The Widening Wealth Gap Between the Rulers and the Subjects
As if we needed another reason to dislike our congress members, the Washington Post highlights the increasing gap between the lawmaker “haves” and the constituent “have nots”. I, for one, am not the class warfare type of person, but why not have a little fun at our politicians’ expense?
The fact that elected officials happen to be wealthier than their constituents in America is certainly nothing new. It’s always been that way. Heck, depending on which historian you listen to, George Washington was the richest (or at least, one of the richest) man in America when he was President! The article does highlight how that gap has grown wider in the past 30 years.
To be fair, the article brings up a valid point of how much more running for office costs today than years back and invites wealthier individuals to run for office using significant amounts of their own money to get elected. One thing I find myself asking is “why?” Why would Bloomberg spend $100 million to be mayor of New York for which he earns $1 a year? Why would Rep. Kelly from this piece spend $380,000 of his own money to attain a $174,000 congressional job?
Is it altruism that drives these people to public service?
Or, are there other motives at play here?
Is it to feed a rich man’s ego? e.g. Bloomberg, Trump?
Is it to cash in on insider information on stock holdings? e.g. Pelosi, Boehner?
All the above?
I realize I may have opened the floodgates here for comments, I just ask that we keep it civil! :)
[Sources: Center for Responsive Politics; Census Bureau; DW-Nominate database on Voteview.com; staff research. By Dan Keating, Peter Whoriskey and Pam Tobey/The Washington Post. Published on December 26, 2011, 4:58 p.m.]
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