…Congress critters (as the late Robert Anton Wilson called them) are not like you and I.
Wealthy lawmakers increased their riches as economy sputtered in ’09
“The 50 wealthiest lawmakers were worth almost $1.4 billion in 2009, about $85.1 million more than 12 months earlier”, or nearly a 16.5% increase in their collective net worth!
Congress critters do not understand your plight. Most have no grasp at all of what it means to struggle – to make those really difficult decisions. Choosing between health care coverage; putting food on your table; paying your electricity bill; being late on your rent; allowing your car to get repossessed; paying for daycare.
This is not a situation that can easily be explained away by partisan lines in the sand. “Twenty-seven Democrats along with 23 Republicans make up the 50 richest in Congress; 30 House members and 20 senators are on the list.”
This demonstrates the disconnect between those that govern and those being governed. This demonstrates that our representatives are out of touch, and that illusion of a partisan divide in government is just a device to steer public opinion.
Transparency?
Congress critters are the people’s servants. A high standard of transparency is necessary so that citizens may become informed participants in government, even if only when partaking in elections. This is one of the basic tenets of a functioning republic.
“Lawmakers are only required to report their finances in broad ranges. For example, a $2.5 million vacation home in Aspen, Colo., would be reported as being valued at between $1 and $5 million on a congressional financial disclosure form.”
Can you imagine rounding down $250,000 on the value of your home? Can you even imagine owning a “vacation home”? I digress.
What kind of accounting is this? Highs and lows with a difference of $4 million? How are citizens to fully grasp their representative’s status; have a full understanding of what it is that drives their decisions? How are citizens to make an informed choice on election day?
The fox guards the hen house when it comes to Congress, so to speak. Chris Dodd was the Senate Banking Committee chairman during debate, and implementation, of the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP). Dodd’s wife was the CEO of a company controlled by AIG (one of those companies bailed out by the TARP). Dodd received $223,000 in campaign donations from AIG employees. Opensecrets.org reports that the “securities and investment” industry donated $1.2 million to Dodd’s campaigns over the last five years; out doing all other industries two-to-one. When you lump the categories of finance, real estate, and insurance together, the three in sum donated $2.8 million – a ratio of three-to-one. Unfortunately, one must have internet access and know that Opensecrets.org is aggregating that sort of campaign finance information in order to have these figures at hand. Hardly transparent.
Is the average citizen able to cleverly (or not so cleverly in some cases) obscure the landscape their finances paint? Dodd’s wife makes in excess of $500,000 a year from the five corporate boards she sits on. Dodd stated on his financial disclosure report that his wife’s annual income was “over $1,000″ for each of the five boards. Is he lying? No. Is that accurate? Most certainly not!
These Congress critters no longer represent your interests in those hallowed chambers. The divide between the wealthiest 5% of US citizens and everyone else continues to grow unabated. Congress critters work hard at obscuring the view you receive of their personal and campaign finances. Remember, these figures are an important indicator of who these people are, and more importantly, who these Congress critters are beholden to.