn't exactly a kings ransom...

Doctors can be paid more. So can Lawyers. So can many. It isn't that much money. It's only a lot of money in comparison to how much you are earning.

God, capitalism is the best. :3

It isn't capitalism when you set your own salary.

[A_WildMagikarp! 0]

If you think they don't do any work than you do it then.

Government jobs usually involve a lot of sitting around and doing nothing. But, even though I don't really stay too connected with political happenings, I haven't really heard of anything being done recently, aside from sending air-raids to Libya. I should probably just look up what's going on, but right no it seems like the current government is just a placeholder.

I have very little respect for politicians to begin with. I don't even think I'm going to vote next year. If I don't trust any of them, why should I vote for them?

[Ammonsa 308]

It isn't capitalism when you set your own salary.

Look, what would you have them set it as? It really isn't that much. Half of these people could have gone into business and made millions.

They aren't going into politics to make money. They are using money as the means to gain power.

Here's the actual pay scale of every politician:

• Rank-and-File Members of the House and Senate: $174,000
• Senate/House Majority and Minority Leaders: $193,400
• Speaker of the House: $223,500
• Cabinet Members: $199,700
• Vice President: $230,700
• President: $400,000

Now lets be fair, except for the President, these are all simply above average.

Now, $400,000 is a lot, but this is the President of the United States. The most powerful person in the world. He is entitled to getting to live comfortably after his term is up.

[Chase 390]

Actually, Bond, the majority of Americans make $52,000 a year or less. The upper middle class makes about $120,000, and the upper class makes about $180,000-200,000. Only a small, small percent of the upper class (4%) which is a small percent in and of itself, make in the millions or billions.

It's a hell of a lot of money, no matter how you slice it. Virtually anything can be yours if you make $200,000 and learn to budget it wisely.

[Ammonsa 308]

Ok well fair enough. Sorry, I was thinking along Australian income amounts.

The point remains that all of these jobs are important. I stand by the fact that I think this amount of money is completely acceptable.

Keep in mind that I'm completely biased to this. Considering the fact that I fully intend on making lots of money and going into politics.

Money is for my evil lair though.

[Knuckle 484]

What is Australian currency anyway? The Dollar or the Euro? Maybe something else?

[Ammonsa 308]

The Australian Dollar.

[Chase 390]

It's almost exactly worth the American dollar.

1 American dollar=.95 Australian dollar

[Grandmaster Phoenix 26]

The end. Republicans essentially got what they wanted. Doesn't even matter. At all.

No, they didn't. There was stille more spending than the previous year, and the cuts amounted to only $30B.

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Being a legislator should be a part-time job. That will allow more normal people to run for office instead of career politicians.

There needs to be term limits, and a Constutional ammendment would be a good way to do this, because it would be easy to call out any members who din't vote for it. They vote away their own power or we just vote them out.

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My mom knows the representative of my district

I asked and he said the hard part is getting the job but the job is actually quite easy

And there is no-way I would run because I have very little interest in politics

Getting the job is hard; keeping it is easy. Though this is off topic however, PM me if you want more details.

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First, we are not a democratic nation, we are a republic to keep a buffer from mob rule, which almost always ends in hostile takeover and tyranny. We can protest and we can petition, but both are generally ineffective to the federal government.

The actual term is Democratic Republic, because we have free elections and we are repesented by the people we elect.

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Half of these people could have gone into business and made millions.

They aren't going into politics to make money. They are using money as the means to gain power.

Here's the actual pay scale of every politician:

Rank-and-File Members of the House and Senate: $174,000

Senate/House Majority and Minority Leaders: $193,400

Speaker of the House: $223,500

Cabinet Members: $199,700

Vice President: $230,700

President: $400,000

Now lets be fair, except for the President, these are all simply above average.

Now, $400,000 is a lot, but this is the President of the United States. The most powerful person in the world. He is entitled to getting to live comfortably after his term is up.

They don't often use their pay to gain power, as much as their other benefits, like the Franking Privilage (free mail), free stationary, ect.

These people also enjoy huge budgets for other things, like floral ($1200/yr) ect, and they get to keep most of what's left. They don't get to keep leftovers from their million-dollar staffing budgets though. They also get nice pensions, healthcare, and so on.

You stated after that you think these salaries are fair. I think they are fair, so long as they can't keep leftovers from their benefits.