Tom B wrote:


Salary of the US President ...................$400,000
Salary of retired US Presidents .............$180,000
Salary of House/Senate ........................$174,0?00
Salary of Speaker of the House ..............$223,500
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders ........ .$193,400
Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN IRAQ..$38,000


I'm a fiscal conservative, and a capitalist at the same time - not that
those are opposing philosophies. That said, I don't find those salaries to
be so out of line. Think about what you think you are worth. Then compare
that to the responsibilities of the positions you list above. If you had to
carry the weight of those positions, I'm sure you would consider your worth
to be more than a simple charitable offering.

What I think is more absurd is the way that Congress votes themselves such
things as preferred healthcare priviledges that are not available to the
average American. Likewise, when cost of living increases for Social
Security are insulting, yet Congress votes themselves a much more attractive
increase package.

Personally, I'm more upset about who is entitled to Social Security, than I
am about the salaries of the leaders of our country. I have a brother who
became disabled and his two sons immediately became eligible for Social
Security. Why? What had they done to earn that? What makes his situation
different from the guy on the street who lost a good paying job and had to
settle for one paying a fraction of what he was used to earning? On top of
that, there is the whole matter of using Social Security funds for those
that are not even citizens...

--

-Mike-