Congressional Rewards

What do you get when you win the election and start serving in the U.S. Congress?

To start with you get an annual salary of $174,000 which is more than 95% of American families.

You get free out patient health care at military hospitals. You also get a cheap but excellent health care plan.

You get a pension that is inflation adjusted which taxpayers fund to the tune of 80%. The plan is said to be 3 times better than anything else on the market.

A thrift savings account, that we the people match 5% (a kind of 401K).

Free mail so you can persuade you constituents you are doing something.

Leased automobile.

Free travel to exotic places "donated" by non-profit groups.

Free gym membership at Congressional gym.

Free lunch at Congressional cafeteria.

Free hair care and manicures at Congressional barber/beauty shop.

Special tax deduction for having a second home.

1 or 2 million a year for your supplied staff.

Free reserved prime parking at office and airports.

Free use of broadcast taping studios.

Frequent flier miles for trips paid for by Government.

Free income tax preparation.

A three or four day work week. With very liberal vacations (oops I mean "District Work Periods"). Congress is "in session" from 120 to 180 days a year.

Finely furnished offices. A complete leather bound set of law books (engraved with their name - so not to be used again, goes home with Representative when they leave office) $2500 a set.

That is not counting the money that members get from PAC's and campaign accounts.

Not to shabby for a part time job. I wonder if they really do know what the average American working man has to go through? I would say not.

Benjamin Franklin didn't believe that our Representatives shouldn't be paid at all, but others changed his mind. They made $6 per Diem for every day in session. Sounds like a winner to me.