Hmmmm

Congress wants a pay raise of $4400.00 per year, putting them back on track for automatic annual pay raises, after the hiccup caused by the minimum wage debate.

Let's see. Currently minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. Jobs that pay this could include restaurant work, some retail, landscaping, light manufacturing production, and a wide range of clerical positions. That sweet middle aged lady behind the grocery store register could be working for minimum wage. So could that customer service rep you bawled out while your morning coffee was brewing because your newspaper landed in your yard instead of your driveway. So could that guy trimming your hedges. These people would have to work over 854 hours at regular time wage to earn an additional $4400 a year. To break that down, that's a little more than 21 weeks or about 5 months. The upcoming increases in minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over the next two years will mean an increase of $4368 per year per minimum wage worker.

This raise would increase our representative's pay to $170,000 a year. Applying the standard of a 40 hour week for 52 weeks a year to our legislators means they will earn $81.73 an hour. For a member of Congress, $4400.00 is equivalent to an additional 53.84 hours of work.

Let's compare. Five months for a minimum wage worker is equal to six and a half days for a member of Congress. Now, I'm not upset about Congress giving themselves a pay hike or that they earn a comparatively good living. Greater financial remuneration comes with greater responsibility, accomplishment and success, and that's the way it should be. What will $4400 dollars a year mean to a member of Congress? Would it cover the catering at a cocktail party? A few airplane flights back to the home district? It could mean health insurance for a family for an entire year if you're at minimum wage. It could mean tuition. It could mean transportation. All of which could mean a more productive person capable of contributing more to the economy.

Now I know that there are more people on minimum wage than there are members of Congress, and though the coming increase in minimum wage is comparable per person, it will cost more than this pay raise. Which though will end up being a more productive boost to our economy? I wonder if this debate will last as long as the one over minimum wage? Any guesses? Bueller? Bueller?

Congressional pay raise, minimum wage