Of the people, by the people, for the people?

[Apologies in advance for the lack of posting this month - it's been a little busy at rocketworks inc., so I haven't had the time to finish this post until now.  But, things are looking up in the posting world so expect more posting with reckless abandon!]


Now then, having said that... our wonderful Congress took us to the brink of a government shutdown, before finally realizing that paralyzing a nascent economic recovery by instantaneously putting almost a million people out of work might not be the best idea they ever had.  But it also got this Angry Rocketman thinking... and realizing that our "representatives" in Congress are truly utterly and completely out of touch with both reality, and the people they're supposedly representing.


First and foremost:  Base Salary:  $174,000


And yet, you have "representatives" that claim they are living "paycheck to paycheck" and thats why, if the government shut down, they'd still "need" their paychecks.


Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) says she’s not willing to forgo her salary.  “I have to tell you, I live paycheck to paycheck, like most Americans,” she said Thursday afternoon on MSNBC. “It's very difficult for me to say, ‘Hey, I can give up my paycheck,’ because the reality is, I have financial obligations that I have to meet on a month-to-month basis that doesn't make it possible for me.”


Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) says "I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With 6 kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage. I drive a used minivan. If you think I’m living high off the hog, I’ve got one paycheck. So I..I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I’m not living high off the hog."

So let me see if I get this straight... you make $174K a year, and yet you are somehow living paycheck to paycheck?  #DOINGITWRONG!  And yet, it's these same apparently fiscally irresponsible morons who are supposed to both represent our interests and also control the long-term budget of this country?  Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we are screwed!  And they also couldn't understand why the "average" federal government employee, who 9 times out of 10 is making less than $174K, would be concerned about a shutdown?  I know we can't all be rocket scientists, but this is just too much!


And, for the privilege of their utter incompetence, and dereliction of duty such as passing a budget, between the house and the senate, we pay them $94 million dollars a year, in the aggregate.  (This is leaving out the higher salaries for the party leadership and the speaker of the house, etc.)  Our taxes at work! 


What is equally troubling is that it's no longer possible for someone like yours truly to be elected to Congress. You need deep pockets just to even try to run for office!  This clearly is not what the founders intended, yet that is where we find ourselves.  Democrats and Republicans - same sh**, different animal.  The only thing they can generally agree about is disagreeing.  And it's become incredibly clear in my decades on this planet that it does not matter who controls which house, or who happens to be in the White House - it's all the same inefficient, bureaucratic, pointless BS.


More to follow.

Memo to Congress

Get your heads out of your collective asses (difficult for most of
you, especially the Tea Party) and pass an actual real f-ing budget
already. You can't keep funding shit two weeks at a time. It's
incredibly inefficient and wastes resources.

You are all a waste of space. Every single last one of you.