Retiring GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz is using his final days in office to push for a $2,500-a-month taxpayer-funded housing stipend for lawmakers, who already make $174,000 a year.
I suspect it would be received differently if coming from Randy Bryce, aka Ironstache, aka the guy running against Paul Ryan whose background is that of a union ironworker.
Side note, we have a new Formerly Hot club member. FHRB. ...
It should surprise no one that I have a huge crush on him. I've already donated. Maybe I can buy his heart.
And FTR, while I can objectively see some of the merits to this, it comes off tone deaf as all hell, especially given their continued efforts to screw the poor in any way that they can.
Ok aside from the general WTF of this, I think even if you were to give them a housing stipend $2500 is way too generous. You can rent a basement apartment on Capitol Hill for $1800, even less if you are willing to have a smaller one, one not recently renovated, and/or live not in the close-in Capitol Hill area but rather out in Hill East. Not to mention that there are also other potentially less expensive neighborhoods. Even IF they are getting a stipend, why should it be enough to rent a 1 or even 2 bedroom luxury apartment all to themselves? The entitlement here is stunning particularly from one of the main proponents of the idea that if you can't afford food or health care that is the oo bad for you.
They can get even cheaper than that in the burbs and commute like the rest of us. Nope.
And I can see some merit to this say if you didn't already need to be rich to run for Congress, and campaign finance came from a public fund instead of candidates being bought by special interests and there was a strong, well supported safety net for all the country's citizens.
Look, I know this isn't going to be popular, but maintaining 2 households is expensive. Especially if you want to see your family. And especially in DC. The Members who have money already have no problem paying this expense, but it's by and large not coming from their salaries. There's a reason Members live in "group" houses and sleep in their offices. If you want it to be viable for people to serve in Congress, particularly longer term, who aren't the Pelosis and Issas of the country, this actually is a step in the right direction.
Yes it's expensive to run for office and that will keep many people out. But it's also expensive to be IN Congress. And you can't use your campaign funds to pay your personal expensives, ahem, Aaron Schock.
I don't know Chaffetz's motivation, and I too am skeptical of his ideas generally, but I can get behind this.
ETA: I say this separate and apart from my feelings on the healthcare bill, which is a fucking abomination.
I agree with this. But guess what many Members do not live on Capitol Hill and they don't need to to do their job. And despite that, you can find a shitton of Capitol Hill apartments for under $2500 a month and they aren't in the ghetto. And WTF is wrong with them converting their offices. Members do this. They would have 24 hour security, a gym, doctor, all the facilities one could want. For people who don't think people need healthcare it is pretty rich they think they need 2500 for rent.
Retiring GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz is using his final days in office to push for a $2,500-a-month taxpayer-funded housing stipend for lawmakers, who already make $174,000 a year.
Post by hopecounts on Jun 27, 2017 12:49:13 GMT -5
I am not opposed to the idea of making running for Congress more accessible to a broader range of people. I don't think the cost of living in both DC and home is the biggest issue, as mentioned above. And given the timing this is pretty atrocious.
the congressman I interned for slept in his office. He seemed fine with it and it worked for him, when he brought his family up they rented somewhere. The only real issue I could see is if it was easier for Congresspeople to have homes in DC they might be more inclined to go back to the old socializing ways and maybe develop some cross the aisle relationships that might help with the extreme partisanship.
Do we really think people are choosing not to run for congress because they are concerned about housing? Because the millionaire thing starts way before that given the costs people now incur to run a campaign.
They can't have better healthcare, a housing allowance and whatever other perks while making exponentially more than the American people and claim regular Americans are the ones that have to go without basic necessities to fund it. Nope.
When they are the average American then maybe it is a worthwhile discussion but in our current economic environment? Nope.
Did I say nope? Just wanted to make sure my views were heard lol. ๐
I can't speak to federal positions, but I know people in my state who want to but can't/won't run for state house or senate because they can't afford the pay cut and/or their current job isn't one that is flexible to allow them to take the time off to serve and still make an income. Hell, I'm one of them.
I think $174K is a plenty of money and I think Chaffetz is an idiot and tone deaf as fuck about this right now. But I don't think the overarching theme of us needing to make the system accessible to non-millionaires is a bad one.
Post by thejackpot on Jun 27, 2017 13:09:16 GMT -5
Yawn, I can't get worked up about him being pinched by housing costs. I taught in DC and I couldn't afford to live there so I lived outside of the city, I can recommend some spots if he needs it.
I want to say Franken said they only work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And they have constant recesses. So again, no.
This was my thought as well. They aren't there ALL that much. They can get creative with roommates and/or commute like the rest of us minions from cheaper options.
Post by suburbanzookeeper on Jun 27, 2017 13:41:47 GMT -5
I think this is one of those times for "reach across the aisle" to move into the form of living in some form of dormitories while they're in DC (add a gym, hell halfway decent local catering, 24/7 security, etc). Push them back home on their recesses to deal with their constituents. Learn to live and work together and go home when you're not "on duty."
Post by orangeblossom on Jun 27, 2017 13:58:45 GMT -5
I'm not even reading the article. They want to talk about personal responsibility all the time, then how about this. They knew running for office would require time in DC. How about they work that into their budgets, when deciding to campaign. He and others can sleep in their office or share a house like the tv show "Alpha House.
ETA: Non knee-jerk reaction. I am not wholly opposed to it, but the stipend amount is too much. As others have said, there are cheaper rental options and it is rich considering all that some of these members of Congress do to make life miserable for people with lower SESs.
And you know what F them. Do they think that the police officers who protect them and travel with them don't have families? Those officers salaries are capped at the lowest member's salary. Maybe those member's spouses can get a job just like the officers spouses have a job?
I could get on board with a stipend but not that much, and most certainly not while they're in the process of trying to screw over poor people in multiple ways. Support a damn living wage and I'd probably be more sympathetic (maybe).
Post by downtoearth on Jun 27, 2017 17:31:35 GMT -5
Holy cow... 535 members of Congress all getting $2,500 per month is a total of $1,337,500 per month and $16,050,000 per year on housing for congress. I mean, that is a lot of money. Should we be paying that much for our elected officials?
Post by mominatrix on Jun 27, 2017 18:48:55 GMT -5
you know what, fine.
they can have it.
if they go through an application process, say, the same application process that somebody seeking a housing voucher has to go through. And the same wait list. and the same rules.
I think instead of giving them $2500 each, we should build them a dorm. Preferably a crappy one where they all have to share bathrooms with the plywood college dorm room furniture.
So a few people mentioned a dorm. There is a vacant dorm ON CAPITOL GROUNDS that used to house the House pages. The program is now defunct and the building is just empty/storage. It is not big enough for all the out of state Members, but they could put some there. Others stay in their offices and I still can't understand why that is not a viable option. Many of their offices are the bigger than apartments and all the amenities are right there.
So a few people mentioned a dorm. There is a vacant dorm ON CAPITOL GROUNDS that used to house the House pages. The program is now defunct and the building is just empty/storage. It is not big enough for all the out of state Members, but they could put some there. Others stay in their offices and I still can't understand why that is not a viable option. Many of their offices are the bigger than apartments and all the amenities are right there.
Perfect. Already there and going unused. It can be first come first served.
Post by sofamonkey on Jun 27, 2017 20:01:00 GMT -5
I can see why the cost may keep the less wealthy from running. As a compromise, they could run similar to the military- on base is free, off base you're on your own.
I can see it now - welcome to Barracks "Obama" ๐
I can see why the cost may keep the less wealthy from running. As a compromise, they could run similar to the military- on base is free, off base you're on your own.
I can see it now - welcome to Barracks "Obama" ๐
Maybe we should outfit the dorm with cameras and broadcast it as reality TV. Then we can tell the American public that next November, they should go and choose who to vote out of the House.