Democrats will be blamed if Congress takes pay hike

President-elect Barack Obama, who based his campaign on a promise to change the culture of politics in Washington, should publicly oppose any attempt by members of Congress to stuff more taxpayers dollars into their already fattened wallets.

Obama, a Democrat who is inheriting an economy that is in free fall with record personal bankruptcies and business failures, cannot sit quietly while Congress controlled by Democrats accepts an automatic $4,700 pay raise in January.

Senators and representatives have not delivered a performance on behalf of their constituents worthy of any rewards. Indeed, poll after poll shows that the American public believes Congress has been even more inept and has performed even more poorly than outgoing President George W. Bush.

The first order of business for the federal legislature when it returns in January should be to pass a bill freezing members’ salaries at the current $169,300 a year.

If Senate President Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, are so deaf to the public’s outcry over the mess Washington has made of the country, they should spend the next week or so traveling to economically hard-hit regions and ask this question: Are we members of Congress deserving of a pay raise? They would be lucky to leave town in one piece.

The mood of the nation can be summed up in a single word: anger. Private sector taxpayers aren’t only livid at the sheer incompetence of folks in the nation’s capital in dealing with the current crisis, but are also taking their anger out on state and local governments.

Private sector rule

While terminations, layoffs, pay cuts, benefit rollbacks and even wage givebacks have become the rule in the private sector, public employees — until recently — have been living high off the hog.

But reality is catching up with government at various levels — and it needs to do the same with Congress.

We wholeheartedly agree with this statement from Tom Schatz, president of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste:

“Members of Congress don’t deserve one additional dime of taxpayer money in 2009. While thousands of Americans are facing layoffs and downsizing, Congress should be mortified to accept a raise. They failed to pass most of their appropriations bills, the deficit is on pace to reach an unprecedented $1 trillion, and the national debt stands at $10 trillion. In addition, this Congress has been ethically challenged, plagued with corruption allegations, convictions, and sex scandals.”

Democrats are on the hot seat because from Obama on down they sold Americans on the idea that Republicans have been bad stewards of the treasury and that change is necessary. Thus, next year, the White House, Senate and House will be in Democratic hands.

Passage of legislation to freeze the congressional salaries would set the proper tone and go a long way toward building public support for the important work that needs to be done, foremost of which is reviving the economy.