Political vacation

Wondering if the Congress and Prez Obama are enjoying their vacations paid for via us? Staying in their mansion homes, or one of their multiple residences across the world. While the American people are losing their homes, jobs, health care, and going hungry.

Note to Congress

82% disapproval rating doesn't mean 41% of Democrats disapprove of Republicans or 41% of Republicans disapprove of Democrats. IT means 82% of AMERICANS Disapprove of you as a whole. No partisan disapproval. Just plain how do I put it? YOU ALL SUCK..

Congressional benefits and perks

     Hope your ready for this one. This is a list of some of the benefits, and perks that our Congressional Representatives receive via you and me just for having the job. Ready? Are you sure? Okay here we go.

PAY

Congress freshmen that's your first year folks get on average of $174,000 a year those in your higher ranks earn as much as $224,000 a year. This also includes an annual cost of living adjustment unless they turn it down. You want to know how many times that happens? Yep your right.  Over half of all Congressional Members are multi-millionaires. If they weren't when they got elected they will be by the time they leave. Some net up to150 million a year.

• Just to put this in prospective between 1965-1975 the average Congressman/woman averaged 30-$42,000 a year. Thinking of your own check right now? Yep that's what middle class families are expected to live on today. This is the average beginning wage in 2011 for someone considered living middle class. I bet your starting to realize why your in so much debt, and have no extra right now aren't you? Have you seen any trickle down because it has not trickled to my home yet. 
• Contrary to popular belief Congress members do pay into Social Security as of 1984, and receive medicare at retirement age.
• Congressional members do pay taxes, but are given a lot of breaks via making tax laws to help them pay less. Two IRS tax preparation centers are available to them for free to have their taxes prepared
• Biggest complaint. We have to pay for two houses. I know I am wiping the tears from my eyes too.

HEALTH BENEFITS

• Congress gets to chose between 300 different health plans. Most seem to join the blue cross/ blue shield plan. Under this plan they pay for an individual $175.00 a month with $10.00 generic prescription coverage with we the people covering the other $363.00 of the premium. The family plan is $236.00 a month with again $10.00 generic med coverage, and we the people pick up the other $707.00.
• Dental, vision, eye, life insurance is also available at a reduced rate.
• Members of Congress have the benefit of using any Military base hospital for their care. "No Waiting"
• For a roughly $500.00 fee they can see the Congressional Physician as their primary care physician anytime all year round for care. I know I didn't know there was a Congressional Physician either.
• Biggest complaint they don't want us to have the same coverage. John McCain said Americans having the same insurance as members of Congress is ridiculous.

VACATION TIME

• Congress receives right around 26 weeks of vacation time a year. Now they don't refer to this as vacation time. They say much of this time is spent returning to their States, and Districts to work for us. Really? How often do you see your Representative around unless he/she is campaigning to be reelected? Ya me too. I would guess most of this time is being spent collecting campaign dollars at various campaign events where it costs upwards of $1000.00 to walk in the door. You know rich people the ones they love and help the most.
• Unlike us average Americans that's if you are one of the lucky ones to get a paid vacation or Holidays off with pay. You know the days when you just hope a paid Holiday lands on a Friday or Monday so you can have a long weekend. That's also assuming you have weekends off. Members of Congress get a week off for Memorial Day, and Presidents Day. Right around a month off for Summer break, and Christmas break is longer than the public school kids get time off for. These are all paid Holidays via the American Tax Payer. Not don't forget they get off every major Holiday including some of the ones that we wonder why they are Holidays. Now we know why.
• Biggest complaint there really isn't much complaining about this one, except some wish they had more time off.

RETIREMENT

Now this is a little different than I thought it was. It's not as great as I thought it was. Which is to say Congressional retirement is nothing to complain about. I did however, think they were paid for life even if they served one year in Congress, but that is not so.

• Members do have a 401K plan, just like most places are required to provide in the private sector (that means us) Kind of seems they have this backwards to me as they seem to be in a private club, and we are in a public one. Oh well maybe this is just me. So anyway, 401K yes they put in a percentage I have mixed information on this one. Some say Member pay up to 8% and we match it 100% others information I found states they can put in as much as 10% and we match up to 5% either way they have the 401K option.
• Retirement pension: This is a plan that they do pay into. Several places I found information on this stated they pay 20% into their retirement and we the people pay the other 80% this is what I have always heard as well., but not many places offer a pension at all anymore, and it is rare to find a 401K/pension plan available at your work. 
• They can only collect from the pension plan if they have given 5yrs of service. This would be the big incentive to get re-elected since they have to run every four years, but can stay in until they drop dead on the Capital floor if they want. Personally I think we need term limits.
• They can receive cobra insurance if they pay for it for one year after termination, dental vision and eye forever if they pay full price. 
• The longer they are in office they more they get to collect
• If they are in office for 20yrs they can retire with full pension at age 50, and they want us to work until 70 hipocrites.
• In the end if they are elected long enough they get full pensions ranging from 40-60 thousand a year, plus Social Security benefits, plus 401K now I'm am going to assume that their 401K investors know more than ours and they end up with a lot nicer junk of change.
• Medicare is available to Congress members at retirement, some are on it right now.
• With investments, shoulder rubbing for favors, and extra cash these members never struggle for cash again even if they serve a single term.
• Biggest complaint they want more, more, and more. Explain to us it's not as great as we think it is. They are right I did not realize they had to be in office for 5yrs to be fully vested. Everything else they are ridiculously spoiled with I did know about.

WORKPLACE PERKS

• Every member gets their own office. I am sure the size and floor its on depends on your rank.
• They have a private elevator for just members to use that also has an elevator attendant. Now before you criticize I'm sure it gets tiring to push the floor buttons several times a day.  Not to mention if other members are riding with you and you are the one closest to the floor number on the wall it is your responsibility to push the other peoples floor as they call out the number. That could cause finger pain and take their minds off of when their next vacation day is.
• There is a subway below the Capital for only members to use. It is enclosed to protect against the outside elements, and transport them the several hundred yards to their office building. No really there is one. 
• They are provided a gym to work out in for a small annual fee. This is a really nice gym. As we hear many deals are made in this gym. Also people take pictures of themselves naked in there too. Mr. Weiner resigned because of this, and some other things with internet sex, and Mr. Ensign and the numerous other Congressmen who have displayed disgusting behavior. These two men and their fellow losers get gym privileges for life. Just for serving. They also get full retirement if they served at least five years, and get to attend the State of the Union for life, and updates on Congressional information, and attendance to various meetings. Yes even if they cheated on their spouse, and used tax payer money to fund every crooked thing they did. Now its only if they resign not if they are fired. You know when they say they are leaving to spend more time with their families so they don't get canned.
• Now they all have new offices and we pay for the electric, lights, gas etc to keep the place running, and the upkeep of the building, but they are going to need these offices to feel like their own space. Now the only way to do this is decorate, and add some new accessories. Now they couldn't be expected to furnish their office themselves, and they shouldn't have to so we the people give them some petty cash. 
• Each member of the House gets 1.3 million to furnish their offices, and hire staff. Senators get 2 million, and higher ranking members get around 4.5 million. Now come on they have to buy artwork for the walls and they can't hang a picture of dogs playing poker, and art can be expensive. Oh wait they get to borrow artwork from the smithsonian to decorate their offices. So what would they possibly use that much money for? Well let me tell you. They can use it to hire up to 18 full-time assistants, and 4 part-time assistants, chauffeur services to include the limo service, airline tickets to fly home, new desk, chairs, lights, mini fridge etc etc.  Now when they fly home on business they can use a private Government jet. 
• Biggest complaint they want bigger offices, more staff, and more money to use. Exactly how many assistants does one person need? If you need 21 people to assist you to do your job, then you really aren't doing your job are you? I can see one personal assistant, secretary, and the same in their home state that is a total of 4. You have to remember most of the time they hire students to work for free for college credit and experience. If you get hired to work in their office you can get your college loans paid off as a perk. While they are trying to cut grants for everyday citizens..Pay your own loan unless you help me. Do you see a pattern here?

PERK PERKS

• Free reserved parking at local D.C. airports. No more paying to park or catching a shuttle no let us pay for it.
• Take a mini vacation to anywhere in the world on the tax payer. Flight hotel, entertainment paid via us. Meet with a local leader for lunch and you qualify for a free vacation anywhere.
• The rest of the vacation can be paid for via their campaign PAC money which they do not have to tell anyone how they are going to use it.
• They get perks from lobbyist, which there is a law on the amount of gifts they can receive so what they do instead is get something like great seats at a ball game or a play from a lobbyist. Then they pay them for the ticket that was impossible to get from their PAC money provided by you who donated to them. Either way some American is paying for it, and they take the lobbyist with them to the game, play, etc, and they get money for the tickets that they got for free, and now that Congress member owes that lobbyist another favor. like tax breaks.
• Biggest complaint not enough perks. Now you know why nothing gets done because they always owe someone else another favor except the American people who pay for all of the above.

So what do you think? Are they really worth all of this when they can't even work together enough to save the Country from faltering on it's debts, or not creating jobs, cutting programs for those who are hurting, and struggling, and anything else you want to add that they don't do everyday. I don't have enough room to list the things they don't do that need to be done. So I will list the things they have done lately for the good of the Country, and the people they work for The American People.                   Ya, I couldn't think of anything either.

Political Awareness

      There seems to be three major political parties in the mix now. Republicans, Democrats, and Tea Party. Now for all you Independents I have not forgotten any of you. Independents are better known as your swing voters. They don't fully agree with any party, and have their own leanings one way or another. They may vote for any party, or split their ticket, which is something I tend to do. If you do your job, usually you will get my vote.. Independents don't always vote for a fellow independents, and do not want someone like Lieberman Representing them.  Lieberman was a Democrat who became an Independent so he could support the Republicans while voting Democrat. How is it he still has his job? Some Independents may not vote at all if they don't like any of the candidates.  Unfortunately, most party Representatives can no longer do their job. They have become very greedy, in the aspects of individual gains. They are in it to get re-elected first and foremost, then acquire as many riches as possible, and control. Control with the most power. Somewhere along the way they forgot that public service is what it says Servicing the Public "you and me". They have also forgotten that it is a privilege just to be elected, and it is not a career. Also, forgotten in the mix, and this is one of the biggest ones they forgot. "They work for "us" the American people".  So in case you don't know how much we pay these so called Representatives or the perks they earn. I will share some of them that I have researched via many many websites. There are too many to list, but you can do your own search if you want. Some perks have been eliminated, but really they just found another loophole around the elimination.
     I am also going to post my impression of each party and what they stand for. Let's see who you are or maybe who you want to be now or whether or not you want to be affiliated at all. Here we go :)