Why does the Senate Chaplain make $150k and have staff making $129k, $86k, and $52k?

[Bluebear]

Annual salaries:

Chaplain: $150,698
Chief of Staff: $129,223
Director of Communications: $86,056
Executive Assistant: $52,828

I get that that religious politically correctness won't permit the Congress to entirely phase out the Chaplain's office, but give me a break. The guy opens up the day with a prayer and he's getting $150k a year, and need a chief of staff, a publicist, and a secretary to pull it off? One of the more pious members of Congress could simply offer the prayer themselves.

Check out the "other" responsibilities of the Senate chaplain:

In addition to opening the Senate each day in prayer, Chaplain Black’s duties include counseling and spiritual care for the Senators, their families and their staffs, a combined constituency of six thousand people. Chaplain Black’s days are filled with meeting Senators about spiritual and moral issues, assisting Senators’ staffs with research on theological and biblical questions, teaching Senate Bible study groups, encouraging such groups as the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, and facilitating discussion and reflection small groups among Senators and staff.

http://www.americablog.com/2011/07/why-does-senate-chaplain-make-150k-and.html

[Ozymanithrax]

1. It's called subsidizing religon...

[Long Shadow]

2. Because they work for the government.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. But my Soc. Sec. check is bankrupting the government, don'tcha know.

[yellowwood]

4. Unbelievable

Really, this is disgusting.

[RobertSeattle]

5. Guy must have been full time in Newt's office

[Bluebear]

9. Let alone Vitter!

[SoCalDem]

6. I'd like to see ALL religion taken out of our government

This whole Pray and then legislate stuff is insane..

If they want to say a prayer before work, no one is stopping them, but why should we pay for a "prayer-person"..

[PoliticAverse]

7. Change it to "Senate Imam" and see how fast it gets eliminated... n/t

[Bluebear]

8. + + + + +

[SDuderstadt]

10. Read your last paragraph...

members of Congress do not give up their right to .free qxervise simply because they are members of Congress.

[yellowwood]

18. Of course they don't

But there must be some nice churches that they could attend. Why do we have to pay for their "exercise." Besides, praying is free, isn't it?

[SDuderstadt]

19. Nevermind n/t

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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[Bluebear]

24. 'their right to .free qxervise' - what does that mean?

[Shagbark Hickory]

11. I want to scream.

So many things to say but my fingers are so tired right now.

[B Calm]

12. EGADS! Talk about wasteful spending!!

[Bluenorthwest]

13. If his duties include the moral counciling of Senators

It could be argued that Chaplin Black is the single biggest failure in DC.

[kenny blankenship]

28. I wonder what his employee performance self-evaluation form says?

It should say I am a complete failure in my post, and a waster of oxygen and office supplies.

[kenny blankenship]

14. No question about it: God is pricey. But if you want to spend less, and go with inferior quality

like one of those myriads of Asian or MesoAmerican demiurges, then you're going to get inferior results. God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is a proven market leader.

Maybe you just don't have the budget to run with the big dogs? Who's making the purchasing decisions in your household anyway? Who wears the pants? If you want to let the little woman -or the cub, as the case may be - railroad you into a shoddy deity with all the reliability problems that entails, then go ahead. It's a free country. You'll follow one ersatz electroplated golden idol, then another. You'll be back. Eventually you'll come right back here, when you decide to get off that upgrade treadmill. You'll see that our Senate Chaplain is a good deal at the 150K/per annum rate.

[Starry Messenger]

15. Whatever he's praying for, it sure isn't for us!

[RKP5637]

16. Because god created the US!

Isn't that what they all say when you challenge them on anything. For a country that boasts separation of church and state, it sure seems the god word gets used a lot in state functions.

[izquierdista]

17. God is omniscent, omnipresent, all powerful....

...but he just can't handle money. --George Carlin

[Taverner]

20. More than that, why do we have a Senate Chaplain???

[smokey nj]

22. That's what I want to know! And, why does that chaplain need a staff?

Is his job really THAT hard?

[Taverner]

25. I know - there's only one book!

[Bluebear]

27. +

[tekisui]

21. Seperation of (some) church and state.

[A Simple Game]

26. I wouldn't do the job for twice the money. Can you imagine

having to listen to Republican Senators justify their thought processes and legislative votes with the bible. A sane person would go nuts after just a week.

[gkhouston]

29. Think about confession...

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned..."

"No, shit, Sherlock! I watch CNN just like everyone else in the country. Don't think you're getting off easy this time!!"

[A Simple Game]

32. I should have, I used to be Catholic. I have changed my mind.

With your idea I now think this could be made into one of the best jobs in the world.

I would get to dole out the punishment! All in God's name of course.

[gkhouston]

33. "Say ten Hail Marys..."

"...holding these electrodes." :evilgrin:

[jmowreader]

30. Imagine hearing David Vitter confessing his love of diaper sex

and you'd agree: with all these perverted Republicans running around, no amount of money is enough to get most people to do that job.

[Ilsa]

31. All that money, and they don't actually produce anything. nt

[hifiguy]

34. They might as well take that $400K-plus

tear it up and flush it down the crapper for all the return they are getting on it. Another small inffuriating thing to start the day. :grr: