The Hattiesburg American Editorial, 1/13/9
Members of Congress always claim to feel our pain, but ask them to sacrifice something themselves, they turn away.
In the midst of a dreadful economy, with 11 million Americans out of work, many workers finding their wages frozen, and many American families counting every penny, Congress gets an automatic pay raise.
Yes, for 2009, their pay goes up from $169,300 to $174,000. And they are too gutless to actually vote on it.
The raise is pegged to the cost-of-living index and, in 1989, Congress passed a law that exempted itself to vote on the raise.
It’s time to repeal that law.
Of Mississippi’s delegation, Rep. Travis Childers has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill that would stop next year’s automatic pay increase. And Rep. Bennie Thompson says he would support an up-and-down vote.
Magnolia Tribune
