Deseret News | Matheson again fights automatic pay hike

Reader comments
Matheson again fights automatic pay hike

191 comments | Read story

Page:
< Previous
1
2
3
4

anthony | 5:27 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress as a body has no self esteem is brazen.
Their quest for power is strong,their attitude is we
know all.

steve | 5:26 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Yeah, these are the same people that are giving the ceo's a hard time for not being able to run their businesses properly.

John Arlington | 5:30 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

If so many people think Congress is doing such a lousy job, then why don't the incumbents get voted out? It's because every one thinks their Representative and Senators are doing a good job and all the others are not. We have only our selves to blame for the lack of leadership in Washington. We allow our selves to be swayed by non issues and perversions of truth in commercials and vote for the same losers over and over again. How many people do you think even know what the voting record of their Congresses men is? And then everyone is shocked that they would do something like this. Our Congress is only a mirror onto our selves.

Comments continue below

sk | 5:30 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Not only don't our legislators deserve a raise, maybe if anyone seeking office had to place thier money in American banks they would have kept closer observation on all the financial institutions that failed. We should charge them for the lack of competent oversight.

Buddha | 5:36 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

The Fact remains that we can sit in front of computers and continue this endless complaining or we can try and do something about it. Try writing a letter to your representatives it may not get you anywhere but, at least you can say you made an effort.

The simple fact is that if your a die hard Republican or Democrat then YOU are part of the problem. While your busy arguing your ideologies the people you elect are having field day at your expense. Much like WWF wrestling they follow a script that plays on peoples emotions; when the matches are over, the one time opponents are now the best of friends. Politics is a career and like all career politicians they will flip flop at will if it serves them.

These two political parties are like Cancer slowly killing they're host!

Kathy | 5:37 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Well, we voted for these jerks didn't we?

George Washington | 5:41 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress, each and every member of both Houses, should be fired............a Natl Election should be held in Nov, 2009.......Salary for each and every member of Congress should be set at $100,000 with HealthCare benefits, but NO Retirement benefits.......such an approach might get some reasonable, thinking persons into Congress

Hojo | 5:43 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress should be paid less than the enlisted in our military.

DANIEL | 5:51 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

They have a part time job and should be paid part time wages.

cm1515 | 5:51 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

I'm thinking that I'm not alone when I say that "I have NO respect for politicians".
They are members of the oldest profession.

Bubs | 5:53 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

In a time when our country is being rocked on it's foundations, how can they consider any type of raise. In the private sector raises are based upon merit and in the private sector many are going with out raise. Congress has done more to put us in the predicament we are in then anyother group of individual. They call for pay guideline in the private sector but they vote themselves a handsome raise every year. They reach deeper and deeper into our pockets and spend our hard earned tax dollars on who know what!
In my position with a public company, we have been asked to go without raises and senior level management has taken pay cuts. Why aren't our elected officals doing the same for us today!

Concerned | 5:59 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

With Congress's low approval rating, they do not deserve a raise. How about pay for performance.

linda | 6:00 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Pay raise? They should all be fired for God sake! The country is falling to economic pieces because Congress failed to do it's job and they are getting a raise? This country is on the downhill slide and there seems to be no one to step up and stop it!

Dano | 5:57 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress should take a decrease -or- work a complete year. They work less time than any government workers in any position in the United States. We need them on deck full-time and earn our trust by heeding the will of the people. Unfortunately, they are hell bent on their own individual power and have no apparent will to represent their constituents. Case in point, over 60% of the people did not want any type of bailout, but they did it anyway. Our liberties are being sucked right out of us. Revolt people before it is too late.

realist | 6:00 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Government is little more than a 3 ring circus!
executive,legislative,judicial. The sad part is the only act in all 3 rings is the clowns. Idiot sevants doing stupid things that they think are brilliant.

I can hardly wait for the clowns to convene in January.

Mark | 6:01 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

The pay raise doesn't even take into account all the perks these morons get while ruling over the serfs. These so-called servants live like kings, take huge bribes, get huge pensions, get free everything, including a staff that grovels like pet dogs at their feet for crumbs from the elite's table. All the while making laws and regulations they don't follow, and taking decisions that the majority of people in this country don't agree with, that further bankrupt all of us and our children. They shouldn't get pay raises, the majority of them should be in prison.

Natalie | 5:59 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

How can they live with their conscience to accept such a pay raise with the country in the state that it is - it's unfathomable!

Crisis | 6:05 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress has the lowest approval rating ever, they do not deserve a raise. How about pay for performance.......

LDAV45 | 6:02 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

When I first heard about the pay raise I was incensed and so I wrote my Congressman and voiced my displeasure. I encourage everyone to call or write their Congressmen about this.
We need to speak up where it counts and stop some of this.

Bailout money train | 6:05 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Failures should not be rewarded.

pretty well says it all,
If your asleep at the wheel, you should give some back!

Barry in Lafayette | 6:09 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Only in government do you get a raise for doing a bad job.If this were a private business, most of congress would be fired.

Marla Hess | 6:12 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

What did you expect, these nuts were voted in. Ask your liberal friends why they voted for them and they cannot give you an answer, it is all campaign slogans. We have to first educate these people that they are voting for their own demise, OH I forgot it will be all Geo Bush's fault. You could sell them a bridge, oops they have already bought several from our gov.

Ken H. | 6:16 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Congress, especially this do-nothing democrat run congress, is deserving of NOTHING. What's worse is that people voted these loons into their positions and now we have a moron for a president-elect. Has this country turned into total idiots?

mary diaspro | 6:21 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

UNTIL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WAKE UP, DO THEIR HOMEWORK CONCERNING CONGRESS THE TYPE OF NONSENSE WILL CONTINUE. CONGRESS SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO EVEN CONSIDER THEMSELVES A RAISE. THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BUT ONLY THEMSELVES AND THEIR TOTAL POWER AND DOMINATION OVER THE MASSES OF STUPID AMERICANS. THIS COUNTRY HAS LITTLE TIME TO REBOUND. OTHERWISE, WE WILL BE A TOTAL STATE OF THE GOVERNMENT. POEPLE IT IS NOT FAR BEHIND. BEWARE...

Murray100 | 6:28 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

This is what you get when you have an American nobility such as Congress has become. The only way to solve the problem is to have term limits in Congress. If a term limit was good for tne office of the President it is certainly good enough for the blowhards in Congress.

The founding fathers never contemplated career politicians who spend their lives in Congress and become progressively more and more detached from their constituents - and reality.

Sammy | 6:38 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

The whole self endulging bunch are embarassing to any self respecting citizen. I wouldn't worry about a terrorist attact in DC, they are doing more to destroy this great nation than AlQuieda ever dreamed.

lt | 8:01 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

The money that we're talking about for this raise is chump change. If Matheson was a decent man he would have been making a big stink about the billions his idiot party is wasting bailing out everyone. He's trying to get political milleage out of this just like he does with his super uneducated views about nuclear energy.

CougarKeith | 9:08 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

What's the matter with you people, these guys work hard to waste your money, give it to those who squander and bribe them and make campaign contributions to them. They work hard and deserve every penny they get! I say lets really inflate the false dollar and give every tax paying citizen a yearly bonus to go with their yearly raises! Say $100,000 a year! That way we can all be happy, let them continue to rail road us, and spend our way out of the recession all at the same time! Barney and Christopher can continue to say there was nothing wrong with Fanny and Freddie and take money under the table while their friends get rich and yet every american family will get $100,000 each year to squander into the economy on boats and cars and houses and anything their little hearts desire right up until China nukes the atmosphere and cuts out cell service, the internet, and communications throughout the western world on their way to quietly taking over the world. 90% of Our government officials are CORRUPT and nobody seems to want to do anything about it!

Anonymous | 9:19 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Matheson is intelligent and genuine. In the midst of this economic crisis, it is wrong for this automatic pay raise to go into effect.

Anna S | 9:43 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

I'd say a large, if not all, majority of the people who post on here are informed voters. Otherwise you wouldn't be here voicing your opinions. The problem with this country is that uninformed voters, most of the voters, are the ones who actually make the decisions. Informed voters are a minority. No matter how informed or educated a voter is, there are many more clueless voters who invalidate an educated vote. Until most of the voters are informed and not just voting for an initial after a candidate's name, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE!!

Mickey | 12:20 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Given that the Democrat agenda for the last two years has been to destroy the economy for the sake of an election...I would say they should not receive a pay increase or any pay at all.

Follow the money and see how these cons have sold us out for the sake of power and money.

George | 12:25 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

I would prefer a Congress where the pay is higher to be comparable to private sector jobs, but with performance based changes in pay. Deduct pay when they miss votes or fail to complete budget bills before going on vacation, for example. Only voters can "fire" their congressman, but it might be interesting if their pay could be automatically reduced for easy to measure things like failing to show up for work.

I would also like to see better transparency in the legislative process to name the congressman responsible for writing each part of a bill. Bonus points for changing thomas.gov to separate important bills that became law from political posturing bills that go nowhere in committee. It's hard for a voter to evaluate what their representative actually did for their salary.

TB | 1:09 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

It's clear to me by looking at the comments why this is a one party state with no national credibility. He took a stand and voted against the failed bailout. He is going to donate over 4000$ to charity this coming year (we aren't talking about tithing folks) How many of y'all can say that? 169,000 dollars isn't a ton of money in D.C., especially if you have to keep two households. Do your research and get a clue. It's interesting that Uncle Orin can get a pardon for his crack slinging rap buddy and this draws more commentary- you robotic repubs need to actually use your brain and figure out what your elected representatives actually do and what special interests they are bound to.

Jack | 1:18 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

George, as with any other political "job", pay should have nothing to do competing with comparable private sector jobs. You go into politics knowing the job and the pay and you do not go into that job hoping to gouge the taxpayers, no matter what any private sector job pays. Taking your position one step further goes into the area of "each according to his need" and you know where that leads, or at least you should. The senators and congressmen/women are paid rather well when you take into account the benefits. If $150,000 isn't enough, they can always not run for re-election. You should be getting into the political arena to do good, not for what the pay is.

Dave | 4:53 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

All you Repubs, bashing Matheson for taking a stand against government waste may want to face some unpleasant facts.

- to the writer who said "Do we really expect any different from a Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi run Congress?", and similar thoughts: Guess what. The pay raise was put on its current automatic system when both the House and Senate were under Republican control.

- To all you who wonder why Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy, etc, don't put a stop to this, or join Matheson, I ask you why you aren't asking the same of Bennett, McCain, Ron Paul, Chaffetz, Cannon, or Bishop. Who'd I leave out? Hatch, but we already know he was too busy pardoning coke dealers.

My point: Democrats aren't solely to blame, and Republicans don't exactly have the market cornered on accountability.

Oh, and who says they couldn't take a paycut? Two apartments? No problem on, say, $90k. Travel expenses are too much? Taxpayers pay them, over and above salary. Same with office budgets and staffing.

I could do the job they're doing for $90k, and save more money for retirement than I do now, in the process.

Me too! | 5:04 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Can I have his pay raise?!

congress is wonderful | 5:11 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Hey I say give these wonderful men and women a pay raise. In fact, let's give then and $8000 pay raise not a mere 4k. After all,look at all they have done with the economy over the past few years. The watchful oversite over Wallstreet and the banking industry as well as the 10% approval rating they have secured certainly earns them the right for a BIG FAT pay raise...doesn't it??

NB | 5:34 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

I think it's a noble try but the main bailout problem was created during the Clinton adminstration and then the Bush adminstration did nothing. Well you can call them burglars, robbers, thieves, democrats, republicans but they are all the same thing. If they were interested in the PEOPLE'S BEST INTEREST then why does almost EVERYONE'S paycheck keep getting smaller except theirs? Plus the dollars we earn buys less every year so even if you are making the same wage your earning power is far less.

Adria | 9:45 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

Hey,they deserve it. There are some employees who go above and beyond the call of duty as Federal employees.

flnatv | 4:24 a.m. Dec. 31, 2008

If there were enough patriots in America who knew what the constitution says, they would never get away with the finacial atrocities they have bestowed on the citizens and the windfalls they allow themselves while Americans trade their homes for cardboard boxes. But alas, we live in a liberal, progressive society and the sheeple have spoken. In another post someone asked,"what can be done". Short of a revolution, nothing but prepare for the worst. Beans, bullets and band-aids.

Donnie K | 8:35 a.m. Dec. 31, 2008

"If we ever pass out as a great nation we ought to put on our tombstone, 'America died from a delusion that she has moral leadership."
Will Roger

Page:
< Previous
1
2
3
4

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.