The nerve of Obama and congress...

[gride]

I can't F'n believe Obama, seemingly in total darkness, raised congress' pay last week. I watch the heck out of the news and never heard word one about this. How do you give incompetent scum bags(both sides) a raise when they'd be fired from any other job on the planet for the way they work, or don't work. I'm quite livid.

[NautiqueJeff]

I believe the raise was for all government workers, not just Congress. I am not taking sides one way or the other here, but there are many many federal workers that are not members of Congress. After not getting raises for several years, federal employees were receiving arguably below-average pay for their work, and it may have been a necessary adjustment. There is a disproportionately-high number of federal workers in my state (Virginia), and this raise is good for them and for Virginia's economy.

That being said, I know that I do not know enough about the whole thing to discuss this intelligently, so take what I say with that in mind.

[SkiTower]

That being said, I know that I do not know enough about the whole thing to discuss this intelligently.

Neither does BO

[SkiTower]

One other question, whose answer should clarify Grides's question, is whether or not the members of Congress are "gov't employees"? Their benefits don't in any way line up with a regular employees' benefits. For that matter, last I heard Congress votes themselves raises, not the President.

[northwestwater]

gride, i am with you. i don't post much here and maybe after this i won't be allowed to post at all but, i think i can speak to the question. As a small business owner, i have been demonized to the point that i have to hide my hard work from the public in every conceivable way except on-line forums! Truth be told, most small businesses today (at least in our area) have held wages with little to no increases. I personally have taken a paycut for several years because, i cannot in good conscience watch my teams suffer when i walk out with a bigger paycheck. leadership starts from the top. Our nations leaders think that is in reverse. We live in difficult times and business taxes/fees are going through the roof despite what our government says on TV. Our deficit is now to the point where we spend roughly 40 cents on every dollar just on the debt itself. i'm sorry but, I'd be out of business if I did that! if i was in debt to my eyeballs like our government is, the last thing i would do is give raises to my employees. sorry. but, the money has to come from somewhere. but, because we are a nation that relishes in the idea of quantitative easing, well they can just print the money they need. how long do you think the merry-go-round goes before the dial can't be wound anymore?

i truly apologize for those i have offended. But, none of you know me and i can get away with it!!!. oh, and i'll still wakeboard with you even if we disagree. i also will say that i still believe in the United States of America and would defend it with my life. just frustrated like gride...

[gride]

He signed an executive order I lift a pay freeze for federal employees. The amount he wants to spend just increases on a daily basis.

[SkiTower]

He signed an executive order I lift a pay freeze for federal employees. The amount he wants to spend just increases on a daily basis.

got to get started buying the votes for Bite-me!

I'm sorry, but the fact that he was re-elected peeved me off so bad I've quit watching the news (FOXNEWS) and am just hunkered down praying it'll end! I have no more faith that the "American people" will do 'right' anymore. 51% have their hand out and that's all it takes. Ok, I'm off the soap-box. How many days til ski season???

[scottb7]

That's exactly right, and that's the problem: It only takes 51% like minded, wrong minded to vote in policies and people that are in everyone's (including their own) WORST interest.

[HS]

Yeah, I am sick about it, considering that these (BO) are the same people that have endlessly promoted themselves in election years that they are the best leaders for the job, and in turn, they end up causing or share in the cause of so much internal conflict and turmoil its hard to see they're even on the same side, nationally speaking, that is. The roller coaster of economic fear and stress is having wicked effects and they are blind to it. I am relieved about the 450 part (hope it sticks) but come on, do the job you said you could do. What are they trying to do -- create a side show to deflect attention away from H Clinton?

Another point is the let down of hearing them say, it (a bill, a measure, whatever) didn't do enough, so I voted against it, is very disappointing. Get on with it.

[gride]

"Roller coaster of fear" is so right. My stress level has been up exponentially since the presidential election began, and actually even before that. Washington is the modern rome. It's been tough from every angle. I'm an auburn fan along with a pragmatic, somewhat open minded individual. Wakeboarding, however has been the best in years for me on multiple levels. Happy new year. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

p.s. Sanjay Gupta(CNN's doctor) was saying last night that blood thinners would be the last thing one would do to treat a blood clot in the head bc then you couldn't do surgery. Now the clot is in b/t her skull and brain. I wish her no ill will, but this is all so coincidental with all the Benghazi stuff.

[AirTool]

For that matter, last I heard Congress votes themselves raises, not the President.

I heard on FoxNews (if i understood correctly) that Congress doesn't like the President messing with them (ego) and will recall the pay raise in the new session. Lets see if that is true if they do it. That would be good.

i truly apologize for those i have offended. But, none of you know me and i can get away with it!!!. oh, and i'll still wakeboard with you even if we disagree. i also will say that i still believe in the United States of America and would defend it with my life. just frustrated like gride...

Never apologize for offensive truth.

The amount he wants to spend just increases on a daily basis.

His spending increases are almost keeping up with the growth rate of his head. When I saw him on TV at 1:30 EST today, his head filled my wide screen.

It makes me sick to my stomach when I see how much the liberal press loves this guy. They, too, are idiots. I'm soon going to start sending form letters to companies that advertise on SpinBC, MSspinBC, and SpinNN and tell them I'm not buying their products. It might be the only way to right these networks.

p.s. Sanjay Gupta(CNN's doctor) was saying last night that blood thinners would be the last thing one would do to treat a blood clot in the head bc then you couldn't do surgery. Now the clot is in b/t her skull and brain. I wish her no ill will, but this is all so coincidental with all the Benghazi stuff.

I wish no ill either but I told my wife yesterday it would just be an amazing freak situation if she died from this. The liberal press (and others I won't name) would immortalize her....forgetting all about White Water, Benghazi, Monica, drugs in Mena and all the other weird stuff.

PS - Jeff makes some good points, and I'm glad to see him contributing off topic.

[gride]

I just read that legislation to stop the fiscal cliff will also stop the $900 automatic pay hike for congress. Congress had already voted to freeze the cost of living increase until march 27. Obama signed the executive order forcing them to accept the $900 increase(more for Biden) and federal workers(who may or may not deserve a raise)

[sodbuster88]

"We have to find tough, bright, young men and women who are sick and tired of cliches and the pomposity and the mind-numbing economic idiocy of the liberals in Washington.” Ronald Reagan

”If you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” Ronald Reagan

”America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln

”Domestic policy can only defeat us. Foreign policy can kill us.” JFK

”Compromise, ****!…If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time?” Sen. Jesse Helms

Senator Barack H. Obama’s words in 2006: ”America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.” Duh....!

[AirTool]

....

Those are good. Here is another:

"We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Ben Franklin

[scottb7]

Since we are doing Franklin...His point below was that he knew at the time that the constitution was flawed and would degrade. This can be seen easily in study of constitution. If you google the amendments of the constitution you can see a movement toward socialism (despotism).

1789 1st amend. free speech etc
1909 16th amend fed govt can tax...ability to tax enslaves us to an extent...although i understand govt needs money to do things. but 1909 marks movement toward big govt. It was basically down hill from this point in my opinion...
1912 senators elected on popular vote...which we covered in this thread that majority can and will screw things up...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_Constitution

Franklin:

"In these sentiments, sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults; if they are such; because I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and I believe, further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other."