The U.S. House is planning to give itself "the sneakiest pay raise in history," Libertarians warn: a tax-free, $165-per-day payment that would be activated the moment an obscure House panel declares their colleagues are "eligible."
Just two months after accepting a raise to an exorbitant $145,100 a year, House representatives are working behind the scenes to enact a "per diem" expense allowance of $165 per working day. With about 151 legislative days per year, the raise would amount to a $25,000-a-year, tax-exempt pay hike. But as the public finds out about the maneuver, House leaders "are getting nervous," according to Capitol Hill sources, and the proposal could be shelved -- or enacted -- at any time.
This episode demonstrates that the one word that should strike fear into the hearts of every American is 'bipartisan.' After all, there's nothing more dangerous, or expensive, than Democrats and Republicans working in harmony to funnel your money into their pockets.
As for the amount -- $165 per working day -- Libertarians want to know "How much would we have to pay them just to stay home?"
* The Sneakiness: To avoid publicity, Congressional leaders agreed to delegate the power to approve the raise to the House Administration Committee, a low-profile panel that administers payroll and accounting. The panel of six Republicans and three Democrats can trigger the $165 per diem by simply declaring that their House colleagues are 'eligible' for it.
Why are politicians trying so hard to cover their tracks? Because they remember the public outcry over their last salary grab of $3,800 a year, which was opposed by 71 percent of the voters. But don't let them get away with delegating their dirty work to their cronies on the committee. There may be only nine conspirators, but there are 426 co-conspirators in the 435-member House -- and all of them should be held accountable.
* The Greed: If they pile a tax-free $25,000 raise on top of their lavish salaries, they will be raking in the equivalent of a $190,000 taxable salary, not including their lucrative pensions, a $3,000 tax exemption for a second home, and other benefits. And if this raise goes through, Congressional salaries will have risen an astronomical $80,600 over the last decade, meaning their raises alone will dwarf the median American family's income.
* The Hypocrisy: It's obvious that House politicians have a love-hate relationship with the income tax: They love it when you pay yours, but hate having to pay theirs. You know the government is corrupt when an activity that can make politicians rich -- in this case, income tax evasion -- can get ordinary Americans thrown in jail.
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