A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

budget cuts


Posted: Apr 13, 2011

Salary of the US President...$400,000. Salary of retired US Presidents...$180,000. Salary of House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500....Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400..........Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000. HELLO! I think we found where some cuts should be made! 

;

May I add to that? BENEFITS! - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
all members enjoy access to a separate piggy bank known as their "allowance." This funding generally goes toward maintaining their offices and building up a legislative entourage. In the House, representatives are allowed to spend more than $900,000 on salaries for up to 18 permanent employees. They get about a quarter-million dollars more for office expenses, including travel, and additional funding for a well-known congressional perk known as "franking." Franking is the term for the mass constituent mail sent out by members of Congress and paid for courtesy of the taxpayer.

Senators enjoy the same privilege but get a much bigger allowance for their office expenses. According to a Congressional Research Service report, the average allocation for fiscal 2010 was more than $3.3 million. Personnel money varies depending on how big of a state a senator represents -- a senator from New York is going to get more than a senator from Montana. But for starters, each senator is given a $500,000 budget to hire up to three legislative assistants.

there is "no restriction" on the number of offices they can open in federal buildings in their home states. Plus senators get to shop at the equivalent of Congress' IKEA -- furniture supplied through the Architect of the Capitol. Every senator gets $40,000 -- and potentially more -- for furniture in their home-state offices.

Bonus Tax Deduction: Members of Congress can deduct up to $3,000 for expenses while outside their home districts or states.

nsurance/Retirement: All members of Congress can sign up for the same health plan and life insurance policy available to other federal workers. But there's more. In an age when the 401(k) often becomes a substitute for a pension, representatives and senators enjoy access to both. First, members of Congress can sign up for a 401(k)-style "Thrift Savings Plan," a tax-deferred investment in which members' contributions are matched up to 5 percent.

Then there's Social Security. Then there's the pension plan. The pension payments and eligibility vary -- in a nutshell, members are eligible for an immediate, full pension at age 62 if they've served five years or more; they're eligible at age 50 if they've served 20 years; and they're eligible at any time after they've served 25 years. The annual amount of the pension depends on a lawmaker's salary and the number of years he or she served -- typically the amount is considerably less than a lawmaker's outgoing salary.

Down Time: Perhaps there's no such thing as down time for a member of Congress, what with the constant shuttling back and forth between Washington and their districts, media appearances and constituent meetings. But the work week lately has been relatively sparse. The Senate has averaged about three working days on Capitol Hill - three-and-a-half if you count Monday nights. Plus there are several breaks, which Congress calls "work periods," penciled in the calendar throughout the year. This year, members of Congress returned to their districts for a Presidents Day break, a spring break, a Memorial Day break, an Independence Day break and a summer break. Congress is about to adjourn again until early November so members can campaign. Of course, that's good old-fashioned time off for senators not up for re-election this year.

When the so-called 'crisis' is bad enough for them to start taking cuts themselves - then we can talk. LOL

[ In Reply To ..]
For years there has been a group very vocal about dismantling Medicare. That's fine for them. They don't need it. It is not important in that group's lives. It is important in mine. I also feel compassion for those who have less than I have. Let's cut the fluff first. Leave my support system alone. If you tell me you've cut your own support system because it was necessary, then we'll talk.

UnitedHealth Care CEO Stephen J. Hemsley $10.8 million this year - Exxon CEO $21.5 million

[ In Reply To ..]
Just think if that excessive compensation was used to lower costs. And people complain about the government. Sheesh!

You would not be griping if you were - Stephen or the Exxon CEO.

[ In Reply To ..]
just keeping the proper perspective.

Let us not forget Jeffrey Immelt....Obama's - GE buddy...

[ In Reply To ..]
how about 15.8 million...about tripled in 3 years, see link below. Know why it tripled? He offshored over half of GE's jobs. GE didn't pay any tax last year and will owe a "modest amount" this year according to him.

Tell me again how Obama and the DNC are against corporate welfare...this guy is the poster child for just that and he has recently been installed as an Obama advisor.

Again...do NOT listen to what Democrats SAY. Watch what they DO.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/ge_ceo_jeffrey_immelt_saw_comp.html

LOL--Obviously Immelt didn't take the job for the money. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You don't hire the janitor to do the brain surgery, now do ya?
You seriously need to buy a vowel, friend... - you don't even know
[ In Reply To ..]
how clueless you are, or how ridiculous you make the left look with posts like these....now do ya??
You just made the Republicans appear rude and crude - and heartless.nm
[ In Reply To ..]
nm
I'm not a Republican. You just made - Democrats appear
[ In Reply To ..]
whiny and self-righteous and able to find the splinter in everybody else's eye while totally UNABLE to find the timber in their own.

Thanks for that.
I was addressing your post, nothing else. - nm
[ In Reply To ..]
nm
They ARE rude, crude and heartless. They prove that fact - every time they open their collective mouth.nm
[ In Reply To ..]
nm

WAIT A MINUTE! UnitedHealth gets Medicare money - and their CEO makes 10.8 million?

[ In Reply To ..]
Okay, let's start, after we get rid of fluff elsewhere, by talking to UnitedHealth about cutting a little. Of course it isn't in their best interest to do that, because if we go Private System, the CEO's salary is going to go up MILLIONS! Those on Medicare, and all of us will be if we live long enough, will be struggling, hoping that the reduced coverage pays enough that we won't have to sell our homes and take bankruptcy if we get sick. What if we need nursing care on-site, assisted living or nursing home for a family member? The Private System cuts off where Medicare, our current support system, doesn't. MESSAGE TO UNITED HEALTH, you have a huge contract to insurance Medicare patients as secondary insurance, and I think you are proving the point that Private Insurance is not the way to go. You make more than the President of the United States! But you are wanting to take care of all of us in our old age, up to a point. The shorter that 'point', the more money the CEO makes. I'm very much against allowing private insurance the ability to abuse us further, after having been abused by the private insurance system already for many years. I'm not buying it.

Rather large problem with the logic.... - United Health Care is

[ In Reply To ..]
a for profit business. The federal government is running 14 trillion in the red so by your rationale we need to fire Obama and hire the CEO of United Health to be president.

Works for me.
Hardly. I think United Healthcare is despcable but they may be the best available - of the private healthcare organizations
[ In Reply To ..]
That's sure not saying much that they may be the best private health care has to offer, but I think that may be true. I've been so hurt by private health care organizations that I wish they would all go out of business.
None of it is going to matter if no one - addresses cutting the
[ In Reply To ..]
cost of health care. That is the core issue. I don't mean health insurance costs, I mean the charges. An insurance company has to make money to stay in business. When health care costs go up, premiums go up. Same way with any other kind of insurance...homeowners, auto, etc. Until that is addressed, the cost of insurance is NOT going to go down, I don't care what Obama says with his Affordable Health Care.

And if mandatory insurance or a fine is ruled unconstitutional, Affordable Health Care is dead in the water anyway.

I don't know why so many people are blin and deaf to cutting costs....that is the key.
Yeah, those poor insurance companies. We don't want them to go broke - LOL
[ In Reply To ..]
LOL. Of all the things to worry about, I don't think that one is on my list. LOL.
There's a lot of contagious hysteria these days about this and that going broke - My opinion
[ In Reply To ..]
Calmer heads are working on solutions that make sense without taking food out of the mouths of babies, health care and shelter away from the elderly, etc. It's good that the country is having the discussion. It's interesting to see how much more effective the calm approach is when compared to the hysterics. I like the way it's going.
Please read this and understand, folks... - the Democrats don't
[ In Reply To ..]
think the deficit is important, no big deal really, they LIKE the way it's going.

Should be all the incentive you need to vote Republican. THIS post is a prime example of the mindset of the Democrat today.

La-la-la what deficit. We'll just print more money.

Sigh.
You have just completely told a lie and you want - people to believe YOU (sm)
[ In Reply To ..]
when all you're offering is an opinion, not backed up by one fact.
Well, if the government goes broke there - goes your freebies sooo...
[ In Reply To ..]
you better hope it doesn't. Who will get the last LOL then?
The government is not going broke. We are a rich country - despite all the recent hype
[ In Reply To ..]
Sure we need to make some changes, and we're doing that, but America is a rich country and we're not about to go broke. People start hysteria in order to get their way politically. There is a middle ground which is much smarter. Let's correct the problems that we have and not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Drunk on the kool-aid. Deficit of 14 trillion - and that's not a problem.
[ In Reply To ..]
again...you don't want ANYTHING to come between you and the government tit, including your fellow Americans.

Gee, thanks for that.

Right on! Well said. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Similar Messages:


Harry Reid On GOP Budget Cuts: Let's Have A VoteMar 08, 2011
This is one article: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is promising an up-or-down vote on the $61 billion in budget cuts passed by House Republicans — just to show that version of the spending bill is “dead” – even if the upper chamber has to debate until 1 a.m. to prove the point. “I hope we have a vote on this today,” said Reid to reporters. “If not, we’re going to go through all this procedural process. They cannot stop us from having a vote o ...

Paul Ryan Talking About 2012 Budget CutsApr 03, 2011
Just FYI: I know some of you don't like Fox News, but try to tune in at 2 p.m. today for Chris Wallace (Fox News Sunday).  Paul Ryan is on and he gives very detailed information about budget cuts for 2012.  This budget will be released Tuesday, so this is kind of a sneak peak for anyone that's interested. ...

IRS Budget Cuts: 12,000 Staff Reduction + 83% Cut In Training Funds = Jan 14, 2015
They will be able to answer about 4 out of every 10 phone calls until April 15.  After that those who filed for extensions will not have access to phone assistance.  Callers can anticipate at least a 30-minute hold.  When you get someone on the line, don't expect them to know anything about anything beyond "basic" tax law, because that's the only kind of training the agency can afford to give them anymore.  It will take months to receive written replies.   On-s ...

Scott Walker Travels Abroad On Taxpayer Money While Preaching State Budget CutsJun 17, 2015
Cost of his trip to London? $138,200, according to Walker’s office. Cost of trips to Germany, France, Spain and Quebec, Canada? Yet to be released by Walker's office. Double-standard/hypocrisy in government spending policy after announcing your presidential bid? Priceless. "Scott Walker - he's everywhere he shouldn't be." Well, at least he'll get some foreign policy and diplomacy experience now. Not really, though, because these countries aren't exactly "hos ...

Who Will Pay For The Tax Cuts For The Rich?Dec 07, 2010
Talk Box: Tax Cut Extension Would Lead to More Borrowing From China 12/7/10 at 01:50 AM // MSNBC's Chuck Todd reported that the framework deal President Obama seems to have reached with Republicans on extending the Bush tax cuts will result in a loss of revenue totaling nearly $450 billion in 2011, more than the cost of the 2009 stimulus while Countdown guest host Sam Seder investigated the huge amounts the U.S. will have to borrow from countries like China, Russia and th ...

TP Gets Its Wish--Thanks To Bush's Tax Cuts.Aug 05, 2011
Quote from S&P on downgrade: Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012,remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act. ...

Tax Cuts And Unemployment VotesDec 13, 2010
At 3:40 p.m., the vote was 54-6 in favor. They need 6 votes to pass. We shall see. Voting against it so far is Birgaman (D), Feingold (D), Leahy (D), Udal (D)l, Sanders(I) , and Gillibrand (D).     ...

Tax Cuts Against Human Nature?Dec 06, 2010
Extending the Bush tax cuts: Human nature? Of all the coverage of the debate over whether or not to extend the Bush tax cuts, and there is plenty today, given that the White House appears to be quietly giving ground to Republicans on extending the tax cuts temporarily, today's money quote comes via Howard Kurtz over at The Daily Beast. He quotes former President George W. Bush communications director Dan Bartlett as saying, "We knew that, politically, once you get [a tax cut] into la ...

What The Majority Of The People Want Re Tax CutsDec 03, 2010
"here’s what the public said about the Bush tax cuts, according to the exit polls last month: 40 percent said to continue ALL of the cuts, 36 percent said to continue them for families who earn less than $250,000 a year, and an additional 15 percent said to expire them for all. So a majority -- 51 percent -- backed either the Democratic position or wants all the cuts to expire." ...

House Vote Is Being Taken Right Now On Tax CutsDec 02, 2010
So far, 211 yea,  173 nay.  Mostly partisan votes. 13 dems Nay, 2 pubs yea. ...

For Those Who Think Tax Cuts Should Expire, Read ThisJul 26, 2010
Tax hikes for the rich: Can the economy afford them?  By Jeanne Sahadi, senior writerJuly 26, 2010: 3:15 AM ET   NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Would making the rich pay higher taxes next year hurt the economy? That question underlines one of the trickiest fiscal questions facing Washington policymakers: What to do about the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. President Obama wants to let the cuts lapse for joint tax filers who make at leas ...

If You Think Bush Tax Cuts Should Be Permanent, Aug 21, 2012
If you don't think they should be encoded for all future American generations, ad infinitum, then don't vote for Romney.  ...

Big Tax Cuts For Businesses At The Expense OfApr 26, 2017
Who cares about pollution as long as those businesses can make bigger profits and CEOs can get bigger bonuses.  ...

Probably More Layoffs And Benefit CutsJun 25, 2017
Under the Senate health care plan, employers will no longer be required to offer health insurance.  I am guessing the big transcription companies are already planning to use this to layoff employees--you know, "minimum wage is too high in your state, employee benefits too good in your state, now you want health insurance too?"   Given the choice of not being required to provide health insurance, "not being able to find MTs willing to work for a pittance," and offshoring to some foreig ...

Fix The Budget--this Is FunFeb 15, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html Try this.  As a hint, I suggest going towards the end and starting with the taxation plans first.  Learn anything? ...

Deep Pay Cuts At Bailed Out CompaniesOct 21, 2009
x ...

Spending Cuts - Please Note The ReasonsMar 08, 2011
The first links is the House Appropriations  document showing spending cuts and most show the reasons for the cuts. http://www.majorityleader.gov/uploadedfiles/FY2011_SUMMARY.pdf The second link shows the comparison from 2010 and the President's cuts. Note the differences on that. http://www.majorityleader.gov/uploadedfiles/FY2011CR_SUBCOM.pdf   The third link shows the cuts inacted in 2010 and those requested for 2011. http://www.majorityleader.gov/uploadedfiles/FY2011_CUTS ...

Tax Cuts Passed 277-148 And Reid/OmnibusDec 17, 2010
They worked late into the night to pass it. It will cost $858 billion but it gives everyone a "breather" for a while. Reid pulled the Omnibus bill off the table; i.e., just died. John McCain, Tom Coburn, and Jim DeMint were the reason because they wanted the bill read page per page. Guess Reid didn't want the people to know what was really in the bill.  I had forgotten some of the crap in there but thankfully, the John Murtha Foundation (biggest crook in PA) will not be funded, n ...

Alan Grayson On Tax Cuts For The RichDec 06, 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/03/alan-grayson-fox-news-tax-cuts_n_791533.html Here's an excerpt: They want tax cuts for the rich because they want a tax cut for themselves. What do I mean by that? Let's take a look at the people who are really in charge, the ones who actually run the Republican party. Let's start with this gentleman here, the man with the cigar, Rush Limbaugh. Doesn't he look happy? According according to Newsweek, he makes $58.7 million a year, an ...

Keeping Bush Tax Cuts Would Be Disastrous!Aug 02, 2010
If the deficit hawks are truly sincere, maybe they should listen to their own financial guru--Alan Greenspan. www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/01/alan-greenspan-extending_n_666549.html ...

Dems Considering Keeping Bush Tax CutsJul 22, 2010
Democrats are considering a plan to delay tax hikes on the wealthy for two years because the economic recovery is slow and they fear getting crushed in November’s election.  It could mean a big reprieve for families earning $250,000 and above annually.  President George W. Bush’s tax cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts to delay their sunset.  Some Democrats are now arguing forcefully that a delay is a win-win plan that would help the federal ...

What Do You Think Of O's Budget Plans?Feb 15, 2011
'Scuse me for any typos or double remarks if any. I am trying to type this as he speaks. He plans to veto earmarks (how can this happen-there is no line item veto), cut LIHEAP program, freeze federal employee wages for 2 years (didn't they already do that?), cut military spending as Gates wanted, will work with everyone to simplify the tax code, but it sounds like he doesn't want to change anything with SS. He wants to increase taxes for those earning over $200K. Then he wants to ...

Budget To Be Passed (hopefully) Apr 21, 2010
By Walter Alarkon - 04/20/10 08:50 AM ET Senate Democrats have written their budget resolution so they can pass jobs legislation using reconciliation, the controversial process used last month to move healthcare reform. The resolution does not specify what specific jobs measures could be covered, and does not explicitly allow for the use of reconciliation rules to pass energy legislation or the extension of George W. Bush-era tax cuts set to expire at the end of the ...

Budget (or Lack Of)Aug 11, 2012
Question for liberals - if Obama is such a wonderful president and manager, can anyone tell me why he has not had a budget in 3-1/2 years?  He is such a dismal failure.   Having a hard time admitting it, I guess.  The Romney/Ryan 2012 ticket is now the ticket of hope.  I have more hope today than I've had in a long while.  ...

My Budget Would Include:Aug 16, 2012
1) Expiration of the Bush tax cuts at all levels. 2) Removing the cap on the payroll tax. 3) Marginal income rate of 50% on the wealthy.and graduated capital gains taxes. 4) Freezing defense and discretionary spending per the Budget Control Act (part of the fiscal cliff) which caps growth in these categories around 1.5% per year for a decade). 5) Reducing the COLA for Social Security for wealthier retirees. 6) Attacking healthcare cost drivers: obesity, defensive medicin ...

Sequestration Is Only 2.4% Of The BudgetFeb 27, 2013
The sequester cuts are only 2.4% of the whole debt and most won’t take place for another month. A message for the Democrats:  STOP THE SPENDING. STOP THE WASTE IN THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING; I.E., The Zombie training, the shrimp on the treadmill study and all the other stupid projects that received millions of dollars.  There’s where your 2.4% cuts should be and this is what the Republicans were trying to get stopped last year. Anyone read Tom Coburn's yearly list of th ...

OBAMA BUDGETMar 25, 2015
Hmmm.....98 against.  That includes some of the Dems.  Could it be they are finally awakening!!  One can hope.   ...

I've Just Been Reading Up On HR 1386 (Bush Tax Cuts In 2001)Aug 03, 2010
While I won't post the whole thing here, I will post some of it, as I don't know how long it would be on this board. Oh, and by the way, 12 dems voted for it, so it wasn't just a pub deal. So, were the tax cuts so bad? Tell me these were just for rich people as so many believe. This is the problem with people nowadays. They hear one side of the story and believe and judge without finding out for themselves what is really going on in this country. Those titles that I only posted ...

Not Romney But OBAMA Proposes Cuts To FEMA!!Oct 30, 2012
See pages 94-96 of Obama's sequestration budget plan.  Yes, Romney believes that FEMA has been over-funded for the results that we've actually gotten from the agency (which are perfectly miserable) - but the difference is, Romney plans to redistribute the money to the states and it isn't therefore a cut to emergency funding.  Under Obama's plan, the money would be used to fund OBAMACARE. Got knowledge?     ...

The Republican War On Math: Tax Cuts And Austerity" Nov 18, 2012
On election night, Republican strategist and Fox News contributor Karl Rove was unwilling to believe that President Obama had won Ohio, arguing with anchor Megyn Kelly that Ohio was too close to call. Eventually, Kelly asked Rove if his calculations were "just math you do as a Republican to make yourself feel better or is this real?" This televised moment on Election Day was one small victory for statistics. Another was thatFiveThirtyEight blogger Nate Silver accurately pred ...