Zero Salary for Congress: Why Not Link Pols' Pay Level to Ours?

[Donnachaidh]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/ted-rall/35484/zero-salary-for-congress-why-not-link-pols-pay-level-to-ours

Most Americans don't like Moammar Kadafi or Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. But that might change if they knew their paychecks. The leaders of Libya and Iran get $9,516 and $3,000 a year annually, respectively.

Obama collects $5,505,509--a whopping $22,022 per day.

Who's the real out-of-touch dictator?

As the U.S. enters its third year of economic collapse, real unemployment has surged past levels that triggered revolts in Tunisia and Egypt. Yet neither the President nor members of Congress seem worried. They're not even discussing the possibility of a bailout for the one-third of the workforce that is in effect structurally unemployed. Do you wonder why?

More at the link --

[dkf]

1. Didn't they just confiscate billions from Qaddafi?

What ridiculousness is this?

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. He must have a very good financial advisor

[SDuderstadt]

2. Obama is paid...

$400K/yr. That $5,505,509 number is a total fabrication.

Did you bother to fact-check this?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. I'm sure it's related to the pay linkage theory but, as I mention below, I'm missing it, too.

[Wilms]

6. The figure in error was based on the Obama family 2009 tax return.

Book deal, etc., probably boosted his income.

http://www.paycheck.in/main/salarycheckers/vippoliticsroyalty/politics-royalty-vip-paycheck/vip_details?id=barack-obama

Nice work, if you can get it.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. What was the Kadafi figure based on?

I'll try not to laugh.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. I'm missing something obvious. Can someone explain the figures in the first two paragraphs?

I'm sure it's mind-numbingly obvious but apparently I'm brain-cramping.