This link will tell you all about the salaries and benefits for the Members of Congress. Even first term congressmen will make $174,000 per year. Leadership in the House and Senate make more. The Speaker of the House (Mr. John Boehner) makes $223,500 a year. {that's a lot of orange....um, er, I mean green} The President pro Tempore and majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate make $193,400. ASTOUNDING. Then there's those pesky things like franking the mail, tax deductions, mileage rates.
This link tells you what people who work in the White House makes {now to be fair, this was the 2011 report, I can't find one for 2012}. And the big Kahuna in the White House, well, he makes $400,000 per year.
Go to those links, check it out. The one on the White House salaries is ASTOUNDING. Did you see some of those?! I can't help but look at those and say "wow, redundant much?" Oh, yeah, and we mustn't forget that not only do Congress and Presidents get paid such a pittance {do you hear my sarcasm?!} THEY GET PAID IT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
Now, for balance ~ let's look at the pay of the military.
This link is a great one to look at all salaries of the military ~ Officers, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted. The last rank that my husband had when he was in the Marine Corps was an E5. He was a Sergeant. As of January 1, 2013, an E5 who has been in for over 8 years, his or her monthly salary is $2893.68. That adds up to a whopping gross pay of $34,724.16. Then they do have added benefits ~ {but they also pay for them,} the GI Bill, Tricare, Separation pay, Hazardous duty pay, many branches also offer tuition assistance. Well, they did.
I have many friends in the many branches of the military. Because of Sequestration, rumors are rampant about what is going to happen. I have friends who are deployed overseas and have been for many months and were scheduled to come home, but those return dates have either been postponed or cancelled until further notice.
Commissaries will be closing for at least one day a week. Child care programs on bases will be cut. They have already cut down on recruiting and even retention of already enlisted/officers. Their healthcare costs are rising, it's getting more difficult to get appointments for doctor's for their entire families. And let me tell ya, it wasn't easy peasy lemon squeasy 10 years ago, either. I can't imagine the frustration they are feeling now. Maintenance on things like ships and other NECESSARY equipment are being postponed. And troops deployed to places like Afghanistan are not getting fed hot meals, but instead MRE's are being given in place of hot meals ~ have you ever eaten an MRE?! I have tried one just for fun, and while they aren't entirely gross, they are definitely not something I would want to eat 3 meals a day of. Plus, they aren't easy on the digestive system either. That is despicable.
But, per some friends accounts and this link, I find it terribly sad that people who joined our military (for whatever reason) joined with the promise of having help with furthering their education. But, at the end of this semester, unless something changes, Tuition Assistance programs for all branches of the military will be suspended until further notice. REALLY?!?! It was a promised benefit. But "
But, instead of honoring those who are serving, they are getting a big kick in the pants. But what else can we expect from an administration who wants all agencies to "make the sequester as painful as possible". WOW. What a true servant to WE THE PEOPLE. Let's make them pay ~ cut the funding for public park tours, cut tours to the White House (ran by volunteers), but, hey, the Obama's can't turn away the celebrities or turn down a million dollar tax payer funded golf outing with Tiger Woods. Such servants.
I'm sorry, I'd much rather pay for our service men and women to be able to better themselves with classes that will make them more useful to our military than to pay for the dead beats to mooch off the backs of hard working Americans ~ including the ones who fight to preserve and protect the rights for the dead beats to occupy the White House and run around playing politics in Congress. And why are we giving our money to the same people who are shooting at our military members overseas when we should be directing it providing the necessary equipment, education and hot meals for our troops. They deserve that. I personally think they should be making more money than the people occupying the places of leadership in Washington DC. Somewhere along the line, DC politics and priorities have gotten skewed. So, my question to DC politicians on both sides of the aisle is "Where is the honor for those who have served and are serving?" WHERE IS THE HONOR?!
I just want to thank those men and women for doing what so many won't do. For spending the time in the grueling training. For going for days with little to no sleep. For getting sprayed with OC spray so you learn to properly apply your gas mask. For facing the the separation from your loved ones. For doing it for far less than you deserve. And I want to say a big thank you to your families who stay home, go to school, go to work every day you are gone. To your family, I say Thank you. You, too, endure the separation. You endure the fear of seeing an unfamiliar car parked across the street and pray that it isn't the chaplain coming to give you word that your life is forever changed because of a severe injury or the death of your loved one. You put the kids to bed at night, weep when they cry out for daddy (or mommy) to tuck them in. You get angry with yourself if you miss the one chance he gets to to call you and your phone was on silent and you missed it. You have to make holidays happy even though you ache inside because your man isn't there to help you pick out a tree or choose the presents for your little ones. You have to be mommy and daddy. Thank you for your sacrifices. I myself have made those sacrifices. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done and are doing. It's not enough, but I give you my eternal gratitude. THANK YOU.
Commissaries will be closing for at least one day a week. Child care programs on bases will be cut. They have already cut down on recruiting and even retention of already enlisted/officers. Their healthcare costs are rising, it's getting more difficult to get appointments for doctor's for their entire families. And let me tell ya, it wasn't easy peasy lemon squeasy 10 years ago, either. I can't imagine the frustration they are feeling now. Maintenance on things like ships and other NECESSARY equipment are being postponed. And troops deployed to places like Afghanistan are not getting fed hot meals, but instead MRE's are being given in place of hot meals ~ have you ever eaten an MRE?! I have tried one just for fun, and while they aren't entirely gross, they are definitely not something I would want to eat 3 meals a day of. Plus, they aren't easy on the digestive system either. That is despicable.
But, per some friends accounts and this link, I find it terribly sad that people who joined our military (for whatever reason) joined with the promise of having help with furthering their education. But, at the end of this semester, unless something changes, Tuition Assistance programs for all branches of the military will be suspended until further notice. REALLY?!?! It was a promised benefit. But "
The suspension applies to all components and will remain effect until the fiscal situation matures."
But, instead of honoring those who are serving, they are getting a big kick in the pants. But what else can we expect from an administration who wants all agencies to "make the sequester as painful as possible". WOW. What a true servant to WE THE PEOPLE. Let's make them pay ~ cut the funding for public park tours, cut tours to the White House (ran by volunteers), but, hey, the Obama's can't turn away the celebrities or turn down a million dollar tax payer funded golf outing with Tiger Woods. Such servants.
{Oh, and btw ~ military members, yeah, their pay ends when their contract runs out. The retirement pensions for them, pretty much sucks. And if you aren't lucky enough to retire, well, you get nothing, unless you get a VA disability rating then you get a true pittance of a compensation. Hey, thanks for doing what you did, here's a few dollars to help.}
I'm sorry, I'd much rather pay for our service men and women to be able to better themselves with classes that will make them more useful to our military than to pay for the dead beats to mooch off the backs of hard working Americans ~ including the ones who fight to preserve and protect the rights for the dead beats to occupy the White House and run around playing politics in Congress. And why are we giving our money to the same people who are shooting at our military members overseas when we should be directing it providing the necessary equipment, education and hot meals for our troops. They deserve that. I personally think they should be making more money than the people occupying the places of leadership in Washington DC. Somewhere along the line, DC politics and priorities have gotten skewed. So, my question to DC politicians on both sides of the aisle is "Where is the honor for those who have served and are serving?" WHERE IS THE HONOR?!
I just want to thank those men and women for doing what so many won't do. For spending the time in the grueling training. For going for days with little to no sleep. For getting sprayed with OC spray so you learn to properly apply your gas mask. For facing the the separation from your loved ones. For doing it for far less than you deserve. And I want to say a big thank you to your families who stay home, go to school, go to work every day you are gone. To your family, I say Thank you. You, too, endure the separation. You endure the fear of seeing an unfamiliar car parked across the street and pray that it isn't the chaplain coming to give you word that your life is forever changed because of a severe injury or the death of your loved one. You put the kids to bed at night, weep when they cry out for daddy (or mommy) to tuck them in. You get angry with yourself if you miss the one chance he gets to to call you and your phone was on silent and you missed it. You have to make holidays happy even though you ache inside because your man isn't there to help you pick out a tree or choose the presents for your little ones. You have to be mommy and daddy. Thank you for your sacrifices. I myself have made those sacrifices. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done and are doing. It's not enough, but I give you my eternal gratitude. THANK YOU.
