Our Politicians Don’t Know How People Live
By: Shelly Fagan
Tags: Life, Money, Politics, Congress, Covid 19

WARNING: You’ll be pissed off when you read this

Photo by Jordan Rowland on Unsplash

Let me put the stimulus debate into perspective for you.

If you make $50k a year, but you were arguing from the lofty perspective of Nancy Pelosi’s estimated net worth of $120 million, you would be deciding on whether to send everyone a check for a measly 25 cents.

Rightfully, — as a normal working person living in the real world — you would reject it as too small of a sum to consider as it would not make a noticeable difference to anyone.

You would have to be greatly disconnected from the lives of everyday people to think that 25 cents would help.

Yet, a whole bunch of multi-millionaire politicians in Washington believe it will.

A Ridiculous Proposal

All told, an estimated 30 to 40 million Americans could be at risk of residential eviction. . .2.8 million Americans would be behind an average of $5,400 in rent, and that debt could balloon to nearly $70 billion by the end of the year. — USA Today

Understand that our elected officials are spending time and money on this absurd proposal after millions of Americans have been struggling for nine months, charitable aid is collapsing, and many have resorted to shoplifting food.

This their solution after intense negotiation.

Congress is so far removed from the everyday struggle of the average American that they are wasting time debating whether a one-time stimulus of $600 is too generous. GOP lawmakers want to exclude social security recipients and those receiving unemployment benefits because apparently those people are doing fine.

The administration believes this paltry amount is worthy of consideration to prevent the rest of us falling into starvation and poverty. Best estimates are that 33 million Americans are financially hurt by the pandemic, and wealthy lawmakers believe $600 will solve this.

Let that sink in. . .

Why Should They Know?

When the public complains about the rising cost of living, Congress has no idea about their struggles because they don’t have their financial problems.

Lawmakers earn a salary of $174,000 per year plus receive funds to offset the cost of running an office, ranging from $1,207,510 to $4,815,203. It is estimated that half of Congress have a net worth of $1 million or more.

That may not seem like a big chunk of change in the world of billionaire oligarchs, but compared to the rest of us, the 82.3 million workers paid at hourly rates, representing 58.1 percent of all wage and salary workers, the inequality becomes especially appalling.

So when Americans talk about losing a job, none of these bozos will ever have to send out 500 resumes to get an interview by some mega corporation, for a job working for slave wages while facing blatant labor violations, only to discover that these complaints are rarely investigated or prosecuted.

Washington has long blessed corporate profits over workers. Although millions are unemployed due to the pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration declined to investigate more than half the complaints from workers who said their companies retaliated against them due to COVID safety concerns. Congress won’t be doing shit about it, either.

Most of these lawmakers can’t remember the last time they did an honest day’s physical labor because their entire careers have been one of shaking hands and shady backroom deals. You can bet none of them have worried how they will make their next utility payment.

While Americans worry about feeding their kids, the entitled MF’ers in Washington fret about which Ivy League school will be the most prestigious for their spawn.

These are the people who are determining how difficult it is for you to survive in a collapsing America.

They are deciding how bleak your prospects are to climb out of the pandemic hole. Or if you should be able to protect yourself from abusive corporations. Or if you will get to live indoors next year.

Congress has considered your plight, weighed the options carefully, and decided to send you a quarter.