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We the People U. S. Civics - Salaries of elected officials

Read the Editorial from The Daily Item - Congress should decline 2008 pay raise, July 31, 2007

Look into this issue:

What did the 1787 Constitution direct regarding raises for the President and the members of Congress?

How has this direction changed since then?

U.S. Census data 2005 report - in pdf | Income data 2004 - 2006 US Census data

What was the median earnings of males in 2005?

What was the median earnings of females in 2005?

What was the median earnings of males in 2005 in your state?

What was the median earnings of females in 2005 in your state?

How does the median salary of someone in your state compare with the salary of your congressional representatives?

What was the position of your congressional representatives regarding their most recent cost of living raise? Did they accept it?

Name an elected official who serves for free today.

Did you know? - As the Commander of the Continental Army, General George Washington took no pay. He served in that position for eight years.

"As to pay, Sir, I beg leave to assure the Congress, that, as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to have accepted this arduous employment, at the expence of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any proffit from it. I will keep an exact Account of my expences. Those, I doubt not, they will discharge, and that is all I desire."

Resources: Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress

Congress: Rank-and-File Members' Salary | Minimum wage issue report from CitizenJoe website

Salaries and Retirement Benefits of U.S. Presidents and other Federal Government Employees

Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention,1774-1789 - Library of Congress

A century of Lawmaking for a new Nation - loc

National Constitution Center - Interactive Constitution

"A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen to be impartially dedicated to the general public interest, nor will they give trust to those high in government who violate the rule of law they ask citizens to obey at the expense of self-interest, or to those who present government as the place where one feathers his own nest, [or] exchanges favors with friends and former associates." Archibald Cox

Constitution State, Federal & Citizen Powers Earmarks Who represents you? Sept Civics
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posted 8/2007 In the spirit of Thomas Paine - released to public domain by Cynthia J. O'Hora

Aligned with the following Pa Academic Standards - Reading, Writing Speaking, History, Civics and Government, Mathematics, Civics, Science and Technology. Aligned with the National Standards for Civics and Government

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