Monday, November 28, 2011

Congressional Perks



The song seemed so appropriaste for this text.

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. If you've ever wondered why our so-called representatives in Washington think about Medicare and Social Security differently than the rest of us, this may explain it. Our Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security. Many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. 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. For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000 - 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 $00.00. This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Fund--our tax dollars at work! 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. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits! Social Security could be very good if only one small change was made. And that change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us and then watch how fast they would fix it. If enough people are made familiar with this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. WE, each one of us... can make a difference. Start writing those letters and emails today. Get your Congressional people on the phone NOW and tell them you've had enough!

It would be really great if some of you with high-profile blogs would repeat this and ask your readers to repeat it also.  Perhaps we could get somemthing going.



Dumb Law of the Week: In Montana, a wife cannot open her Husband's mail!!

À la prochaine, mes amis.

1 comment:

PeterParis said...

Difficult for a European to understand the resistance against a real Social Security system! Of course, it's only when you need it that you really see the advantages! Good luck with your campaign!! :-)