How many weeks of vacation
does Congress get paid to take
every year?

Here is the 2010 House vacation schedule:

January 1st--January 12:   1-1/2 weeks
February 15th--February 19th:   1 week
March 29th--April 12th:  2 weeks
May 31st--June 4th:   1 week
July 5th--July 9th:   1 week
August 9th--Sept 12th:    5 weeks
October 11th--December 31st:   12 weeks

At the height of the worst recession and soon-to-be depression in 75 years, how many weeks of vacation did our Congress grant themselves this year?

23-1/2 weeks of vacation.
 
But they don't call it vacation. 

They call it non-legislative periods. 
They call their time off "work periods" for meeting their constituents and raising campaign funds.

Here's a thought. 

If you want to meet your constituents, consider that a cost of doing business. 

Americans should not be paying Congressmen and women to hang out in their home state shaking hands any more than I should get paid for waving at homeless men at the Walmart stoplight. 

How much will Congressmen and women make in salary for 2010?

Are you sitting down?

The salary for rank and file members of Congress is about $174,000 a year.

Does that come with lunch and cocktails?
And throwing f-bombs whenever one feels it appropriate?

The Majority Party Leader and Minority Party Leader make about $193,400 a year. 

The Speaker of the House makes $223,500 a year. 

All get a cost of living adjustment automatically implemented unless Congress votes to decline it.

Don't hold your breath!

While the rest of our country is going jobless and bankrupt, how much money do the rank and file members of Congress pay themselves per week of work? 

With 23-1/2 weeks of vacation, the $174,000 a year is divided over just 28-1/2 weeks of legislative work. 

That means your Congressmen and women are paying themselves an average of $6,105.26 for every week of work. 

That's the equivalent of $317,460 for full time production. 

How much is Nancy Pelosi paying herself? 

She earns $7,842.10 a week for 28.5 weeks of work.

Damn! So that's how she affords those gorgeous suits with matching necklace and earrings.

Imagine if she'd worked all 52 weeks like many physicians. 
She'd be paying herself $407,789 a year! 

That puts Nancy in the top 1% income bracket.

And they think doctors make too much? 

Where is the outrage? 

Shouldn't we have a Congressional Compensation Czar making things right for the American people?

Yeah! That's what we need...A Compensation Czar! Let me write that down!