Fairmont paper forgets to tell readers their congressman returned his raise

In Members of Congress should give up raises, three editors of the Fairmont Sentinel make their case:

Times are tough for many working men and women. Millions are having to deal with unemployment. Many more understand that next year will be tough for their companies. Pay raises normally given out for good work may not occur.

Unless you are a member of Congress. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate are to receive $4,700 salary increases Jan. 1. That will take the base pay of 535 lawmakers up to $174,000 per year.

There will be no need for lawmakers to vote on the proposal. Several years ago, Congress passed a measure that makes such cost-of-living increases automatic. They can be stopped only if senators and representatives vote specifically to suspend them.

It will not surprise you that there has been little interest exhibited in that idea, at least on Capitol Hill. According to one report, a bill to suspend the raises has been introduced in the House - but it has just 34 co-sponsors.

We realize that some members of Congress work hard. We understand that living in Washington is expensive. But many taxpayers work hard and have trouble making ends meet too. A substantial number of them are having to tighten their belts because of the downturn in the economy.

Members of Congress should set a good example by refusing the raises.

We agree with the editors, faulting them only for a glaring omission: neglecting to tell their readers that Congressman Walz has already refused his raise--and last year's raise as well. He will continue to send both sums back to the U.S. Treasuury.

Readers of Bluestem Prairie and the Minnesota Independent know this, since both venues reported it within the last week; those First District readers who only look at this editorial will have no idea that their own Congressman is turning down raises for the second year running.  Idle minds might think that this basic fact is relevant to the discussion, but perhaps the only newspaper in the First to endorse Walz's opponent has good reason to leave Martin County in the dark.

Being a mere blogging bovine, we're probably  just not clever enough to figure out what that reason might be.

Photo: Congressman Walz talks to constituents in a district grocery store. Photo from Minnesota Public Radio.