AOC says she needs a raise?

[Natural Citizen]

AOC's New York 14th Congressional District:
Median age - mid 30s
Demographics - 52% Hispanic - 16% white non Hispanic -12% black - 11% Asian - 9% other
Median household income $61k - avg for NYC $67k
20% of people are below poverty line
About 70% rent
Roughly 40% are foreign born
Fewer than 2% are veterans

I don't think it has ever been determined if AOC actually lived in the Bronx or moved there to run for Congress.

That's about what I expected. Thanks for looking that up.

 

[blackhawk]

Since the two parties like to claim they work for the people here is how raises for Congress should be determined. The voters should decide it since technically they work for us you come to your employer the people make the case about why you deserve a pay raise based on your job performance and accomplishments and we will vote on rather or not you get it.

 

[Foxfyre]

Congress is where the dumbest Democrats go to scam a no accountability job I swear. None of those morons could land a career in the private sector.

Well they might get a bartending job.
AOC bartended for about one year. I can't find any source that says when she went to work for or left National Hispanic Institute but I assume since that information is buried and unavailable it was a fairly short tenure. She left the bartending job to run for Congress in 2018 as the youngest woman to ever run for and be elected to Congress.

The fact is most of our elected leaders study law, poli-sci/government and other fields specifically grooming themselves to be professional politicians. Ron DeSantis for instance spent one year teaching at a private prep school but left to go back to school to study law with the intention of getting into government. And other than that one year, he has never had anything but government jobs.

I've never done an analysis but I bet a surprising number of people in Congress are lifetime career politicians.

 

[BluesLegend]

Well they might get a bartending job.
AOC bartended for about one year. I can't find any source that says when she went to work for or left National Hispanic Institute but I assume since that information is buried and unavailable it was a fairly short tenure. She left the bartending job to run for Congress in 2018 as the youngest woman to ever run for and be elected to Congress.

The fact is most of our elected leaders study law, poli-sci/government and other fields specifically grooming themselves to be professional politicians. Ron DeSantis for instance spent one year teaching at a private prep school but left to go back to school to study law with the intention of getting into government. And other than that one year, he has never had anything but government jobs.

I've never done an analysis but I bet a surprising number of people in Congress are lifetime career politicians.

I earn multiple times what these governors and senators earn in the private sector. Well, I can't solicit bribes from foreign countries, sell out America, engage in insider trading, money laundering, not pay my taxes, get backroom real estate deals. Wait, there may be more money in politics.

 

[Foxfyre]

I earn multiple times what these governors and senators earn in the private sector. Well, I can't solicit bribes from foreign countries, sell out America, engage in insider trading, money laundering, not pay my taxes, get backroom real estate deals. Wait, there may be more money in politics.

I don't make more money than most people. Maybe that's why I have so much empathy for those struggling to keep food on the table, the lights on, pay their other bills these days. My husband and I economize a lot and do without a lot of things it would be nice to do and have these days, but we aren't seriously hurting financially. We had hoped for more leisurely pleasures in our retirement years, but oh well.

But it breaks my heart to see an elderly person or young family looking through the hams or hamburger packages or whatever at the grocery store and putting everything back because there is nothing they can afford. And it makes me angry because it is so unnecessary.

 

[Lord Long Rod]

She should go back to bartending and stealing tips


And stop annoying America

Was she ever REALLY a bartender, or is that just propaganda used to make people believe she is one of the proletariat? I mean, sure, she may have done some bartending. But it is only relevant to her background story to make the connection to working class people; I.e., the proletariat.

 

[BluesLegend]

I don't make more money than most people. Maybe that's why I have so much empathy for those struggling to keep food on the table, the lights on, pay their other bills these days. My husband and I economize a lot and do without a lot of things it would be nice to do and have these days, but we aren't seriously hurting financially. We had hoped for more leisurely pleasures in our retirement years, but oh well.

But it breaks my heart to see an elderly person or young family looking through the hams or hamburger packages or whatever at the grocery store and putting everything back because there is nothing they can afford. And it makes me angry because it is so unnecessary.

Outstanding perspective! I grew up poor and worked shit jobs for low pay on a Dem plantation for a few years so that's my perspective. After asshole Democrats stole every meager raise I managed to earn with tax and fee increases, jacking up the price of everything it dawned on me. The only winning move was to earn more money faster than they could take it from me. I quit the Dem plantation job and worked my way up into the 3% laughing at Dems as I climbed, MF'ers.

 

[Stormy Daniels]

I don't think it has ever been determined if AOC actually lived in the Bronx or moved there to run for Congress.

There is no requirement for a Representative to live in the district they represent.

 

[airplanemechanic]

I have no problem w/our representatives getting what they're worth.

She's not worth a fucking penny. Can we cut her pay to zero?

 

[Nostra]

 

[AZrailwhale]

Most of the thing on that list would not need to apply to anyone other than the elected official. But I wouldn't object to it applying to the official and his/her wife/kids.

If they don’t apply to spouses and close family members you have situations like Paul Pelosi getting rich on insider information from their government employee/politician spouses/family members. It just moves the corruption one place further down the line. The same people get rich from graft and kickbacks. What’s the difference between Paul Pelosi getting rich on insider information and his wife Nancy getting rich? It all goes into the same accounts.

 

[AZrailwhale]

What does that have to with being a bartender?



How come she was against it?


Irrelevant.

If I remember correctly she hates Amazon because it’s a large company.

 

[Foxfyre]

Outstanding perspective! I grew up poor and worked shit jobs for low pay on a Dem plantation for a few years so that's my perspective. After asshole Democrats stole every meager raise I managed to earn with tax and fee increases, jacking up the price of everything it dawned on me. The only winning move was to earn more money faster than they could take it from me. I quit the Dem plantation job and worked my way up into the 3% laughing at Dems as I climbed, MF'ers.

I didn't have many luxuries as a child. My father was both abusive and looked to his self interests a whole lot more than he provided for his family. Hombre also grew up poor and we had absolutely nothing when we married. No savings. Few prospects. We were $21 overdrawn at the bank on our wedding day. But we both had good heads on our shoulders, solid values, solid work ethic. It was a struggle those first few years especially as our kids came along. We worked a lot of shit jobs, often multiple jobs to make ends meet.

But we worked and saved into solid middle class by the time those kids were needing things like music lessons and band instruments and summer camp tuition and we were both in management positions and earning decent salaries.

And I can say that we fared overall quite a bit better under Republicans than we have under Democrats over the years. Democrats tend to make people dependent. Republicans tend to make it more possible for people to prosper.

AOC may have a degree in economics from an expensive university, but her expressed knowledge of economics is pathetic. I would be horrified for her to have any real power over the means of production in this country, though she probably wouldn't do any worse than Biden has.

 

[Foxfyre]

There is no requirement for a Representative to live in the district they represent.

That is true though only a couple dozen representatives do not live in the districts they represent and most of those are because their district boundaries were redrawn over the years.

 

[Foxfyre]

If they don’t apply to spouses and close family members you have situations like Paul Pelosi getting rich on insider information from their government employee/politician spouses/family members. It just moves the corruption one place further down the line. The same people get rich from graft and kickbacks. What’s the difference between Paul Pelosi getting rich on insider information and his wife Nancy getting rich? It all goes into the same accounts.

Good point.

 

[candycorn]

AOC still thinks $174,000 isn't enough money for members of Congress: 'I know it's kind of a contrarian position'

"I've been saying this for some time," Ocasio-Cortez told BI this week, saying a pay bump is needed "if we want working class people" in Congress.

www.yahoo.com

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has long been vocal about the need for members of Congress to get a pay bump.

As it turns out, Rep. Patrick McHenry — the North Carolina Republican who briefly served as interim speaker of the House in October — agrees with her, recently telling The Dispatch that congressional pay needs to be raised to attract "credible people to run for office."

"I've been saying this for some time," Ocasio-Cortez told BI this week. "I think he's right. I know it's kind of a contrarian position."

Contrarian position? The hell you say!

The argument is that without raising the wage in Congress, middle class people won't seek office and only be dominated by rich folk. But then, was Joe Biden a rich person before he went into office? No, but now he is worth millions and millions and millions!!! Funny how there are a myriad of Congressmen and women just like him. In fact, AOC is a millionaire now as well, but it certainly was not from her salary in Congress. No, you must sell your soul to get the money Biden and AOC have received, and then whine about wanting more money.

Asshats.

Are there a lot of GOP representatives standing in line at the soup kitchen, stupid?


As far as it goes; they work very little compared to the average American. Congress is in session for less than 1/2 of the year.

Number of Days Congress Works in Session a Year ​

The House of Representatives has averaged 146.7 "legislative days" a year since 2001, according to records kept.2 That's about one day of work every two and a half days. The Senate, on the other hand, was in session an average of 165 days a year over the same time period.3

How Many Days Do Members of Congress Work in a Year?

Find out how many days Congress really works in a year. See how the average workweek for Congress compares to that of the average American worker.

www.thoughtco.com

So please save the argument about the "costs of living" in DC. Your not working there for 1/2 the year. If you are spending your non-working hours in DC...thats on you. Here is what I recommend...either get creative as most Americans do when faced with economic shortfalls; do without, or perhaps you need another line of work.

From what I have read, AOC, you're a terrible representative and often ignore your constituents. Perhaps this job isn't a good match for you.

 

[scruffy]

I agree. Members of Congress should be paid more. . . IF . . .

1. It is illegal for them to buy, trade, sell any stock, mutual fund, or any other investment while they are in office and for six months after they leave office.

2. It is illegal for them to debate or vote on any legislation or policy that directly affects investments they own or business enterprises in which they or their family have a direct interest.

3. They give up their Cadillac health benefits and purchase their health insurance on the open market as they require all the rest of us to do.

4. They give up their federal retirement and contribute into their 401k or IRAs like many of the rest of us have to do.

5. They give a full accounting of all expenditures from their government expense accounts and cannot use this for any personal expenditures of any kind including gifts to others.

6. They cannot exempt themselves from ANY law, rule, regulation, policy they impose on the people they represent.

Fuck em.

They should work for free.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Is she the first Congresswoman to suggest this OP?

Is she even the first government employee to suggest this?

Lemme help you: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/12/19/clarence-thomas-supreme-court-salaries/

Lol, but there you are defending her. I wouldn't defend either of these two pathetic parties.

 

[Dragonlady]

AOC still thinks $174,000 isn't enough money for members of Congress: 'I know it's kind of a contrarian position'

"I've been saying this for some time," Ocasio-Cortez told BI this week, saying a pay bump is needed "if we want working class people" in Congress.

www.yahoo.com

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has long been vocal about the need for members of Congress to get a pay bump.

As it turns out, Rep. Patrick McHenry — the North Carolina Republican who briefly served as interim speaker of the House in October — agrees with her, recently telling The Dispatch that congressional pay needs to be raised to attract "credible people to run for office."

"I've been saying this for some time," Ocasio-Cortez told BI this week. "I think he's right. I know it's kind of a contrarian position."

Contrarian position? The hell you say!

The argument is that without raising the wage in Congress, middle class people won't seek office and only be dominated by rich folk. But then, was Joe Biden a rich person before he went into office? No, but now he is worth millions and millions and millions!!! Funny how there are a myriad of Congressmen and women just like him. In fact, AOC is a millionaire now as well, but it certainly was not from her salary in Congress. No, you must sell your soul to get the money Biden and AOC have received, and then whine about wanting more money.

Asshats.

As always, your post is fully of bullshit that has no basis in fact. Let's start with your unsupported claim that AOC is a millionaire. Not true. Her 2021 Financial filing shows a net worth of $45,000 and student debt of $15,000.

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N2ZL1O2/

Next, is your assertion that Joe Biden succeeded in getting rich after a life of working in government. Also not true. Biden didn't get rich until AFTER he left office. We he left the Vice-President's office in 2016, there was a mortgage on his house in Delaware.

Also, Biden was first elected to office before Reagan was President. Things have changed since the 1970's.

 

[LeftofLeft]

I have no problem w/our representatives getting what they're worth.

Should they be paid based on some arbitrary “worth” amount or should they be paid on performance based outcomes like the rest of US?