Pay raise for judges attached to auto bailout
By jonesy123
@jonesy123 (3948)
United States
December 11, 2008 8:17am CST
As if the $14 billion wasn't enough, no, they had to tack on a COLA pay raise for US district court judges. Most of us don't get a pay raise this year, much less one that reaches COLA levels. Yet our lawmakers apparently get an automatic pay raise in January of $5,000 (COLA adjustment), and they don't want to deny the US district court judges the privilege. A US district court judge currently makes $163,900 per year.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_co/judicial_pay_raise
These people keep handing out money including to themselves. They should be ashamed of themselves. How about they set a good example and forgo the annual COLA adjustment raise for themselves, just for starters and then for other high ranking positions? The states are starting to do it. In KY the governor took a 10% pay cut as did other high ranking government officials.
What do you think?
2 people like this
7 responses
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
12 Dec 08
I agree that all public officals should take a pay cut because they haven't done a good job running the country (although corporate America doesn't set a good example either, look at Vikra Padit's $102 Million pay check after his company took $40 Billion in Tarp money). Most of these elected officals are millionaires anyways, and don't need the money (See John McCain).
But, the $14 Billion is a LOAN, this isn't the same deal that the finacial instatutions got, the big 3 can pay the money back. Do you really think that AIG will pay your $120 BILLION back? Good luck with that
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
12 Dec 08
Officially the banks are supposed to pay back the bailout money, too. My guess is the big 3 won't have to pay it back either at least not for a very long time and then it'll be stretched out for a hundred years, lol. It would be like us buying a car at sixteen. We got a loan to pay for it and now only have to pay back 10 cents each month for the rest of our life. Even if we manage to live another 100 years, it's understood that we'll never pay back everything. We end up paying a fraction and it'll eventually be forgotten.
The government is throwing money around to pretend that we are essentially still financially sound and that there is nothing to worry about. That boosts the stock market, which seems to be our economic life source nowadays. It's really sad that our economic well being is directly related to what the stock market is doing, where fickle and often afraid investors do nothing but play the stock lottery. If they bet on the right stock, great, if not, they bought a losing ticket. Maybe it's time to rethink investment strategies.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
13 Dec 08
Jonesy, in defense of the Automobile industry, they have received a loan like this before. The loan was not only paid back, but the government actually made money on the loan. The financial industry has been given loans like this before, and has never paid them back, nor have they made any attempt to pay them back (remember the S & L crisis in the 80'S).
I agree that we need to take ourselfs off of the stock market economic health scale. We are so attached to the stock market that we don't even look at anything else. And, that needs to stop.
@riyasam (16556)
• India
11 Dec 08
in this time of economic crises,this raise seems unjustified.i certainely would object to this hike.i know many who are feeling the impact – retired couples who have lost more than half of their retirement nest egg, craftsmen who have nothing left to build, real estate agents who have no buyers or sellers, and small business owners who have gone belly up. There are a good number who are facing the reality of losing their home, losing their automobiles, and to be sure, some are even having a difficult time putting food on the table.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
11 Dec 08
I'm sure those judges can go without the pay increase for another year. So can our lawmakers... But as always it's us little guys who have to foot the bill and pay the price while the big shots and rich get to enjoy the good life. If this goes on those representatives of ours should be afraid of the next election. ..
1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
11 Dec 08
More Washington crap. You can blame this one on Harry Reid, Democrat and Senate Majority Leader. This is what you get when you let morons like him get too much power. He forced it into that bill and is acting like Judges NEED this pay raise because they are so darn poor.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
11 Dec 08
I wasn't surprised that they decided to throw some money at the car manufacturers. But the judge stuff .. I hate it when they tack on unrelated stuff just to get it approved. They should stop it. But with those pork hungry legislators of ours.. well that probably will never happen.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
11 Dec 08
I personally don't think they should be able to tack on these unrelated things to legislation - this has absolutely nothing to do with the automakers and should not be allowed to happen. From what I have read, there are a great number of Republican Senators who oppose this legislation, so it might not even happen!
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
11 Dec 08
I agree. All the bills get so much unrelated stuff tacked on, some of which the public isn't even aware of as it is hidden away somewhere in the legalese of the text. They shouldn't be allowed to do that. It would cut down tremendously on the pork, too.
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
11 Dec 08
Everybody seems to be making money under the table, I guess I know that I can sleep at night knowing that I'm not on the take.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
12 Dec 08
Yeah, that's true. Although now the dwindling finances of ours is keeping me up at night;)
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
11 Dec 08
That's been going on for years in those politicians world up there on Cap Hill. THey always get 5% or more increases - every year no matter what
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
11 Dec 08
Yes, isn't that nice? While the rest of us gets nothing this year. In fact, looks like my husband will have to take a pay cut this year. He works for state government. By law they are supposed to get 5% unless the legislators decide otherwise, which they have for the last six years. Minimal increases and now possibly a furlough to take back the 1% they put in the budget for the state employees for next year. Crazy!
