Congressional pay is indexed to the cost of living. It was made automatic several years ago because many in congress didn't have the courage to vote pay raises for themselves, even though a second string utility infielder for the worst major league baseball team makes a lot more money and gets higher pay raises each year. Baseball fans don't complain, and the many wealthy Washington legislators are unaffected directly, so they don't complain either. If Congressional pay does not keep up with the cost of living, the richer legislators are positively affected because their opponents who cannot afford the job drop out of the market, and the nation edges toward plutocracy. Nevertheless, although I support the automatic indexing of Congressional pay, accepting this year's pay raise and declining next year's raise is a disingenuous ruse: this year's raise is based on a relatively large increase of the inflation index, whereas next year's raise will be based on a stagnant or deflating economy, and so it might well be nil.

What? Tell me again--what are we paying them for? They don't seem to do anything but mismanage, spend money on really stupid things and then, instead of admitting that stupid is as stupid does to quote a character who had more integrity in his underwear than most of the people in Congress, they pass legislation giving away money we don't have to pay to people who already have shown that they can manage neither money or businesses.

I guess that makes us stupid for reelecting them. I wrote to both my Senators and my Representative. The Rep responded with a canned email saying that he got the email I sent and I never heard any more from HIM. The Senators were silent (boy, I bet that killed them to be silent!) and finally after the second email, one sent me an email that I had to call her office or mail a release of personal and private information. This from people who voted to allow wiretaps without warrants and voted FOR the Patriot Act (now that is, like the Central INTELLIGENCE Agency, a true contradiction in terms.)

All this mail (I wrote to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama too, as well as the Ambassador here) was begun when my friend was denied a visa for the 3rd time, ostensibly because she seemed like she wanted to live in America, which I assured everyone she does not. They charge $131 US FOR A VISA APPLICATION here in Vietnam, and we calculated that the consulate here is picking up a cool $20,000 + daily denying visas. That is $100,000 a week or more, or $5,200,000 a year just to say "No."

The worst thing is that they require the applicants to have voluminous records and details of their lives, jobs, incomes, histories, etc. etc. etc, all certified and legally documented, and then they DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THE PAPERWORK. They just say "No", pocket the money, and move on to the next one. My friend answered all the questions honestly, and I had prepared the necessary papers to guarantee that she would not become a financial burden to the USA, but she was denied a visa.

I know of others who lied, omitted information, and exaggerated facts like income and other things who were granted visas. They intend to stay in the USA once they get there.

But the Consulate obviously does not investigate. They just pocket the money and go on to the next suckers.

Sort of like my Senators and Representative.

Pity the poor members of Congress in this awful depression (government officials and news media refuse to use the "d" word). Don't they get enough lobbyist bribe money and kickbacks to make ends meet?

And next year, when everybody forgets that Congress voted to skip that pay raise, they'll conveniently and quietly pass a rider to a bill that will give them a raise.