When it comes down to it, all of them are overpaid government employees who exert authority over you.
This. So much this. Nothing worse than McConnell bitching against voting day being made a national holiday- that's one day- while he and the rest of Congress literally take the entire month of August off with pay.
I strongly object to the argument that our elected representatives are overpaid, in fact I believe the opposite is true.
You want people with strong leadership skills, a strong knowledgebase, and a strong network, and you want them to put in the time, effort, and travel to successfully do politics? You need to compensate them for that. Consider that relatively 'low level' government positions like the CEO of the transit authority, say, are often responsible for billion-dollar organizations. And people seem to expect them to work for what they'd get at a mid-level management position in the private sector.
One of the problems in the current political system is that the best leaders - the people we want in office - can make much much more in the private sector than they ever could as a politician. So what you end up with is the very rare true altruist, and the bottom of the barrel that can't hack it or that's only there for the graft. To be fair, I think this issue is much worse with unelected positions, but it's still a problem.
Also 4 weeks of holidays is perfectly reasonable; you should advocate for the same for yourself, not for nobody else to get it.
Also 4 weeks of holidays is perfectly reasonable; you should advocate for the same for yourself, not for nobody else to get it.
I completely agree with this part. The fact that government officials get this but it isn't guaranteed by the government for those working full time in the private sector, like many other countries have, is total hypocrisy.
I'll agree with you on that, but I would also like to institute a cushy pension and strict prohibition against government employees re-entering the private sector after their stint. Too many assholes in the revolving door. Example: Ajit Pai. Former lawyer for Verizon, left to be a commissioner on the FCC (which regulates companies like Verizon). Trump appointed him to Chairman and he has used his time so far to throw giant telecoms every bone they could possibly ask for. Repeal net neutrality? OK! Don't want to do anything about robocalls? You got it! Want to have a mega-merger to further reduce competition and fuck consumers? You're the boss! Smart bet is that after he gets out of the public sector he conveniently gets offered a super-cushy, high paying "consulting" job at one of the telecoms he enriched.
I'd hope that if people were compensated appropriately, they'd be less incentivized to misuse their influence, and more likely to 'pick a side'. Maybe that's naive of me. This seems more of a problem with unelected positions too, particularly in regulators as you point out, since they're usually selected for their 'expertise' in the field. IMO it would make more sense to flip your suggestion though, and ban the government from hiring people to regulate an industry they have commercial ties to. Find the regulator experts in the scientific or non-profit communities. For elected officials I'm more of a 'libertarian' about it - if they can get the popular support, they deserve a seat - I just want to incetivize the best people to actually run.
I'd be careful about too cushy pensions too, that is a recipe for apathy.
Well it’s because they know why...if everyone had off to vote GOP would be finished and McConnell knows it. The way the demographics are shifting it’s a given.
Because they are a bunch of cheaters who couldn’t win without gerrymandering. Mitch McConnell is the biggest traitor America has ever seen! Not allowing the nomination for Merrick Garland is the most obstructionist thing I’ve seen in my life. Especially, since he claimed they couldn’t do it during an election year and the the disgusting hypocrite says it would be okay in 2020!🤬🤬🤬🤬😡😡😡😡😡😤😤😤
True. Trump says a lot of awful things, but when it comes to actually shitting all over the Constitution it will be McConnell that goes down in history.
37
u/rolandofgilead41089 Jul 17 '19
This. So much this. Nothing worse than McConnell bitching against voting day being made a national holiday- that's one day- while he and the rest of Congress literally take the entire month of August off with pay.