Congress and your money how do you like them now?

I’ve never liked congress… I’ve always like my money, when the government lets me keep some of it. Nothing new here. It’s been going on for years. Power corrupts.

This is the real problem anytime austerity is called for… the impact falls unevenly on those governed and those who govern.

The Congressional gym has been around for many many years. If you really want to get upset, consider the health coverage they get while so many deny minimal health coverage for poor people, and want to repeal the health care reform act. That is a travesty.

I will go for anything but never go for any politician

Same as always. I have never liked them.

However, and more significantly ,it is surprising to me the number of voters who continue to believe that the morons in Washington are brilliant, altruistic, and actually looking out for them. The last presidential election was a discouraging example of that.

In truth, they disdain you. You are nothing to them. They regard you simply as the hoi polloi. You are of value to them only as long as you give them your vote and your money.

But, “we” seem to continue to tolerate it. So I guess “we” deserve it. I wonder what the next couple of generations will think of us when it dawns on them that their parents and grandparents left them with a tab they can not reasonably pay.

I care more about the money they use to murder people all over the world.
Can’t we use that money to shoot food at hungry people instead of bullets and bombs?

I once heard a great line about congress..
If pro is the opposite of con, the opposite of congress, is progress.

This seems an odd thing to focus on.

Many companies have a free gym that their employees can use. This results in lower insurance premiums for all employees.

Private gyms often offer yearly memberships for $200—$300.

Others charge as little as $10/mo with no long-term membership.

Love them or hate them, this is just nit picking.

I… can’t… believe… I… am… saying… this… but,....
Chris Lee and the Weiner were both in pretty good shape. I’ll bet their health costs are a lot lower than the tubs of lard complaining about their high “sugarbetes” while stuffing cream-filleds into their mouths.
How much does that cost me?

What ought to piss you off is that he was spending his time sexting and makes almost $200K/year. As far as what @zenvelo‘s point about health care, if the law they passed was so great, why aren’t they ditching their plan for it. Good for the people but not for them?

@missingbite The Health Care Act was to cover people who have no other way to get health coverage, not as a replacement for anyone. Now the House wants to repeal that, denying coverage to people who can’t get it, while thy are very protective of their own coverage.

@zenvelo They are also granting waivers to thousands of people including Unions to opt out of the law. Meanwhile, my insurance went up 48% and when asked why I was told “to cover the costs of the new health care law. Costs to us like children up to the age of 27.” While we do need Reform, the law that was passed was a joke.

They’d be a hell of a lot better if Dems were in control.

@zenvelo If you really want to get upset, consider the health coverage they get while so many deny minimal health coverage for poor people, and want to repeal the health care reform act. That has always been a joke. Give all that money overseas and not really enough there either, just enough to keep them hooked and in line, and spend all that money on unneeded wars while the soldiers most likely to sign up family goes without health care. That would be one of many threads one could have off government buffoonery.

@josie But, “we” seem to continue to tolerate it. So I guess “we” deserve it. Sadly I guess we do deserve it because we are too stupid or too lazy to reform it. Maybe they are afraid it will go Marxist, or Socialist so best keep a busted system than make it better.

@funkdaddy Many companies have a free gym that their employees can use. This is not a private company. As tax paying citizens we are de facto owners of this gym; our money paid for it. When you buy something don’t you want to know how much you paid? If the person who spent your money try to hide the cost from you on top of that you would not care? The bozos in government always waste or money but at least we know how much we are spending. We can know how much we are spending on needless wars but they can’t even give up or let anyone see the gym the taxpayers paid for? Makes me wonder what else is really in there?

@Hypocrisy_Central – A very selective quote.

Private, for profit, gyms charge very similar rates which are available to anyone. They stay in business by making money at those rates. I currently pay $34 a year to maintain a membership. The first three years were at less than $25/mo and it wasn’t a perk from my employment. After three years I guess they’ve made all they need to off of me and just hope I buy gatorade or a t-shirt every now and then.

My point was, for all you know the gym pays for itself with membership dues, employs people locally to staff it in the mean time, and lowers health care costs for taxpayers later on.

Fight excess where it exists, but do it fairly or your judgement and credibility is questioned. Your indignation in this case, in my opinion, is misplaced.

The raise your taxes argument is bogus. The marginal tax rate today is the lowest in the developed world. Taxes have been cut multiple times under the Obama administration. The problem with our deficit started wehn Reagan slashed top tax rates from 70% to 28%. The national debt, that was minimal and shrinking as a percent of GDP, started skyrocketing from that moment on. David Stockman, Reagan’s Budget Director, admitted in his old age that the intention all along was to drive up deficits and wreck the budget in order to kill Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. What’s at issue is where tax cuts are aimed. The GOP wants to cut taxes on Capital gains to zero, eliminate all inheritance taxes, and cut corporate taxes even though over ⅔rds of American Corporations no longer pay any taxes anyway. To do that, they want to take every soical program away from the poor, the ill and the elderly. If you aren’t lucky enough to be a rich corporate jet setter, that’s your fault, and you can eat cat food or die.