Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStrip the Part-Time Congress of Employer Provided Health Insurance [Petition]
Click here to sign: Strip the Part-Time Congress of Employer Provided Health Insurance (Petition)The following letter to Congress is attached to the petition:
To: The U.S. House of Representatives
Strip Congress of Employer Provided Health Insurance and Other Benefits.
With 2013 figuring to be a pivotal year for our country in terms of determining the future course of our economy, how we deal with vexing social issues and perhaps even more vexing whether youre a Democrat or Republican, Chris Christies prospects for 2016 it is crucial, as the public is reminded incessantly, that our lawmakers roll up their sleeves and get to work on behalf of the American people. As evidence of how seriously your leadership takes this awesome responsibility, the Majority Leader has scheduled you to be in session for excruciatingly exhausting 126 days during the coming year.
With spending cuts being the number one priority of the majority party of your body, it is understandable why the Leader might consider cutting people from full time down to part time in order to reduce costs. But as your salaries are unaffected by the reduced hours, that leaves only a reduction in benefits as the means by which this bold, visionary move will actually save the taxpayers any money.
Not that anyone begrudges you your government-run healthcare, but until a majority of the countrys other part time and underemployed workers are afforded such benefits (one way or another), aside from adding to the deficit your continued coverage would also set a precedent that may reflect negatively on the vaunted status you currently hold in the minds of either nine or twelve percent of the population (depending on your preferred pollster).
Of course, with all of you working only part time, you may wish to consider adding another 435 seats to your chamber, creating a sort of job sharing program where two part timers do the work of one full timer and the boss in this case we, the taxpayers save on the benefits. [Better ingredients, better pizza.] But in your case, that would not only double labor costs, but also, down the road, it would lead to reduced wages and higher unemployment in the lobbying industry so obviously that idea has even less chance of passage than this one.
Besides, with a starting base salary of $174,000 per year, you all should be able to afford private insurance which as so many of you assure us will be infinitely better for you and your families than your current government-run plan
Sincerely,
[Your name]
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
9 replies, 2251 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (11)
ReplyReply to this post
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Strip the Part-Time Congress of Employer Provided Health Insurance [Petition] (Original Post)
ThisThreadIsSatire
Dec 2012
OP
dballance
(5,756 posts)1. Don't expect congresscritters to share in the "shared sacrifice." /eom
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)4. I was told by a rep office one time that they did sacrifice already
Their office monies were cut so they did feel the pinch ...........
appleannie1
(5,068 posts)2. signed and posted to facebook
ThisThreadIsSatire
(786 posts)7. thanks... (nt)
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)3. Has a change.org petition ever resulted
in successfully changing anything?
Serious question.
Thanks.
ThisThreadIsSatire
(786 posts)6. Don't know, and don't expect...
... this one will either. But maybe if enough people sign it it might wake up a few of them -- like the ones you see on C-Span when they are in session -- there are very few present and most of the ones who are look like they went into the Chamber to get some sleep because when they're in their office people bother them...
EC
(12,287 posts)5. Isn't this why they have gone after
the public service employees, because they have better perks than the corporate model for the general public? So if they are part-time, they shouldn't qualify for insurance with a corporation, therefore they shouldn't as a public service employee.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)8. kr
OldDem2012
(3,526 posts)9. Signed, K, & R. nt.