Last month we posted an entry about how Congressman Walz [was] to continue returning pay raises to U.S. Treasury, just as he did in 2008. The Minnesota Independent picked up on our post in Walz returns congressional raise, again.
More traditional media in the state has been content to simply complain about the automatic raises--justifiably so in these tough economic times--without noting that not all members of the state's congressional delegation are accepting those hikes.
We first encountered this narraritive at the Fairmont Sentinel and posted about the omission of the fact of Walz's refusal to take the COLA increases in Fairmont paper forgets to tell readers their congressman returned his raise. Today, state Representative Al Juhnke's indispensable "Outstate News" email included another editorial condeming the automatic hikes. The Fergus Falls Daily Journal editors tell Congress to Refuse raises.
Earlier this month, Bob Collins at MPR asked What's in a symbol? He began:
Congress is going to hit the ground running when the new term begins.They've given themselves another pay increase.
As Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Gobe points out:
Beginning this week, US representatives and senators will be paid $174,000 a year. That represents an increase of $4,700 and the 10th time since 1998 that congressional pay has been given a boost.
As has become routine, this salary hike is taking place automatically - there were no hearings, no vote, no debate.
And no mention of it during the congressional campaigns just a few months ago.
It's only symbolism, of course, but maybe that counts for something right around now. It might be fair to say when you're living the good life in Washington, you lose touch with the real world to the point where you don't understand what taking more taxpayer cash looks like. . . .
Like the newspapers, Collins didn't see fit to mention Walz turning down the money. Guess that would complicate the easy emerging narrative the media is fixing on this story. Heck, simply explaining that Walz has to continue to turn down the automatic raise from 2008, as well as the one from this year, takes more than a sound bite.
Sure, the congressman's return of the automatic raise is a symbol, but with last year's $4,130 COLA's now returned to the Treasury twice, along with this year's $4700 hike,i t's now a $12,960 symbol.
An acquaintance pointed out the fact of Walz's refusal of the raise in the comments section at News Cut, and we posted a comment at the Fergus Falls Daily Journal. Nonetheless, it's frustrating to observe members of the legacy media--even those using blogging platforms on traditional venues' web sites--develop a distinct lack of interest in whether what they're venting about applies to all those serving Minnesota in Washington.
When we read about the automatic COLA raise, we remembered Walz had turned down last year's raise, and contacted is spokester to ask whether he'd be returning this year's increase as well. It took all of five minutes to learn and write up the facts.
We think that Congress should have the courage to vote each time it gives itself a raise. In the meantime, it's good to know that Walz is returning the money. Unfortunately, those citizens who don't read BSP or the Mindy are simply invited by the mainstream media to get angry at all members of congress. Oh, outrage.
Who is served by that indiscriminate resentment? Or by omitting the fact that Walz doesn't accept these raises?
We're off to watch the Minnesota legislature start the session, via TPT.
The only place that I learned this type of information is here.
Posted by: Grace Kelly | January 07, 2009 at 10:36 AM