Upstream | December 27, 2011 | 101 comments

Median net worth of Congress members up 15 percent

source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45800303/#45800303

KB723
"Hard to Believe I saw this on TV tonight!!!" Kinda made me wonder what you folks think???

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45800303/#45800303
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101 comments // Median net worth of Congress members up 15 percent

  • Madsprxy
    • 0
      Madsprxy  

    • There net worth may be up but their worth as representatives of the people is a negative billion trillions! They're destroying our country and what it stood for. All the lives lost in all the wars to protect our freedoms - my grandfather lost his life in WWII and these rich traitors are laughing at those lost lives. It's beyond intolerable now.

    • 5 months ago
  • attilatheblond
  • KB723
  • Paratus
    • 0
      Paratus  
    • attilatheblond:

      Are you forgetting this applies to the Democrat Party also. Sometime I wonder why I even read some of this drivel. The partisan trash is beyond belief. And people wonder why there is such a great divide in this country.

    • 5 months ago
  • attilatheblond
    • 0
      attilatheblond  
    • Paratus:

      DEMS on Hill get rich too, yes, I am aware. They are also trying to come up with economic help that would create real jobs for real people. The GOP? Nope, all they have is jobs programs for their own bad selves.

      See how that works? You made an assumption about what I know/believe and didn't really read what I wrote.

    • 5 months ago
  • attilatheblond
    • +1
      attilatheblond  
    • KB723:

      Yep, but one party has been trying to spread some cookie crumbs out there to others. The other party, the party of NO! has ONLY been looking out for themselves and their paying customers. The only jobs the GOP cares about are their own.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • Lisayou
    • +1
      Lisayou  

    • Thanks for the post KB.

      I agree with you. Are so called leaders don't care about us. We need to stop the revolving door.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • JangoFetish
  • KB723
  • oldbanjo
  • Wyley_Wombat
  • oldbanjo
  • CreditFigaro
    • +1
      CreditFigaro  

    • The wealthiest of the wealthy congress members fail to fall into the top 400.

      Are congress members wealthier than the average joe?

      Yes.

      Are they better educated than the average joe?

      Absolutely.

      Are they that much more fabulously wealthy than the average person in the top 1%? not that much more.

      If you put the top 10 congress people, as far as net worth, together, they would BARELY break into the forbes 400 as a single individual with their pooled wealth.

      They aren't that rich!

      The poorest person on the forbes 400 is 5 times as wealthy as the richest member of congress.

      I would expect people who have high net worths and don't have to work to be better able to campaign than someone who has to hold down a steady job.

      The real villains are not the congress people, but those that hold them hostage with campaign contributions.

      We must make the #1 priority getting private money out of politics, and focus on making sure public money is adequately allocated to the process.

      VOTE IN YOUR PRIMARIES!!

    • 5 months ago
  • Lisayou
  • budsnews
    • +1
      budsnews  

    • ...3 more 'free trade ' agreements signed recently,barely a mention about...no debates,no considerations about how it will affect the working classes.three more places for the American investment dollar to go, instead of here.

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • +1
      percipi224  
    • Image

    • http://www.alternet.org/story/153583/10_ultra-rich_congresspeople_who_%27represe...
      Sarah Jaffe discusses on Alternet the top earners in congrees have financially strapped districts. The top of the list, out of ten chosen for the "showcase"

      Rep. Darrell Issa, Republican, California District 49


      “In Mr. Issa’s case, it is sometimes difficult to separate the business of Congress from the business of Darrell Issa.”

      Those were the words of Eric Lichtblau, writing in the New York Times this August about the activities of the man the Washington Post calls the richest in Congress. According to the Post, he has an average net worth of $448,125,017, and Lichtblau noted that unlike many other wealthy members of Congress (including Rockefeller and Sen. John Kerry), Issa takes a direct hand in running his outside business.

      In Issa's Southern California district, 14 percent of the people and 21 percent of the children are living below the poverty line. 13.8 percent are unemployed, and 5.1 percent used food stamps in the past year. Median household income is relatively high --$57,399--but 5 percent still make less than 10K. While Issa has been good at bringing home projects that enhance his private wealth, it seems that many of his constituents are not feeling the benefits."

      These people who only benefit themselves are the true free loaders.

    • 5 months ago
  • remanns
  • mickyjon420
  • artemis6
  • Frosty46
    • +2
      Frosty46  

    • Americans will buy into anything rammed down their throats by corporations and the "church"-----from the fake WTC attacks to blaming the latest financial scam on poor home buyers-------sign us up is the battle cry!

      As to our current crop of politicians-----------OFF WITH THEIR HEADS (and their wife's, mothers, fathers and children--the entire blood line). Blood letting is the only way to purge the gene pool of these monsters-------the other options do not work!

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • +1
      percipi224  
    • Frosty46:

      sweetie, death would be an easy out. I say they must trade places with someone in their districts. Job, power, all of it. Let's put it this way. How many of us could resist the call of money? As it was said on Dylan Ratigan the other day; Which do we want, only wealthy people running for office or for someone to pay them to run for office? It takes money to live in D.C. and run back and forth to the district. But we need balance. If an individual is benefiting from insiders trading (legal schmegal!) then why aren't their districts doing well on the knowledge. Why should the congress get wealthy off the loss's of the rest of us? This won't hold water anylonger. There is something in our puritan roots that cries out against those who take more than their share. And they wonder why people are joining Occupy

    • 5 months ago
  • LivingPong
  • KB723
  • nikonwilly
    • +2
      nikonwilly  

    • I would believe the numbers are much higher, but does it matter when we are being swindled every possible way imaginable.
      The real news is like a complete nightmare...interesting to see how the worlds population fights back when it all comes out!

    • 5 months ago
  • hombre76
    • +4
      hombre76  

    • not supprised they politicians dem and repug are gaming the system. the real question is how much longer are we 99% gonna tolerate it?

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
  • RevKen
    • +3
      RevKen  

    • I have no problem with the rich getting richer. I have a problem with the rich getting richer as the poor get poorer.

      Our elected representatives should make sure that we all benefit from their decisions. Our country gets stronger as the lesser among us get stronger. Our country gets weaker when only the wealthy get stronger.

      We should nor redistribute the wealth. We should make sure the laws are written so that we all have an equal chance to share the wealth.

      Simply voting for the same people from the same political parties will never solve our problems. It is time the 99% begins to elect our own candidates.

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • 0
      percipi224  
    • RevKen:

      I agree in the main, but that "wealth" was not only off the working people, but the environment. I could personally care less for the tax cut if it means they are trying to shove Keystone down our throats. i don't want their blood money.

    • 5 months ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • KB723
  • KB723
  • MotherForTruth
  • MotherForTruth
  • KB723
  • KB723
  • thinkingfree
    • +2
      thinkingfree  

    • Maybe they know something we don't, thats why they are taking all they can get before whatever that is happens happens. Maybe its the Mayan thing, Maybe its a world revolution and they all need to get out of town. How do you keep on raping and pillaging a country and think your gonna get away with it down the road. The French Revolution was nasty for anyone who wore a hair piece. Maybe we should bring back the guillotine.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • Frosty46
    • +1
      Frosty46  
    • thinkingfree:

      You are so right in a wish to return to the guillotine----------these monsters will not give up their ill-gotten gains and power---they would gladly stomp your children to death before your eyes to keep their unfair advantages------none should ever forget that for one moment!
      Another thing to never forget is who went along with the deceptions--our media, our churches, our leaders, our military------

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • 0
      percipi224  
    • thinkingfree:

      money won't help. If I am trying to survive I won't be going to Rep Lamborn for help I will be joining forces with my working poor neighbors. Death would be to good for those who suck off the tit of the working people. Have you heard of the reports about the group of chimps? that during hard times, shun the bullies in their midst.?

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • 0
      percipi224  
    • Frosty46:

      again, death is too good. Also, I remember King talking about apathy being more of a problem than fear. Apathy is killing us quicker. Still to few are engaged in democracy. And the wannabe rich.

    • 5 months ago
  • nardo1224
    • +4
      nardo1224  

    • Why wouldn't these people who make the laws in a capitalistic society sway them in their favor. They know the electorate will never rise up against it because they have us too busy fighting each other to pay attention to what the hell they are doing.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • nardo1224
    • +3
      nardo1224  
    • KB723:

      There are more that one way to fight back. We may not have the money but we have the numbers and if millions of people descend on Washington at one time and demand that they leave, we may be able to scare them out.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • cmc101
  • KB723
  • cmc101
  • KB723
  • Frosty46
  • nardo1224
    • 0
      nardo1224  
    • Frosty46:

      I am so with you on this. If only we could get organized and get the word out. Plan to do it just after the 2 month purchase boycott and I bet they will start paying attention to us then!

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
  • percipi224
  • Leen61
    • +3
      Leen61  

    • This just proves that most politicians use their political office to make themselves richer. These people are going to care about the 99%? Of course not.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • Leen61
  • KB723
  • Leen61
  • KB723
  • Frosty46
  • artemis6
  • Leen61
  • KB723
  • dugdog47
  • KB723
  • dugdog47
  • KB723
  • percipi224
  • KB723
  • thedirtman
    • +2
      thedirtman  

    • The part about inside information is only half of it. The other is the percentage of income invested in real estate. Everyone needs one home to meet their basic human needs regardless of income. After these needs are met there is little need to have multiple homes. In order to get a home in a competitive market the lower income families are forced to divulge a disproportionate amount of their income into a home.

      The housing bubble burst a few years back, but two things continue to drive real estate down into the future. First, the residential market vastly overbuilt from 2000 to 2006. Second, the natural increase in population continues to drop, so fewer new homes are actually needed.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • percipi224
  • Progresshiv
    • +4
      Progresshiv  

    • The elected representatives who now use their offices to create personal wealth are criminals who have disgraced the memory of all the men and women who died to create a democracy here. They will go down in history as the worst scum of the earth.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
    • +3
      KB723  
    • Progresshiv:

      Worse Yet, there are folks just like them, take my employer for example... White, Christian, Republican hired an Iraqi vet many months ago, and is paying him just over minimum wage, he promised more after 30 days but will not cop to it... I feel for the guy, he has decided to go to Afghanistan... I really wonder Why the GOP always talks about 'Supporting the Troops' all their talk about 'Patriotism' and look how they treat them...

      Kids even a Republican, I am guessing that his mention that he is Muslim, really threw 'The Commander in Cheat' (the boss) for a Loop!!!! I will never understand the Republican mindset.... Or any of the others as well, I can't imagine being so Greedy, I often wonder if they are worried about the Mayan Calendar... =)

    • 5 months ago
  • Progresshiv
    • +4
      Progresshiv  
    • KB723:

      In my opinion, all the talk about the Mayan calendar is a load of crap. It's no more or less than another attempt to keep everyone in fear so that they'll be easier to manipulate. Republicans who march around singing "God Bless America" while placing their right hands over their pendulous man boobs are lying sacks.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
    • 0
      KB723  
    • Progresshiv:

      Yes Progresshiv, I can buy into that, I mean C'mon, if you can broadcast the end of the world or time, How can you not do the same of your people... I really wonder what is Fed down folks' throats once they make office... I think what you mention may be the Key to being a republican, but I am just guessing... =)

    • 5 months ago
  • circlesquared
  • KB723
    • +3
      KB723  
    • circlesquared:

      Hey Cool, I had to groogle this fella but that was an interesting read, Thanks, I am sure I have read something about this guy a long time ago, kinda brought back memories, but I could not remember any of them... =)

    • 5 months ago
  • Frosty46
    • +2
      Frosty46  
    • Progresshiv:

      While I agree with your intent I must cry foul at the "democracy" point--we are not nor have ever been anything remotely close to a democracy----------and this is further proof of the mind washing our leaders and media constantly pour down our collective throats!

    • 5 months ago
  • Frosty46
    • +1
      Frosty46  
    • Progresshiv:

      Where oh where are these Mayans who forecast the planets demise in 2012----well they rot in the soils of South America after having been exterminated by the Spanish.
      Now just how smart is that?

    • 5 months ago
  • Progresshiv
  • Progresshiv
  • percipi224
    • +1
      percipi224  
    • KB723:

      even though the end of the world ala Mayan predates Jesus by, oh what? 2000 years roughly, they still think they are especially blessed and will be taken away before the shit hits the fan. They realy think this. Blows my mind. My view....good riddens, the rapture needs to hurry up so us meek can inherit and start cleaning up the mess they leave. Just think if all those militant Christians and the Zionists got taken away, if all those Muslims who believe in an end time, how peaceful would it be?

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • +1
      percipi224  
    • KB723:

      KB, we need a kind of a poll thingie here on current. What would you do if you were rich? I love to think that way. Just to convince myself what a good person I would be rich or poor. Still would we want to pay 50-90 % taxes on that? Would we live where we are and try to improve things, would our attempts be met with open arms? wonder?

    • 5 months ago
  • percipi224
    • +1
      percipi224  
    • Frosty46:

      the word has been co-opted along with freedom, free market, family values etal. Occupy the language is a website discussing the twisting of truth and being buried by the lies behind them.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • KB723
  • queenofit
    • +4
      queenofit  

    • Well, for all the "selling out" they do, I would certainly imagine they are getting paid well for that. So, no, I am not surprised at all. I am sickened that these men and women that we vote on to do our bidding, get there and become so off track, that their main goal is to scoop up all the goodies for themselves and shove us under the bus.

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
  • circlesquared
  • circlesquared
  • KB723
    • +2
      KB723  
    • circlesquared:

      I still cannot believe I saw this on the news, I didn't mean to get all the other shows after it, first time I have ever posted something from a news show other than 60 Minutes...

    • 5 months ago
  • cmc101
  • KB723
  • circlesquared
  • KB723
  • artemis6
  • KB723
    • +1
      KB723  

    • Median net worth of Congress members up 15 percent

      "Hard to Believe I saw this on TV tonight!!!" Kinda made me wonder what you folks think???

    • 5 months ago
  • cmc101
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