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No Congressional Raise

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FROM A READER

Published: December 27, 2008

Editor:

Congress automatically gets a pay raise every year. For 2009 the increase is $4,700, pushing their salaries up to $174,000. The speaker and minority and majority leaders, respectively, get $217,400 and $188,100.

Minimum wage earners will receive $7.25 per hour starting July 2009, or $15,080 a year. This compares to 8.66 percent of what Congress will get.

Seniors receiving Social Security will average an increase of $756 per year. Twelve percent of seniors are at or below the poverty line. Thirty-three percent of seniors depend on Social Security for 90 percent of their income. Credit card changes will not go into effect until 2010. The median age of members of Congress is 63, with committee chairs over age 70.

With the economic conditions of our country, caused by the lack of regulations that Congress is responsible or accountable for, isn't it time for Congress to sacrifice or to be voted out of office?

Call your representatives to support HR 5087, HR 5091 and HR 6417 or contact www.seniorsleague.org. These bills would prevent this automatic pay raise.

Diane Borino
New Port Richey

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