The world is a twitter with news and the YouTube featuring poor freshman Representative Sean Duffy talking about how hard it is to make it on his $174,000 congressional paycheck. TPM summed it up:
At a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin earlier this year, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) was asked whether he'd vote to cut his $174,000 annual salary. Duffy sort of hedged, and went on to talk about how $174,000 really isn't that much for his family of seven to live on. Then he went on to say he supports cutting compensation for all public employees, along the lines of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has proposed for the Badger State.
You can view the clip here.
The kid souls at the Wisconsin Democratic Party have launched a food and clothing drive so that the former Real World star won't have to sell his second home to put food on the table, clothe his kids, and pump gas into his used mini-van.
Suggested donations can be dropped off with Polk County Republicans tomorrow, April 1, 2011.
News reports have also come to the prairies this week that First District Congressman Tim Walz has been returning all of his raises, year after year, to the Treasury. Thus, he's pulling in less than poor Sean Duffy, though--like most women in Minnesota--his spouse Gwen works outside of the home.
The editorial board at the Brainard Dispatch observed:
Are donations by politicians to reduce the federal debt an empty political gesture or an important symbol?
We’ll side with those who commend members of Congress for returning part of their public salaries in order to reduce the federal government’s gargantuan debt. It’s not like it would take a lot of time or space to thank the two — that’s right, two — members of Congress who during last fall’s fiscal quarter took advantage of House rules allowing them to give back a portion of their paycheck. . . .
Walz has not accepted a salary increase since he was elected to Congress in 2006. . . .
For all the bloated rhetoric about government spending and exorbitant public workers’ salaries and benefits only two congressmen consistently return portions of their income to the government. They put their money where their mouth is.
“That old adage is ‘It’s better to try live a sermon than to give one,” is how Walz explained his donations to the Post. . . .
Want to reward Walz for having the integrity not only to refrain from whining like poor Sean Duffy, but actually returning some of his paycheck? Tonight marks the end of the first quarter of fundraising for the 2011-2012 cycle. If you are willing and able, make a contribution to Walz's campaign committee here.
Not interested in giving a campaign contribution but want to help a family that's really in need? The very young children of the late Michael Struck, a MNDOT worker who died working to protect southern Minnesotans from flood waters, can use your help with their education fund. As things stand now, his family will receive less than $200 each month from Struck's pension.
Related posts: Watch on the First: Who will challenge Tim Walz in 2012
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