14 percent approval rating

Well, our esteemed congressional representative Ginny Waite-Brown is berating one of her constituents for not knowing the technicalities of congressional law-making. She must be very sure of her re-election by putting down a voter in that fashion.

I don't understand her position since the Congress put on quite a show this last year exposing the fact that the Congress does not even read much less write its own 2,000-plus-page bills. But, it's nice to know that our representative (or staffer) can explain laws and bills that Congress doesn't read or write.

In addition to the enormous salary paid to our representatives, they are allowed 18 staff members and four interns (remember Monica Lewinsky?). Senators are allowed from 33 to 44 employees depending on their state's population.

There seems to be no consensus on the time or days Congress works during the year. The closest is three to four days a week, with a month off for Christmas and holidays. Representatives get a break for Easter, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Christmas Day. The Senate operates according to a very similar schedule, except it remains in session for Yom Kippur and for Rosh Hashanah. I'd guess it would amount to 175 days per year. With that kind of work schedule, they ought to be paid per diem.

Well, while our elected representative rakes Ron Dixon over the coals and belittles his knowledge as lies, misinformation or untruths, it may be understandable because representatives get awful edgy when they are faced with awarding themselves more pay raises and other emoluments coincidental with an election.

Our representatives are at least smart enough to recognize if they give themselves a raise (on top of their current $174,000 salary and other emoluments), voters get uptight and start questioning congressional performance, currently standing in a Gallup poll, at about a 14 percent approval rating.

By the way, if they don't write bills, much less read them, and with an average of 20 staffers, helping them do the aforementioned, what do they do?

One last objection is their ability to vote on their raises, holiday pay, etc. Since they don't appear to do anything, our true representatives are the congressional staffers and lobbyists!

I think it's time to grease up the guillotines.

Don W. Plezia

Spring Hill