The debts of the US-possible govt shutdown
By sdmoonchild
@sdmoonchild (731)
United States
July 11, 2011 11:39am CST
What do you think will happen with this-I think one solution should be that all of the politicians including the President should stop getting paid and turn their salaries into solving the debt problems. I have a daughter who is disabled and collecting disability and I hope that her check remains safe. What are your concerns over this crisis? Will they reach a compromise by August? Would love to hear your thoughts.
2 responses
@knoodleknight18 (917)
• United States
12 Jul 11
Lol xfahctor, awesome response.
I sit here disappointed because of it.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
11 Jul 11
The problem with things like this is that it's always the "little guy" who gets hurt - not the big shots. As you said, politicians, including the President, should give up their salaries. It wouldn't hurt them, considering that many are millionaires anyway. They wouldn't begin to do that, though. Instead, they talk about shutting down Social Security, doing away with Medicare, cutting back on SSI. And WE elect them to do this???
@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Jul 11
Taskr36, while I know Congress and the rest don't make $100 million, they're not just the common run of "federal employees." They make far more than they're worth, that's for sure. I think the pay cut should be closer to 25%. If it's based on that year's salary, it would take awhile to get down to minimum wage. But I think they should. Maybe they should start at minimum wage and work their way up, just like us serfs have to.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
12 Jul 11
What are you talking about knoodleknight? How many federal employees do you know that make $100 million? Even the president is only making around $400K.
I agree Peavey. In fact I think that congress should get a 15% pay cut for every year they fail to balance the budget. That would seriously cut back on those career politicians that don't do anything. A 15% pay cut would mean that a senator, elected to a 6 year term, would only be making 10% of his original salary if the budget wasn't balanced by the end of his first term. That comes out to $17,000 for that last year. That way they're just above the minimum wage and they can actually learn to feel the pain of the people they are screwing instead of voting themselves raises every year.
Did you know that congress hasn't had a pay cut since the Great Depression?
@knoodleknight18 (917)
• United States
12 Jul 11
Yeah, everything hurts the little guy. For one it's great fear mongering. Secondly, how much is a 10% loss gonna hurt anyone with a 100 million dollar income. Oh no, I'll have to not... most of them can't even blow that much in a year. Hard to spend $250,000+ a day 365 days a year. Even a $10 mil house only sucks up 6 weeks of pay.
