|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:46 pm
I don't remember when I was told this but it was a long time ago. But a teacher I had forever ago said that Benjamin Franklin wanted all political positions to be volunteer work. You get voted in, you do the job, but you don't get paid.
With the midterm elections, I've been seeing commercials saying things like "So-and-so raised your taxes and raised his salary" followed by my dad screaming at the TV that "they're all crooks." Whether Franklin did really want volunteers or not, it does kinda make you wonder what it would be like if they weren't paid.
For these people it is a full time job and they need to make money somehow and without a salary not that many people would want to do it so to me it makes sense that they get paid. But if things like the "raised your taxes and his salary" do happen, it seems kinda ridiculous that they can have so much control over their salary.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:07 pm
It wouldn't change all that much.
I can't remember the exact amount, but politicians don't get paid all that much in comparison to their positions of power. The president only makes something like 400k a year. I think the members of Congress get around 200k-270k or something to that effect.
While they do get a LOT of perks (free travel expenses, no postage charges) it's not about the money - it's the power. The fortune is in the fame.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:41 pm
Speaking of politicians, I'm really disappointed in the person who apparently won our governor position. They had a televised event where they debated and good lord, I don't care if she is a "Tea-party favorite" the things she said made her sound like a complete moron. Both my parents are a lot more conservative (old school) than me, and they were both like  she's weird. I especially loved the education debate, she said some of the biggest crap I've probably ever heard and then the Democrat was like, alright, "since I am the only person on this stage who went to a public school, let me tell you what my plans are for public education." OUCH. BURN. I don't care if I'm a Republican, that Democrat should have won.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:26 pm
CleoSombra It wouldn't change all that much. I can't remember the exact amount, but politicians don't get paid all that much in comparison to their positions of power. The president only makes something like 400k a year. I think the members of Congress get around 200k-270k or something to that effect. While they do get a LOT of perks (free travel expenses, no postage charges) it's not about the money - it's the power. The fortune is in the fame. Does anyone know the average salary in America? Because even if politicians don't get paid much in comparison to their power, those numbers still look pretty damn high to me especially considering if they can up it if they wanted and their states are the ones to pay up. sweatdrop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:39 pm
You forget that back then the only people that were ever elected were ridiculously wealthy, as smart as Franklin was, I highly doubt he could see far enough into the future where someone might be elected that might need some help getting by after serving their position for so many years.
@Averagewage: It's like 45-65k, like Cleo says politicians make a lot more than that, I'd estimate governors make around 100k.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:25 pm
Shiori Miko CleoSombra It wouldn't change all that much. I can't remember the exact amount, but politicians don't get paid all that much in comparison to their positions of power. The president only makes something like 400k a year. I think the members of Congress get around 200k-270k or something to that effect. While they do get a LOT of perks (free travel expenses, no postage charges) it's not about the money - it's the power. The fortune is in the fame. Does anyone know the average salary in America? Because even if politicians don't get paid much in comparison to their power, those numbers still look pretty damn high to me especially considering if they can up it if they wanted and their states are the ones to pay up. sweatdrop George Bush was worth millions thanks to his daddy's oil businesses and stuff. Bill Clinton was in the stock market or something. I don't know about Obama, but my guess is that he was a millionaire already. 400k seems like a lot, but celebrities make millions a year. Johnny Depp was paid 18 mill to do ONE Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Pro-athletes make 10-20 million a year. As of now, Congress makes 195k a year. The average income comes out to be around 39k-41k, I can't remember the values. I should point out, though, that something like 5% of the population controls 90% of the wealth in the country, though, and I don't know whether the statistics include those outliers (Bill Gates and Steve Jobs don't count - their salary is one dollar a year). The median income is 52k, meaning that 50% of people make less than 52k a year and 50% make more than 52k a year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:01 am
CleoSombra Shiori Miko CleoSombra It wouldn't change all that much. I can't remember the exact amount, but politicians don't get paid all that much in comparison to their positions of power. The president only makes something like 400k a year. I think the members of Congress get around 200k-270k or something to that effect. While they do get a LOT of perks (free travel expenses, no postage charges) it's not about the money - it's the power. The fortune is in the fame. Does anyone know the average salary in America? Because even if politicians don't get paid much in comparison to their power, those numbers still look pretty damn high to me especially considering if they can up it if they wanted and their states are the ones to pay up. sweatdrop George Bush was worth millions thanks to his daddy's oil businesses and stuff. Bill Clinton was in the stock market or something. I don't know about Obama, but my guess is that he was a millionaire already. 400k seems like a lot, but celebrities make millions a year. Johnny Depp was paid 18 mill to do ONE Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Pro-athletes make 10-20 million a year. As of now, Congress makes 195k a year. The average income comes out to be around 39k-41k, I can't remember the values. I should point out, though, that something like 5% of the population controls 90% of the wealth in the country, though, and I don't know whether the statistics include those outliers (Bill Gates and Steve Jobs don't count - their salary is one dollar a year). The median income is 52k, meaning that 50% of people make less than 52k a year and 50% make more than 52k a year. I get that compared to some people they're not that rich but compared to the majority of the people they're supposed to be working for they are. Like Cho mentioned the Democrat who was the only candidate who actually went to public school. That's great for the other candidates that their parents could afford that. And with the salaries you mentioned, it seems possible that these politicians can send their kids to private schools if they wanted. Again, great for them but at the same time it can make them more detached from public schools and possibly less inclined to increase funding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
