Justice Roberts says inflation outpacing his pay...

[elizm]

Ya don't say! Maybe all federal employees' salaries should be frozen... just like my teacher salary is going to be for the next year.


Chief justice says Congress should give judges same inflation-related pay hike it is getting

MARK SHERMAN
AP News

Dec 31, 2008 18:11 EST

Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that Congress should be as generous to judges as it already has been to itself, by approving an inflation-related increase in their pay. "I must renew the judiciary's modest petition: Simply provide cost-of-living increases that have been unfairly denied," Roberts said in his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/12/chief_justice_inflation_outpac.php

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Judge Roberts could simply resign and go back into the private sector

:evilgrin:

Government service requires some sacrifice, after all, Mr. Chief Justice...

[704wipes]

24. yeah but let him wait until jan 21 to resign

nt

[opihimoimoi]

2. Fuck him.....give him shit until America is FIXED

[fascisthunter]

3. feel free to embrace your god any time you wish

then you can live without wealth, hypocrite.

[TexasProgresive]

4. AWWWWW!

Maybe he will resign and go to the more lucrative private sector- Well one can hope.

[saltpoint]

5. Let's have a look at some of his decisions coming up and see if his

vote on the High Court reflects the same concern for others who make a damn sight less than he does.

[EconomicLiberal]

10. Or his decisions previously.

He's a fucking hypocrite. Everybody knows his record.

[saltpoint]

11. Indeed.

As noted up- and downthread, the good Justice Roberts can resign at any moment if he wishes to pursue a fatter salary in a private sector gig.

So long as he accepted the post he holds, I'd like to hear very little if any bellyaching over his income.

[merh]

20. Hell, he could resign and take a top management post with

a corporation/bank that the government is bailing out and he can get the bonus and all that good stuff with a salary.

Resign now Roberts, you need to be paid more, go for the money.

[saltpoint]

22. Someone should offer him a deal he can't refuse, with major bucks

dangling in front of his Far Right face.

I'd drop what I was doing, help him pack, and drive his worthless butt to the bus station.

[merh]

32. Hell, if it meant his resignation

I would offer to shine his shoes for the next year. Spit shine of course :evilgrin:

[saltpoint]

34. Yep. The good Justice Roberts is doing Victim Porn. He is by no means

struggling in this economy or in this world. He likely has holdings out the wazoo, plus the summer home in New England... he's able to meet expenses and then some, while out the window jobs continue to fly overseas and the Party of the man who appointed him is busy trying to bust unions.

So he glibly tells the press that his salary is falling behind the rate of inflation, which is only marginally true to begin with, and so rich folks coast to coast can say, 'Hey, Roberts is a successful guy, he's pretty well-loaded, and we can wink-wink right back at him for moaning about how bad times are, ha ha ha.'

[merh]

35. Of course you know, the rationale for paying judges so much

for giving such high salaries to judges and our elected officials is so that they are not tempted to earn money in other ways, so they won't need to take bribes or offerings which may influence their work and decisions.

I have always found it suspect when the chief judge says he doesn't make enough, is he asking for someone to supplement his income?

[saltpoint]

36. It's odd, isn't it, that not so long after they busted Duke Cunningham,

Roberts starts squawking about money.

[merh]

39. guess the good chief justice

should pay heed to what Cunningham wrote from prison

"I hurt more than anyone could imagine,” Cunningham wrote
“I should have said no to the gifts. For that, I am truly sorry.”

[saltpoint]

40. Yep. Ol' Duke could barely get those words out, sobbing as he was

with tears of remorse.

[merh]

41. remorse that he got caught

:grr:

[saltpoint]

43. Yes. An understandable remorse over getting caught, since from all

accounts, the man knew how to party.

[merh]

well, I'm sure there are some in prison

that will help him party, even federal prisons have their problems with sex, drugs and rock & roll.

[madamesilverspurs]

74. Seems to me

he's already been handsomely rewarded for the work he did in Florida in 2000. He should try to live on my social security check, the whiny buttnugget.

[gateley]

17. OT --

:pals:

[saltpoint]

19. hey there gateley. And Happy 2009 to ya.

[rvablue]

55. This was my first thought, too. But, if there are, of course he won't cast a vote in the same spirit

for the hoi polloi.

What a hypocrite....and the same goes for all of those in Congress who do the same.

Didn't you know they are MORE important than everyday, working Americans?? :sarcasm:

[saltpoint]

57. LOL. Durn it all, I keep FORGETTING.

[MichiganVote]

6. Oh did the taxpayers guarantee you a free lunch too Roberts?

My salary hasn't kept up with inflation, specifically energy inflation, for over 8 years.

[Deb]

7. Spill in aisle 5

:spray:

[stevedeshazer]

8. As an American citizen, I'd be happy to accept his RESIGNATION.

Then he and Gonzo can start up their own law firm.

[saltpoint]

9. Agree. A Roberts resignation, say, this afternoon at the latest, would be

a refreshing beginning to the new year.

[merh]

12. Those poor bastards

they get transportation, I'd bet they get lunch and coffee while at the court, health care and retirement and they get over $200,000 a year.

They must be struggling so. :argh:

Current (2008) salary for the Chief Justice is $217,400 per year, while Associate Justices make $208,100.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/blctjustices.htm

[napi21]

13. Well gee Judge, the rest of us have been exoeriencing that same

thing for the last 8 years! You dont REALLY exoect us to feel bad for you, do you?

[gateley]

16. My thoughts exactly -- what does he think has been happening to the

masses for the past several years? Except I'm sure he didn't even think about the masses.

[Sanity Claws]

14. What inflation?

Prices are dropping, not increasing. Houses have fallen 25% or so.
So his premise is false.
Also, what about the rest of us? He knows many people are out of work and the numbers are increasing. Not only are their wages not increasing, they are actually falling.
Justice Roberts, if you don't like the pay, then resign.

[salguine]

15. You know what? Congress should catch a piece of voter wrath over this. Recalls! Recalls!

[goddess40]

18. Then he should quit

and take a job in the private sector

[Nipper1959]

21. WAH WAH WAH

Maybe they should unionize so they collectively bargain. The arrogance of these SOBs never ceases to amaze me.

[Hansel]

23. Another Republican with a tin ear. Keep digging morons. n/t

[704wipes]

25. But the inflation rate is LOW

Doesn't he know that. Hasn't he looked at Bush & Cheney's inflation statistics? There's no inflation to speak of, must be his lying eyes...

[hulklogan]

26. Now this is an activist judge.

:patriot:

[Forkboy]

27. Go fuck yourself, Smeghead.

Sincerely,
a broke Forkboy.

[TexasObserver]

28. Good! No pay increases until the GOP justices lose their majority.

[Vinca]

29. Maybe he should sell his summer home in Maine.

Just a thought. Everyone else is tightening their belts.

[saltpoint]

31. : )

[spooky3]

30. Don't Republicans support merit pay? He wouldn't have gotten a dime under that system.

[NV Whino]

33. Feel free to resign and get a real job, Jonnie.

what's that, you say? There aren't any jobs available?

[mitchum]

37. Maybe he should...pray for more money?

[saltpoint]

38. LOL! Faith-based salary increases.

[whistler162]

42. I wonder if he would be qualified for a job at WalMart as a

greeter!

[saltpoint]

44. LOL! It would be one more reason for me to avoid Wal-Mart.

[MadMaddie]

45. Yawn....too bad!!

[retread]

46. Good one! I didn't know he had such a baroque sense of humor. Wait! He's not joking?

Even better!!!

[WinkyDink]

47. The height of greed.

[Sebastian Doyle]

48. You should resign in protest, Mr Chief Injustice

And take Fat Tony, Sammy the Fish, and Clarence the Clown with you.

[IndianaGreen]

49. I think Roberts should stepdown and get a job in private sector

No pay raises for the Federalist Society court!

[CatWoman]

50. I remember Rehnquist whining about his pay in 2001

right after they installed Chimpy, and Chimpy gave him a pay raise.

Lots of back scratching there.

[rug]

51. Roberts' perks are outpacing inflation.

[Dreamer Tatum]

52. Criminy, does anyone READ anymore?

You don't have to like Roberts to understand that he's advocating for ALL federal judges. Including those
appointed by Democrats. Including liberal Supreme Court justices. Including ALL justices.

If you don't think a pay raise is warranted, fine. But Congress can give itself a raise any day of the week,
while the judicial branch can't. If you were a circuit court judge, wouldn't you want the Chief Justice to
advocate for you?

[tammywammy]

70. Yep, I don't think anyone really read the whole thing

Roberts is promoting a pay raise for all federal judges.

[MajorChode]

88. It's just more reactionary whining

Waaa, Waaa, Waaa, Roberts makes 200 times more than I make, Waaa, Waaa, Waaa!

Roberts is already independently wealthy and could care less about his civil service pay which effectively amounts to beer money as far as he's concerned.

What few people realize is that almost all civil service employees have their pay capped at what members of congress gets. So when congress votes themselves a raise, hundreds(if not thousands) of civil service employees get a raise as well. However, since the current law requires the judicial branch pay to be voted on independently, they don't get a raise unless congress says so. Effectively the message congress is sending these judges is that their worth is less than hundreds or thousands of other employees. Now you have a situation where administrative law judges who work for the executive branch are making more than criminal and civil law judges working for the judicial branch. What kind of message do you think that sends?

So what purpose does it serve to insult these people? Well, the end result is the day of career judges will be over. The only people who are going to accept appointments are those who are either incompetent and shouldn't be judges or those who only wish to warm the seat for a year or two so they can move on to bigger and better things and shouldn't be judges. Neither are the types of people you want in those positions. Many of these judges took a pay cut in order to become a federal judge in the first place. Even state, county, and probably municipal judges make more in many areas. LA county judges make about $100,000 more than a federal judge.

[Hekate]

89. Point taken, but I think people are having way too much fun dissing Roberts to stop

:hi:

[ShadowLiberal]

53. What's most ironic is that as chief justice he's already paid more then the other judges

If you look at all of the perks he gets as chief judge he really looks like a spoiled brat asking for more in a way.

I mean as a brand new judge on the court with zero seniority he got to take the post on the court that gives him more seniority then the other 8 judges, most of whom have been on the court for at least a decade or more. That gives him more seniority then even judge Stevens who was put on the court by president Ford for crying out loud.

I'm not sure of the exact amount, but the chief justice also makes several thousand dollars more then the associate justices make, regardless of how long those associate justices have been serving on the court they get paid the same thing.

[NashVegas]

54. So Much For Public Service

How noble.

[JohnnieGordon]

56. Petulant, penny-pinching asshole

[Pin Ball]

58. Write a damn book or something.

[MoonRiver]

59. ...

:nopity:

[awoke_in_2003]

68. Glad I read the whole thread...

because you beat me to it.

[Hippo_Tron]

60. I vote no, we need some incentive for these people to retire

Judges these days take this "lifetime appointment" thing a little too literally. We need far more turnover on the Supreme Court and the lower courts than we have now.

[fortyfeetunder]

61. Where's a WAAAAAHmublance?

Certainly he gains no sympathy from the millions of people who do not see a cost of living adjustment at their jobs.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

62. cry me a f#%king river Johnny Boy Roberts!!!

[Phx_Dem]

63. Boo hoo.

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

Don't let the fact that you have a lifetime guaranteed job, and health insurance keep you from feeling sorry for yourself. That last think we would want is for you and your family to feel a pinch in your $6 million net worth. I don't think I'll be able to sleep at night for worrying about your dire financial straits. It's truly sad.

Personal finances
According to a 16-page financial disclosure form Roberts submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee prior to his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, his net worth was more than $6 million, including $1.6 million in stock holdings. At the time Roberts left private practice to join the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2003, he took a pay cut from $1 million a year to $171,800; as Chief Justice his salary is $217,400. Roberts also holds a one-eighth interest in a cottage in Knocklong, an Irish village in County Limerick, where his wife's family roots lie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Roberts_Jr.

[my3boyz]

64. Fuck you Justice Roberts! Oh poor you having to survive on

$170,000 a year. Life must be so hard. I mean goodness how do you even pay your mortgage! Pathetic loser! Congress should not get any raises either! People losing their houses, jobs and they are whining about more money....

[Alexander]

65. Sure, after the minimum wage is adjusted for inflation.

Hopefully such a minimum wage increase will occur during Obama's presidency.

[high density]

66. Welcome to America

Our pay never keeps up with inflation, buddy.

[hollowdweller]

67. Lilly Leadbetter karma coming back on them

Maybe this will change the way he sees the next worker rights case.

[Monk06]

69. Roberts should resign and take his gold watch from the NeoCons while he still

has Chief Justice on his resume.

[LaPera]

71. The republican pig - try living lighter with less - corporate republican scumbag!

Roberts decisions sure as fuck never favors the workers - but always the greedy pig corporations & republicans!

[avaistheone1]

72. Is this the most important issue on Robert's plate? He is constantly whining about money.

He really has no idea how little most people earn and have to cope with.

Tough cookies Roberts. You make plenty of money.

[JI7]

73. fuck him, if he wants more money get another job asshole

[PurityOfEssence]

75. As financial ruin stalks the land, Torquemada snivels that his LIFETIME GUARANTEED SALARY is paltry

Papal bullshit, pure and simple.

[Blue_Tires]

76. he's got some fucking balls asking this

when people can't even GET jobs...(and I'm not keen on a congress pay hike either).

Roberts needs to burn in a fucking fire...

[Dreamer Tatum]

77. Where was this bitter outrage when Congress voted itself a raise?

Once again, and IF YOU READ THE ARTICLE, the guy was talking about the JUDICIARY IN GENERAL.

Judges can't dip their hands in the till like Congress can. Roberts was advocating for
ALL federal judges, not just himself.

One little click and three minutes of reading could enlighten SO many.

[tammywammy]

80. Agreed.

And I agree with Roberts. I think federal judges should get a raise. The pay needs to be competitive with the private sector in order to compete for the best people for these jobs.

[Doctor_J]

78. I'd like Congress to relieve him of this burden by impeaching him

starting Jan 21.

[Cha]

79. buzzflash calls it .."the latest

gop whine. http://www.buzzflash.com

[elleng]

81. CUT it, guys.

He's requesting cost of living adjustments for ALL FEDERAL JUDGES, whose salaries have in NO WAY kept up with those of comparable skill and tenure in the private sector. This should NOT be seen as a political matter, but one of reality. If we want good government, we have to pay for it.

[Dreamer Tatum]

82. Here's a helpful link

Get a clue...there are quite a few Dem-appointed federal judges out there.

Most federal judges could earn mid-six figures as partners in law firms, but so what...if they make a nickel more than me, and if I don't like their spokesman, then FUCK 'EM, I guess.

[elleng]

83. ???

?

[Dreamer Tatum]

84. I was bolstering your point

:)

[elleng]

85. THANKS!

I was afraid I'd missed it!

[book_worm]

86. Perhaps he should do what other folks have to do--get a part time job...

maybe he can be a stocker at Walmart or something on weekends.

[Hekate]

87. I guess he'll just have to resign and take a private sector job then. And take Scalia with him...

I'm sure they can make lots of money off their right-wingnut pals.

Hekate