Sleeping in your office?

[JBeukema]

I wonder where they shower

 

[RadiomanATL]

The issue isn't about sacking out on the couch. It's about taxpayer furnished "offices" supplied with all the comforts of a Teddy Kennedy pad.

You're joking, right?

Have you ever been in a Congressman's D.C. office?

Clearly he has not.

Not quite the lap of luxury.

Sweet!

I'm sleeping better than some congress critters tonight, even though I'm crashing on a futon!

 

[RadiomanATL]

I wonder where they shower

There's a gym with showers and stuff. And a cafeteria.

 

[Charles_Main]

No it is not a problem. It is a solution to what could be a problem if they had to pay for two residences in two states, on their salaries. I admire them. There is a huge exercise room with showers for all Congresspersons.

Don't feel bad for them and their Salaries. Just about every one of them fuckers is taking kick backs. They come out set for life on a modest salary, and we seem to never ask how the fuck they got rich on it.

 

[whitehall]

Show some respect. Treat the office the taxpayers supplied as a place to do business and not a flophouse.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Umm most people move to where their job is.

why should congresspeople be any different from the rest of us?

Because they are actually required to maintain a home in their district?

 

[JBeukema]

I wonder where they shower

There's a gym with showers and stuff. And a cafeteria.

So it's kinda like livin' in a barracks?

 

[RadiomanATL]

I wonder where they shower

There's a gym with showers and stuff. And a cafeteria.

So it's kinda like livin' in a barracks?

Eh,

More like a large corporate complex.

The headquarters for my company has a small gym with exercise rooms and showers, and has a cafeteria as well. A few thousand work there M-F.

 

[Skull Pilot]

It's just more nanny state bullshit.

The American people supposedly own the buildings and if most of them don't give a shit why should it matter?

Why not let all government workers sleep in their offices? They make less than congressmen

Fine with me.

Once upon a time in my life I slept in my car and showered at the Y while i was getting a business off the ground.

Other times I slept in an office i rented because i couldn't afford the rent on the office and an apartment.

When we opened this business, my wife and I slept on the floor in our reception space because most of what is now our apartment over the business was stripped to the studs and had no water or electricity.

It's no big deal. it's called doing what it takes. A concept that has been forgotten this day and age.

 

[gekaap]

No. It's not a problem. It's a practical solution to a personal financial management challenge of maintaining a home in one's home district while having to spend a large part of time in a very expensive area for real estate. Not everyone is married to a Heinz Heiress.

1. Congressmen are paid a 6 figure salary, and are not taxed on their salary. If they cannot manage their financial situation to be able to afford secondary housing while they are in town, they are not fit for office.

2. If someone's personal problems in life are really so imposing on their function as an elected official, then they are not fit for office.

3. I would imagine that being married to a rich woman would make a person's financial situation all the more difficult. Women already place great demands on their S/O's money, and the rich women are all the more demanding, because they are used to having more. If I made 6 figures and was married to dirty poor trailer trash, I would expect my financial situation to be considerably better than if I were married to Paris Hilton. I doubt my entire salary would be enough to satisfy that bitch for a dinner date.

 

[rightwinger]

There's a gym with showers and stuff. And a cafeteria.

So it's kinda like livin' in a barracks?

Eh,

More like a large corporate complex.

The headquarters for my company has a small gym with exercise rooms and showers, and has a cafeteria as well. A few thousand work there M-F.

Do you get to sleep there if you are too cheap to rent your own place?

 

[RadiomanATL]

So it's kinda like livin' in a barracks?

Eh,

More like a large corporate complex.

The headquarters for my company has a small gym with exercise rooms and showers, and has a cafeteria as well. A few thousand work there M-F.

Do you get to sleep there if you are too cheap to rent your own place?

I don't work at headquarters.

But I know some sleep there. They also have a few small hospital sized rooms that they can put people up in.

 

[boedicca]

No. It's not a problem. It's a practical solution to a personal financial management challenge of maintaining a home in one's home district while having to spend a large part of time in a very expensive area for real estate. Not everyone is married to a Heinz Heiress.

1. Congressmen are paid a 6 figure salary, and are not taxed on their salary. If they cannot manage their financial situation to be able to afford secondary housing while they are in town, they are not fit for office.

2. If someone's personal problems in life are really so imposing on their function as an elected official, then they are not fit for office.

3. I would imagine that being married to a rich woman would make a person's financial situation all the more difficult. Women already place great demands on their S/O's money, and the rich women are all the more demanding, because they are used to having more. If I made 6 figures and was married to dirty poor trailer trash, I would expect my financial situation to be considerably better than if I were married to Paris Hilton. I doubt my entire salary would be enough to satisfy that bitch for a dinner date.

Congressman do pay income taxes, bub. And sleeping in one's office is not a Personal Problem - it's a sign of financial responsibility.

From point 3, I'd guess you have little experience interacting with grown up women.

 

[gekaap]

Congressman do pay income taxes, bub.

The impression that I've always had is that their salary as Congresspersons/Senators is non taxable; they pay taxes on any other income not associated with their office, and their eligibility for social security benefits is based on their non-congressional income over their lifetime. But I freely admit that I'm not an expert of any kind on this, so I'm open to better/more specific information.

And sleeping in one's office is not a Personal Problem - it's a sign of financial responsibility.

But the ability to afford your own housing needs IS a personal problem. If I were to decide to start sleeping at my job, get caught, and I tried to tell my boss, "I'm just trying to be financially responsible" I'd be shown the door. It's a personal problem, and has no place coming into the work environment.

Overall, I just don't see a reason to view this issue in any different way than I would view it were it any other person. And my opinion is that any person who relies on their work place as a residence (special circumstances like firemen and military personnel aside), is being irresponsible, being cheap, and/or unable to fulfill the requirements of their job without imposing on the workplace. That being said, I would not be opposed to the government constructing a dorm on the Capitol grounds for members to rent out at reasonable rates, so that they can easily obtain reasonable lodging nearby. It would provide for the needs of the elected officials, and it would be a fiscally responsible plan that would pay off more than it cost in the long run.

From point 3, I'd guess you have little experience interacting with grown up women.

I think you have little experience recognizing sarcasm.

 

[boedicca]

So what you really mean to say is that serving in Congress is something for only the Very Wealthy.

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[gekaap]

So what you really mean to say is that serving in Congress is something for only the Very Wealthy.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Yes, it's something only for the very wealthy because they make $174,000 a year. I consider anyone making that amount of money very wealthy. If they cannot afford a secondary apartment on that salary, then they obviously are not very good with managing finances. If we can't expect them to swing that, how can we expect them to have any competency to manage the huge federal budget? If we assume, for a moment, they find an apartment for $1000 a month, and that apartment incurs an additional $1000 worth of other expenses a month , that means that after deducting that $24k a year (I think we all would agree that this is a very conservative estimate, and that it's extremely unlikely that a "financially responsible" person would pay this much), a member of Congress still makes nets $150,000 a year. Stop trying to make it sound like Congresspeople and Senators are poor, their income puts them in the top 3.2% of Americans.

Craigslist has listings for apartments available right this very moment, for as low as $875/mo for a two bedroom apt. It's only a secondary home, right? If they are really that hard up to make the bills, then they can do what the rest of us do and get a roommate, maybe one of their Congressional colleagues from their state.

 

[boedicca]

How nice of you to want to decide how somebody else should spend his personal income.

What a sad control freak.

 

[gekaap]

How nice of you to want to decide how somebody else should spend his personal income.

What a sad control freak.

Your attempts to paint me as some kind of unreasonable "freak" are what is sad. Since when are people NOT expected to supply their own housing needs? People can spend their own money any way they want. But give me one good reason why we the people should NOT expect Congresspeople and Senators to provide their own housing needs? I find it very unprofessional and irresponsible for ANYONE to make a home out of their office. I see no reason for me to provide a special exception to elected officials. If they are unable to get their job done without living in their offices, and they are not able to manage their finances well enough to find room in their very high income to provide for their own housing needs, then I do not see any reason to believe them competent to manage the federal finances. I see nothing unreasonable about these positions, especially since these are the kinds of requirements that the ordinary American has to satisfy in our every day lives.

Also, stop trying to move the goal post. You've gone from failed arguments of financial responsibility, to failed implications of Congressional poverty, and now to a desperate attempt at ad hominems. Two fallacies does not make a positive argument.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

1. Congressmen are paid a 6 figure salary, and are not taxed on their salary. If they cannot manage their financial situation to be able to afford secondary housing while they are in town, they are not fit for office.

They are taxed on their salary. Personally, I wouldn't want to pay rent anywhere around DC.

2. If someone's personal problems in life are really so imposing on their function as an elected official, then they are not fit for office.

How is sleeping on the couch in an office a personal problem?

3. I would imagine that being married to a rich woman would make a person's financial situation all the more difficult. Women already place great demands on their S/O's money, and the rich women are all the more demanding, because they are used to having more. If I made 6 figures and was married to dirty poor trailer trash, I would expect my financial situation to be considerably better than if I were married to Paris Hilton. I doubt my entire salary would be enough to satisfy that bitch for a dinner date.

You are lucky I am not a woman. As it is I will just sit back and watch the show.

 

[gekaap]

They are taxed on their salary. Personally, I wouldn't want to pay rent anywhere around DC.

Rental rates around DC are not unreasonable. Take a look at the link I provided. After all, there are plenty of people in the DC area who make far less than anyone in Congress. Median household income in D.C. is about 34% that of a Congressperson's or Senator's salary.

How is sleeping on the couch in an office a personal problem?

The argument was presented that living in their offices was basically a need arising from the amount of their salary, and the allegedly undue burden that would be required to maintain a secondary residence. In sum, it is being argued that they cannot afford to maintain a secondary residence nearby. I say that their housing needs are their own personal problem, and do not have any place in determining whether there is an ethical concern arising here. If they cannot find a balance in fulfilling their job requirements and maintaining their own housing needs, then perhaps they should do what the rest of us would do in such a situation, and re-evaluate their ability to hold their job.

You are lucky I am not a woman. As it is I will just sit back and watch the show.

Let them bring it. I am more than capable of swatting away any feminist garbage that wants to wax poetic about how it's supposed to be a man's duty to fill a woman's coffers. Don't forget the popcorn.