Do Some Simple Math Every Time They Smile For The Cameras
As I have been reading the daily news on budget cuts and ACTIONS that should have been taken decades ago, I could not help but think of some simple math for other people to ponder. None of this is an exact science and it is just an example to cause one to stop a minute and think. If you spend too much time thinking about every single scenario I have missed in my simple example, or you are trying to calculate costs down to the penny…then please reread the title of this article.
Assumptions:
Assume the average salary for a member of the U.S. Congress is $174,000 per year.
Assume the average number of full-time hours worked per year is approximately 2,080 hours based on a standard 40-hour work week and 52 weeks in a year.
Doing the simple math of $174000/year divided by 2080 hours/year, then that is an approximate hourly wage of $83.65/hour.
To try to make the math even easier and to account for individual and specific variances, assume a flat rate of $50 per hour for a member of member of the U.S. Congress.
This hourly rate does not include per diem or other travel-related expenses, however, for the purposes of this simple, these costs will not be factored in as they represent additionally wasted taxpayers above and beyond this simple example.
If you spend too much time thinking about each of these assumptions in my simple example, then please reread the title of this article.
Thoughts To Ponder:
The next time you see one of your elected representatives barking at a rally crowd about divisive policies and ways they can create gridlock and do everything but the jobs they were elected to do…or when you see them on TV giving interviews describing how awesome they are and how bad the “other side” is…try doing some simple math in your head for the amount of time these elected officials are spending on their version of “Other self-gratifying duties as self-assigned” using the numbers below from the simple math above:
$25 of taxpayer dollars for every half hour spent.
$50 of taxpayer dollars for every hour spent.
$75 of taxpayer dollars for every hour and a half spent.
$100 of taxpayer dollars for every two-hour spent.
Therefore, the next time you see your elected official participating in any activities other than governing and showing true leadership…just ask yourself…would you have rather spent…or better yet invested that $25 or $50 or whatever…on something or someone else with a stronger and more positive return while actually trying to do some GOOD for their communities for a change?
Ultimately as a taxpayer, you are paying for whatever time elected officials spend on whatever activities they choose to spend their time. So just ask yourself when you see them barking in front of a rally crowd, plus the time shaking hands and kissing babies and all of that made-for-TV- theatrics…was it worth it to you as a taxpayer or would you have rather seen your taxpayer dollars spent in a more productive way?
Yeah this example is simplistic and if you find yourself ready to jump all over the simplicity in my efforts of simply trying to make a point…then thank you for proving my point of one of the big reasons why our country is in the condition that we see today. I would also strongly recommend that you please reread the title of this article.
In the meantime, there is no doubt our forefathers and those many generations before them…are rolling in their graves as I write this article.
