This year, the 112^th US Congress has had an approval rating in single digits.  Dumping toxic nuclear waste in your backyard had higher positive numbers.  So I thought it would be interesting to get a better idea of why the public has a more affirmative opinion on something that will positively kill you than on its guardians and leaders, elected to protect you.

So let’s look at Congress as a whole and some statistics.

Members:  Representatives: 435

               Senators:        100

               Total:           535

Annual Salary:

          Speaker: (1)                  $223,500.

          Leaders: (4)                       $193,400.

          Members: (530)                $174,000.

     Total Congressional cost:             $93,217,100.

Congressional working breakdown for 2012:

Days in session:                             145

Average hours/day:                                  4

Total Hrs. in session:                       580

Ave. Days absent:                             25

Ave. hours attended                          480

Ave. pay/Hrs. attended: individual       $362.50/hr.

Ave. cost/hr congressional session       $194,202.25/hr.

(above does NOT incl. per diem/benefits)

Federal Minimum Wage     :                   $7.25(no benefits)

2011 Median US household earnings:           $29,451.

(Roughly 2 weeks Congressional pay)

2012 Total Bills passed:           210

Congressional cost/bill passed:   $443,890.10

(NOT including staff)

Bills read entirely by representatives:  Average: 4 or 2%

So the next time you consider Congress, consider this:  At best it’s a part-time job and like most part-time jobs in the real world, you would be earning minimum wage or slightly higher.

We’re being fleeced and it’s about time we start letting our 8% job approval employees know that we’re going to be demanding meaningful actions and hearings in 2013 and voting again in 2014. Record mid-term election numbers are predicted and it’ll be to turn out their sorry asses. Incumbents beware.

Let Congress hear us roar. It won’t be easy for them to find cushy part-time gigs like they have now out in the private sector.  We know.

Maybe they need to worry less about being “primaried” next election and spend more time thinking about what’s right for all of us now, not just the 2%. Health care.  Gun Control. Rights over our bodies. Collective bargaining rights. Judicial appointments. Cabinet replacements. Planned Parenthood. Fiscal Budgets. Taxes. Hell, there’s plenty for them to do if they’d get off their sorry asses – maybe even enough to make these congressional positions full-time jobs.  Put in some real hours. Read the damned bills they sign.

If not they better start worrying about being run out of town on a rail.  There will be plenty of us volunteers to be the engineer on that train.  DG

Writer/Producer David Garber

For the past 25 years, David Garber has been serving as the show runner and or writer on some of television’s biggest hits… Saved By The Bell, Power Rangers, 227, Bill Cosby Show and many other network series. His writing and producing have also netted David two very prestigious awards:the PRISM AWARD and the TV CRITICS AWARD – TV SPECIAL OF THE YEAR. Currently he’s authoring a short story series called “A Few Minutes With…”