Despite a devastating recession, the collective personal wealth of congressional members increased by more than 16 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to study released Wednesday by the Center for Responsive Politics.
In contrast, U.S. median household income dropped 3 percent to $50,221 in 2009, the second straight decline, according to the Census Dept. In terms of millionaires, only about 1 percent of the overall population qualifies.
The Richest Members of Congress: Recently, the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call analyzed the financial assets of U.S. lawmakers — annual disclosures they are required to make — to determine the members of the US Congress that have the highest approximate net worth. Although these Congressional disclosures are not exact — they are displayed in a range of estimated value over broad categories. http://www.cnbc.com/id/39287818/?The_Richest_Members_of_the_US_Congress_2010
Rest of Article at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/40233691
Right on Warph! So many of our government officials, both Democratic and Republican are just out of touch with the average American. All I want is someone that understands they are supposed to be working for us, the average citizen.
Quote from: Warph on November 17, 2010, 10:24:25 AM
Despite a devastating recession, the collective personal wealth of congressional members increased by more than 16 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to study released Wednesday by the Center for Responsive Politics.
In contrast, U.S. median household income dropped 3 percent to $50,221 in 2009, the second straight decline, according to the Census Dept. In terms of millionaires, only about 1 percent of the overall population qualifies.
The Richest Members of Congress: Recently, the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call analyzed the financial assets of U.S. lawmakers — annual disclosures they are required to make — to determine the members of the US Congress that have the highest approximate net worth. Although these Congressional disclosures are not exact — they are displayed in a range of estimated value over broad categories. http://www.cnbc.com/id/39287818/?The_Richest_Members_of_the_US_Congress_2010
Rest of Article at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/40233691
So let me get this straight... you support the campaigns of such people as Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, who are unbelievably wealthy but those that are already elected cannot be wealthy?
Quote from: jerry wagner on November 17, 2010, 08:06:10 PM
So let me get this straight... you support the campaigns of such people as Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, who are unbelievably wealthy but those that are already elected cannot be wealthy?
That's correct, Jerry.
Quote from: jerry wagner on November 17, 2010, 08:06:10 PM
So let me get this straight... you support the campaigns of such people as Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, who are unbelievably wealthy but those that are already elected cannot be wealthy?
You betcha! Unlike many of the silver spooned, lawyers and coddled affirmative action babies that are there now, Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have run successful businesses, employed people, made a payroll, and paid their taxes (See: C Rangle/T Geitner under 'tax cheats').
That was going to be my answer Varmint.
Sorry..I mean't that would be my answer Patriot. Varmint probably does agree with us.
Quote from: Roma Jean Turner on November 18, 2010, 09:25:47 AM
Varmint probably does agree with us.
I don't know, Roma Jean. A lot of foreigners on here think Varmint is pretty disagreeable! :o
Quote from: Patriot on November 18, 2010, 09:11:53 AM
You betcha! Unlike many of the silver spooned, lawyers and coddled affirmative action babies that are there now, Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have run successful businesses, employed people, made a payroll, and paid their taxes (See: C Rangle/T Geitner under 'tax cheats').
So you don't think that lawyers have to run a successful business?
Quote from: jerry wagner on November 18, 2010, 09:41:10 AM
So you don't think that lawyers have to run a successful business?
Leaches do things too, but that doesn't necessarily relate to productive business experience. As a group, while many lawyers may be personally likable, their 'business' is often to make money off the troubles of others, or to pit one group against another taking either a fee or a contingency. I don't equate that with the productive efforts of the likes of Meg Whitman, et al. In many cases, lawyers are more a necessary evil, imo. For what it's worth, most of my last 40 years have been spent working with/around/for lawyers. Yes, they run a 'business'. Obfuscation and distortion is often their trade. No, they are not (imho) equally qualified with the likes of Whitman to represent citizens in the political arena.
(See John Edwards under lawyer/politicians/ill gotten wealth)
(See C Rangle under lawyers/politicians without a clue)
Speaking of lawyers: I'm sure you're all aware, Gloria Allred, the preeminent media whore and left-wing dirty trickster, had recently garnered the spotlight by trying to scuttle Meg Whitman's chances of defeating Jerry Brown in California's gubernatorial race.
Ms. Allred, who may actually be brought up on ethics charges by the California Bar for placing her client in legal jeopardy by exposing her as an illegal alien guilty of perjury and forging official documents, has long carried on like the worst sort of used car salesman. For good measure, Allred shows her true colors by referring to her client not as Ms. Diaz, but as Nicky. When is the last time that you heard an attorney call a client by his or her first name, unless the client was Madonna or Cher?
To show you what an absolutely despicable human being she is, when she was a single mother, she married Mr. William Allred. That was in 1968. It was he who paid her way so that she could attend law school and become an attorney in 1975. In 1987, they got divorced, and the guy wound up having to pay her alimony. In the passage of time, Mr. Allred went to jail for fraud. When he got out, his financial resources greatly diminished, he petitioned the court for a reduction in his alimony payments. Even though he had made her career possible by paying for her education, and even though she was by then earning a handsome living, she fought him tooth and nail.
As I recall, there is a certain circle in Hell, described by Dante, that is reserved for people who not only bite the hand that's fed them, but kicks their benefactors in the teeth for good measure. I'm willing to bet that there's a deep, dark cellar in that particular circle that's reserved for Ms. Allred.
"Dick, the Butcher: 'The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.' "
And while I'm at it.... another fruitcake whose character seems to consist entirely of a pathological egotism is our president. For my part, I am not only sick and tired of listening to that self-absorbed ass braying 24/7 on the tube, but I've had it up to here with those damn shirtsleeves. God knows I'm no fashion plate, but I'm just me and he's supposed to be America's commander in chief, the leader of the free world. Obuma, shows up in his shirtsleeves even when all he's doing is reading from his teleprompter in an air-conditioned auditorium. In a country with nearly 10% unemployment and a deficit that's not only burying us, but our children and our grandchildren, is this arrogant mug actually trying to get our sympathy? I'm afraid he'll have to settle for our contempt.
Of late, rumors are floating around that if his approval numbers continue to tank, Hillary Clinton.... the Wicked Witch of the East... will challenge Obuma for their party's nomination in 2012. However, we should all keep in mind that Mrs. Clinton not only tried to push through HillaryCare when her husband was up to his usual monkey business in the Oval office, but more recently charged ARIZONA with human rights violations at the U.N., this putting it on a par with China, Iran and North Korea. In short, she is every bit the loony lefty clown that Barack Hussein Obuma is. In fact, there are only two real differences I'm aware of; one, he's a 50% blacker lawyer than she is and, two, she's a 50% whiter lawyer than he is