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Re: Ghost Amendment
In Response To: Re: Ghost Amendment ()

When they vote themselves a pay raise, it does not take effect until the next session of Congress. If we had the political will, we could vote out the ones who voted for the raise at the next election, and they would not benefit from it. If we did that a few times, it would sink in that voting for a pay raise was political suicide.

It is a weird political truth that while Congress is rated very lowly overall, people somehow exempt their Representative and Senators, and keep voting them back into office. There may be a few who deserve re-election, but not many.

As Edward said, too many people think they deserve having the government provide for them, while almost a third pay no taxes at all at the Federal level, so tax increases do not hurt them, while the top ten percent pay ninety percent of the taxes. When their taxes are raised too high, they start looking for loopholes, and the economy suffers. Reducing taxes increases revenue over time, because it boosts the economy. Reagan's tax cuts almost doubled the revenue, but Congress spent it faster than it came in. Everyone should pay SOME tax, to let them know government costs money, whle the progressive aspect of taxes should be compressed, so the few do not pay for all. Taking more just because they can "afford it" smacks of socialism, which has not worked anyewhere it has been tried. Even Lincoln thought wages should be dependent upon the value of the work produced. Now, people think wages should be based upon what we "need".

One of the arguments used by the Northerners, and some others, to keep slavery, or free blacks, out of the new territories was that it would depress wages. There will never be another revolution, except through the ballot box. Social Security is ingrained into peoples lives, as is Medicare. The cuts in Medicare proposed by the so called reform of health care now pending may be the straw that breaks its back.

Millions of veterans get retirement pay and VA benefits, me among 'em. When I got laid off four months after being married, I looked for work with benefits, retirement, and job security. I ended up working 34 years for the Georgia Department of labor, which is funded by unemployment taxes paid by employers though the Federal Governmen t to the States. So, while I get my state retirement from Georgia, my work was in effect for the Federal Government. So I get three government pensions, plus Medicare and Tricare for Life, as a military retiree. Ain't no way I'm joining a revolution and cut off the teat that feeds me and my family! While Social Security may have started as handouts, they are there now, and the retirements I earned by putting myself potentially into harm's way, and by earning less during my civilian career than I might have otherwise. That's not quite the same as just giving away money. WTBS veterans could go west and start over, but I had no place to go but home. Stan

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Ghost Amendment
Re: Ghost Amendment
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Re: Ghost Amendment
Found it. It was Alan. *NM*