Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Thu May 10, 2012 12:15 pm

Salary of retired US Presidents ......................$180,000 for life
Salary of House/Senate ..............................$174,000 for life
Salary of Speaker of the House .....................$223,500 for life
Salary of Senate Majority/Minority Leaders .......$193,400 for life
Average Salary of a teacher ...........................$40,065
Average Salary of Soldier deployed in Afghanistan..$38,000

I think I know where government cutbacks should be made! 

Drawscore

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Thu May 10, 2012 1:26 pm

Though I agree with the general principles of (what I think) you are saying, even eliminating the paychecks of the first four altogether wouldn't save very much money. But it'd be a start.
However I think you exaggerated the salary figures of retired congressmen somewhat.
Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.
The amount of a congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.
According to the Congressional Research Service, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of Oct. 1, 2006. Of this number, 290 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972. A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Thu May 10, 2012 2:42 pm

The last I heard, Congressmen and Senators were authorized a 100% pension after eight years of congressional servce.

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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Thu May 10, 2012 5:23 pm

drawscore wrote:The last I heard, Congressmen and Senators were authorized a 100% pension after eight years of congressional servce.

Drawscore

Which only shows you can't believe everything you hear.
http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/ ... ull-pensi/
and
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongres ... esspay.htm
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Thu May 10, 2012 11:21 pm

Your second cite is much more credible than the first. Politifact is an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald, along with several other newspapers, whose editorial boards lean decidedly leftward. The last I heard, the Tampa Bay Times had 14 members on its editorial board. Twelve of them were Democrats, and two called themselves "independents." And yet, they wonder why they are perceived as "biased toward Democrats." If Politifact said that water was wet, I'd want it confirmed by an independent agency.

Also, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_pension

Drawscore

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Fri May 11, 2012 7:48 am

I figured you would say this about the first link (though I know almost nothing about Politifact itself; the fact that it disagrees with you was sufficient to indicate to me that you would say it was just a leftist leaning whatever), which is why I included the second which said pretty much the same thing. And I might point out the wiki your link leads to also pretty much contradicts your initial assessment about how much a congressman's pension amounts to. So why don't you just come out and admit that your figures are a tad inaccurate and be done with it? Even Obama admits to a mistake once in a while.
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Fri May 11, 2012 12:58 pm

I made a mistake once. I thought I was wrong. :-)

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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Fri May 11, 2012 1:21 pm

:roll:
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby notlongerhere » Sat May 12, 2012 12:00 pm

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Last edited by notlongerhere on Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Sat May 12, 2012 5:50 pm

I was asked to run for congress, but I declined. I didn't like many of the people I'd have to associate with. And besides, I'm like Groucho Marx, who once said that he'd never join a club or organization that would accept him as a member.

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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Sat May 12, 2012 6:37 pm

drawscore wrote:I was asked to run for congress, but I declined. Drawscore

Yeah, right... :roll:
Who were you asked by? Your kids?
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Sat May 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Admitedly, satire is better understood when there are visual cues, but that bit of satire should be obvious to anyone with an IQ greater than that of a potted plant.

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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby jonny86 » Sat May 12, 2012 11:04 pm

drawscore wrote:Salary of retired US Presidents ......................$180,000 for life
Salary of House/Senate ..............................$174,000 for life
Salary of Speaker of the House .....................$223,500 for life
Salary of Senate Majority/Minority Leaders .......$193,400 for life
Average Salary of a teacher ...........................$40,065
Average Salary of Soldier deployed in Afghanistan..$38,000

I think I know where government cutbacks should be made! 

Drawscore


.... so we're suppose to pay the people running a nation of 300,000,000 people the same we pay your average college graduate who couldn't decide on a real major so figured they'd teach K-12 with a liberal arts degree? This is the problem with politics in the US, people compare random statistics and information with no logical connection or implications and think they're making a point. I know correctional officers who make more money than the President.

Let's do a quick calculation. Let's say we pay the President, Speakers, and Leaders $1. Hell, let's pay every member of Congress $1.

Congratulations, you've cut the federal deficit by 0.007%. Any other bright ideas?

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Sat May 12, 2012 11:55 pm

It's a start. And after that, we could eliminate the Department of Education, and return its functions back to the states, where they belong. Homeland Security could go, too, with its functions transferred to the Defense Department. The CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency could be combined, to eliminate duplication of efforts, and ObamaCare could be repealed, which, by some estimates, could save as much as 7 trillion dollars over ten years.

Besides the salary of the president is $400,000 a year. Once out of office, he gets $180,000 a year for life, whether he served one or two terms.

Drawscore

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby random » Sun May 13, 2012 4:52 am

drawscore wrote:Your second cite is much more credible than the first. Politifact is an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald, along with several other newspapers, whose editorial boards lean decidedly leftward. The last I heard, the Tampa Bay Times had 14 members on its editorial board. Twelve of them were Democrats, and two called themselves "independents." And yet, they wonder why they are perceived as "biased toward Democrats." If Politifact said that water was wet, I'd want it confirmed by an independent agency.

Also, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_pension

Drawscore


Sorry to barge in but both sites are just as creditable, same as the one you listed. In order for it to be reliable the url must have a .gov or .edu in it. Anyone can buy a .com or even a .org. .gov and edu is reliable as if it's .gov it is a government site and .edu is an accredited educational site like a university. (What you call college)
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Sun May 13, 2012 7:34 am

drawscore wrote:Admitedly, satire is better understood when there are visual cues, but that bit of satire should be obvious to anyone with an IQ greater than that of a potted plant.

Drawscore

Perhaps, but I always tend to take a person's statement at face value. In your case though I'll make an exception from now on and treat your rantings on the same level as I would those of a parrot who had been owned by a foul-mouthed brat.
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Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby drawscore » Sun May 13, 2012 9:22 am

As I said in another thread, you take things far too seriously.

Drawscore

Re: Salaries and Cuts

Postby Jason Toddman » Sun May 13, 2012 12:14 pm

drawscore wrote:As I said in another thread, you take things far too seriously.

Drawscore

I'm an Aspie; it's in my nature to. Contrary to what you say elsewhere, I *do* have a well-developed sense of humor; I simply don't like 'ethnic humor'.
I'm not the only one who takes you too seriously either; hence my post warning others of this in your 'two stamps' forum.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
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