Congress has lost its mind...

[classicman]

But the whole deal only does what ALL POLITICIANS have done repeatedly, kick the can down the calendar and deal with it another day

ftfy

[TheMercenary]

First time I saw it where it was going to effect so many people with new taxes is with Obamacare. Do you have any examples of similar Bills before Obama that did that and affected so many people so widely?

[classicman]

They've been kicking the can ... well ... like ... forever pretty much. We just didn't know about it as much.
Something as large as the HCRA? That will pretty much limit the others, no? Its scope alone makes it unique in many ways. The tie of employment and healthcare will be broken soon, as it should be. Who and how it gets paid for will be dealt with over time. Will it be fair, equitable ... probably not, but it is the right thing to do. If some would just stop bitching about caring for their fellow man and spend more time working on the implementation, we'd all be far better off.

[classicman]

Got this in an email ...

If you or anyone you know is looking for a job right now, take a look at this opening... and please pass it on to anyone you might know.

Base pay - right off the bat - is $174,100 a year. And you don't need any experience to qualify.

People with all kinds of backgrounds have held this job.

Carpenters, police officers, accountants, taxi drivers, volunteer firemen, musicians, dentists, engineers, farmers, nurses, bank tellers, ministers, driving instructors... Even a tollbooth operator has held this position.

And little education is required, either. Twenty-seven people currently holding one of these jobs have no more than a high-school diploma. And even that isn't required. Not even a GED.

Not bad, considering you'll never have to worry about money again.

In fact, practically every other colleague you'll meet in this job is a millionaire - or multimillionaire.

And in addition to an instant six-figure salary, you'll get three retirement plans. I'm not kidding. This is absolutely true.

You'll be eligible for Social Security benefits, of course, like everyone else. But you'll also get a 401(k)-like plan that "matches" up to 5%. And you'll get an increasingly rare chance to participate in a pension plan, too - a good one. How good?

Even if you only last five years on the job, you're guaranteed an immediate, full pension when you retire at age 62... or at age 50 if you've worked 20 years... or at any time after you've worked 25 years.

You'll collect nearly 44% of your six-figure salary, depending on how long you worked.

Hard to believe, I know... especially these days. So please, if you know someone with good character who's looking for a job, listen up... Because the position gets even better...

While most Americans are paying out the nose for health insurance (and getting less of it) this job comes with the best healthcare money can buy. You'll get to choose from 10 different first-rate plans.

And if you have a preexisting condition, that's okay. You'll be fully covered anyway.

You'll even have the option of visiting a doctor on site, whenever you want.

Or working out in a top-flight gym - for free...

Or taking a spin in your free "company" car, burning all the free gas you can buy...

Or parking it - for free - at the two regional airports near headquarters, which comes in handy...

Once you get this job, you'll be able to fly almost anywhere in the world for free... and make even more money while you're doing it. That's because you'll receive a per diem travel allowance... and get to keep whatever you don't spend - up to $3,000 per trip.

These are just a few of the job's perks. But here's the best part... You barely have to work.

In fact, most of the people who hold this job work only three days a week. And they all enjoy more than a month of paid vacation every year on top of it... often much more.

This may be hard to believe, but it's absolutely true.

Now, if you'd like to apply for one of these openings, there are only two qualifications:

You must be at least 25 years old. And you have to be a U.S. citizen for at least the last nine years. That's it.

The only drawback is that you must be willing to travel to Washington, D.C. from time to time. But only when you really want to, between jaunts to Martha's Vineyard.

And things get even better...

That's because the annual salary is not all the money you can make in this job.

You see, when members of Congress leave office, they can still keep spending the Political Action Committee PAC money on whatever they please... until it's gone.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), for example, has spent $50,807 this way at the Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona. And Rep. Pete Sessions of (R-TX), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, has spent $49,739 at several Las Vegas sites, including Dos Caminos, a restaurant that brags about its "vibrant bar scene."

Who's got time to worry about some "debt ceiling" when there's so much extra cash to burn?

But it's not just about the extra money...

Members of Congress can also increase their existing wealth... in ways the rest of us aren't allowed.

If, for example, Congress is considering a law that would help or harm a particular industry, members are free to use that information to buy or sell stock. So it's totally legal for them to personally profit from insider information.

The most popular investment among members of Congress? General Electric, in which 82 current members are invested.

Members also get a special tax deduction of $3,000 to write off living expenses when away from their congressional districts or home states. And, of course, the value of most of the other perks is not taxable.

I mean, why tax that income when you can simply add to our country's debt problems?

Let's face it... Our "representatives" are officially out of touch. They have no idea how real Americans live on a day-to-day basis.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to stop filling up 535 extra gas tanks each week...

Especially when 58% of Congress members are millionaires. And the "non-millionaires" are doing just fine.

The median wealth of a House member in 2009 was $765,010.

For a senator, it was $2.38 million.

Despite what they tell us, working in Congress is not a "Public Service." It's a job - an incredibly lucrative one.

We believe it's too lucrative. And it's time for it to stop. It's time to send a message.

Congress should be watching out for us - not profiting off of us. In fact, it's time for Congress to live like we do. We believe members of the U.S. Congress should be subjected to the same economic realities the rest of us must face.

If you're ready to stop filling up 535 extra gas tanks a week... stop paying for your representative's gym membership...or taking care of his parking tickets (Yes, we pay for those, too.)... Or funding their extra retirement plan...

Then take a second to let your voice be heard. Vote today. We need as many votes as possible.

We're going to make the results public and share the poll results with major media outlets across the country. Our goal? To eliminate their excessive, taxpayer-funded perks and make Congress pay its own way... just like the rest of us. No more freebies.

The more votes we have, the better chance of getting our voices heard.

So are you ready? Are you ready to start making these people live like the rest of us?

We are. And now we're ready to do something about it.

You can vote right here. And if you know anyone else who would like to stop buying gourmet soups and sandwiches for rich people on Capitol Hill every day, pass this on.

Yours truly,

Dunno anything about it, just thought I'd throw it out here...

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

If some would just stop bitching about caring for their fellow man and spend more time working on the implementation, we'd all be far better off.

Well that is not how things work in a society of a Right to "pursue happiness".

[infinite monkey]

You're just being ridiculous. Cut it out.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

You're just being ridiculous. Cut it out.

Just pointing out the obvious!

[infinite monkey]

As you are wont to do.

[TheMercenary]

Now where is my spoon? I feel fatness coming on.... Hi ya Rosie! Let me show ya my "gun".

[infinite monkey]

Quit pointing that spoon at me, will you?

I didn't ask to have a spoon pointed at me, unless it's in my own cold, dead hands.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Well that is not how things work in a society of a Right to "pursue happiness".

Given that "they" are elected to give the population the best way forward in that pursuit of happiness,that's exactly their job.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Given that "they" are elected to give the population the best way forward in that pursuit of happiness,that's exactly their job.

To bad that few of them end up doing that. Some may have entered the job with good intentions but after a little bit of arm twisting by special interests and senior members not many end up just like the others, looking out for themselves and their hold on power.

[classicman]

AP source: House Republicans got discounted loans

WASHINGTON (AP) – Two veteran House Republicans received discounted mortgage loans from the now-defunct
Countrywide Financial Corp. under a VIP program, a congressional official said Friday.
The discounts went to Reps. Howard McKeon and Elton Gallegly of California, said the official, who was not authorized to
speak publicly about the loans and requested anonymity. Their identities were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating whether members of Congress received
VIP discounts. The Associated Press reported previously that four House members had received the discounts.
One of the four remains unidentified publicly.

Records show that Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y, also received discounts.

Link
wai what? What did that headline say again and who was conveniently omitted entirely?

Senators Christopher Dodd, Democrat from Connecticut and chairman of the Banking Committee,
and Kent Conrad, Democrat from North Dakota, chairman of the Budget Committee and a member of the Finance
Committee, refinanced properties through Countrywide's "V.I.P." program in 2003 and 2004

link
I know they are senators, but still should have been mentioned in the article regardless of that.

[classicman]

Sorry, I forgot one...

The son of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi Jr., has worked as a sales manager and loan officer for Countrywide in the San Francisco Bay Area and received about $1 million in loans from Countrywide on a condo. The younger Pelosi, 39, who holds a law degree and an MBA from Georgetown University, obtained a $916,000 mortgage from Countrywide in 2004 and a $114,500 line of credit the same year.

[ZenGum]

A bit off topic, but not worthy of its own thread ... and it's a stoopid polly thing ...

In South Australia, we hold a (world class) cycling race called Tour Down Under. Last year Lance Armstrong rode in it, his last international race.

A week back, our state premier decided to go to Texas to present the keys to the city of Adelaide to Lance Armstrong.

You'd think that someone, somewhere in the premier's staff, would have thought to check whether Mr Armstrong was actually going to be at home to receive them.