Earlier there was a posting on facebook about the retirement pay differences between the average member of the Legislative Branch of our government and the military. The difference was quite staggering. But this did not really show the gross unfairness of the pay system that is employed by our government across all areas, not just retirement, and it goes back many, many years.
In the 1960s, during the period when young men were sent to Vietnam, the average pay of an E-3 (Private First Class in the Army and Marines), was something in the neighborhood of a bit over $100 a month! With combat pay, that amount increased by about $50 or so. An E-5 (Sergeant) made a bit over $200 a month, and a 2nd Lieutenant made around $300! So, all in all, an average serviceman made anywhere between $2000 to $4000 a year! For this amount he spent a miserable year in Vietnam facing hostile fire and horrible living conditions. Almost 60,000 returned in body bags and thousands upon thousands were maimed and wounded, and countless lives were destroyed and had to be rebuilt. During that same period, the salaries of our Congressmen and Senators went from $30,000 a year to $40,000 a year. The military received barely any raises at all! There is something terribly wrong when young men who are asked to go and lay their lives down for their country barely earned enough money to keep them in beer and cigarettes, while the Congressmen and Senators who sent them in harms way earned 100% to 200% more!
It is not surprising that during that period most servicemen preferred to be assigned overseas where the dollar went a lot further! At most overseas posts and bases, the same PFC that barely could keep himself "afloat" back stateside, was in pretty good financial shape overseas. For married enlisted men and junior grade officers in particular, overseas assignments were a pretty good deal. Depending on the country, they could hire maids and even afford to eat out once in a while. By mid 1970s, after the end of Vietnam, a lot changed when the dollar lost its value against foreign currencies. The enlisted personnel in particular were in dire financial straits overseas! It was embarrassing for the United States! At some posts in Germany the local town's people had to help out the American servicemen's families who were in financial trouble! Back home (even to this day!) many lower ranking enlisted men's families had to go on food stamps! Food stamps for families of our military that protect this country! Meanwhile, the Congressional and Senatorial salaries continued to climb!
Today, the annual pay of Congressmen and Senators begin at around $180,000. But that doesn't tell the whole story. They also get all sorts of allowances and special pay. On the average, for 2015 that is estimated to be around $1,266,909.00 for each member of Congress and Senate! That money is to pay for staff salaries and other expenses. Since the 1990s, the annual amount averaged around $944,671.00 and climbed every year! So, using the 2015 amount, an average Congressman or Senator is paid around $1,435,909.00 a year! In contrast, an average E-5 in the military today makes $26,175.00 a year. With housing and other allowances, that pay may go up to around $35,000 a year, roughly a bit over 2% of what the Congressmen and Senators make! Yet, this same E-5 is called upon to disrupt their normal life, family life if they are married, and deploy to Afghanistan or other region and place their life in danger.
I have a solution to this terrible inequity! Cut the Congressional and Senatorial allowances in half and use the proceeds to increase the pay for the military! Better yet, take the whole amount and use it for the military. The Congress and the Senate have not done anything lately except to constantly bicker and carry out partisan politics. What have they done lately, domestically or internationally, to improve our or the world's situation? For that matter, what have they done in the last decade, two or three decades, to deserve all that pay! But of course, I am just being sarcastic, something like that will never happen, after all, it is Congress that controls the funding! That is why they are able to keep giving themselves raises while everyone else sits begging!
We have a system that is broken and is barely limping along. Somebody, someone, has to fix it. The Congress and Senate won't do it, they are too busy fighting over partisan politics and coming up with pork barrel legislation. Unfortunately, we have not had a president in a long, long time who could control the Legislative branch, so I guess it will be business as usual, until something does happen to cause a change.
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