The median wealth of America’s families is in the neighborhood of $100,000. Most of that is in the family’s home. The median wealth of members of the U.S. Congress is $913,000 and rising.
The median family income in Kansas is about $50,000. Representatives and senators start with a paycheck of $174,000 a year and add on extras from there.
To understand what these numbers mean, the recession skipped the hallowed halls of Congress. A majority of our nation’s legislators are millionaires. Some are very, very wealthy. All of them who don’t belong to the top 1 percent are rich in comparison to the average American.
Because a good many members of Congress are earning much more than they were before they went to Washington — or would earn if they returned to the private sector — they are careful readers of the political tea leaves and do nothing to offend their voter base.
Political correctness has a new definition today — steer clear of controversy, avoid initiatives, go with the flow, consult opinion polls to discover what to think. Depend on the special interests to fund your campaigns for re-election. Smile a lot and keep your mouth shut.
Conclusion: Because we give the members of Congress a standard of living many could not achieve back home, they very much want to stay in office and won’t touch tough issues with a 10-foot-pole.
— Emerson Lynn, jr.
