The real greed that plagues American society is not on Wall Street or any other street where legal business is conducted, but it can be found on the streets of Washington D.C. Coupled with ever expanding legislative power and a lust for gain the greatest internal threat to America comes not from terrorism, but from the marble and granite halls of the Capitol building, White House and Supreme Court.
Using the capitalist system to strive for a better life is part of what has made this country great. Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs were great men in my opinion. Their ability created jobs and wealth and helped make this nation great. Another aspect of American greatness is that we are a nation of law. If we find that those on Wall Street are profiting by unscrupulous means, the laws can be changed. However, Martha Stewart went to jail for something that is perfectly legal for members of Congress. Washington D.C. both makes the law and profits by it. While it is immoral, it is perfectly legal for members of Congress to engage in insider trading. Influence peddling is so common it is formalized and institutionalized within our government. This confluence of money and power is a rot at the core of our nation.
Estimates vary, but many if not most members of Congress are millionaires. Washington State’s senior senator, Patty Murray, is worth nearly a million and the junior senator, Maria Cantwell, is worth an estimated $6.2 million . Despite that wealth they tax you to pay themselves an additional $174,000 a year. Congressional leaders are paid even more. The generous salary of Congress does not include the healthcare and other benefits they receive at your expense. After serving in congress for a mere five years they can receive a pension. If they serve 25 years they could receive a retirement pension equal to 80 percent of their salary.
Every living president is a multi-millionaire, but despite that wealth they tax you to pay them an additional $400,000 a year while in office. Immediately after leaving office they receive retirement pay of nearly half that amount for life and up to an additional $150,000 each year in staff and office expenses. Thus in retirement presidents receive yearly pay of about $350,000 a year. This does not include healthcare and other benefits that also continue for life. The salary of the vice president is $230,700.
All of the Supreme Court justices may be millionaires, but at least seven of the nine have a net worth of a million or more. Justices Kennedy and Roberts are the least wealthy, but with at least $350,000 in assets, they remain solidly in the top 1 percent of Americans. Despite that wealth they tax you to pay themselves an additional $213,000 a year. Justices often remain on the bench well past normal retirement age but, if they do retire, they are entitled to full pay for the remainder of their lives.
An adjusted gross income of $344,000 will put you in the top 1 percent of wage earners. By those numbers even justices Kennedy and Roberts have made it to the top. Because of their positions all these individuals have one thing that no Wall Street millionaire can rightfully claim—power, the right to create, administer or rule upon all the laws of this land. That power makes the President, members of Congress and the courts the real 1 percent.
As the power of the government has grown, state capitols like Olympia and Salem have become the training camps for the major league avaricious and lust of Washington D.C. Osama Bin Laden could never bring down this nation, but the political elites with their ever expanding need for your money and all power might destroy the Founders legacy and that is why this coming election is so very important.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 9:36PM 