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Public Woar or Deficit? | Politico | 6 Nov 2009

Among the highlights: Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven members of Congress are millionaires. That's 44 percent of the body - compared to about 1 percent of Americans overall.

CRP says California Republican Rep. Darrell ("Screw U") Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), worth about $209.7 million; and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), worth about $208.8 million.

All told, at least seven lawmakers have net worths greater than $100 million, according to the Center's 2008 figures.

"Many Americans probably have a sense that members of Congress aren't hurting, even if their government salary alone is in the six figures, much more than most Americans make," said CRP spokesman Dave Levinthal. "What we see through these figures is that many of them have riches well beyond that salary, supplemented with securities, stock holdings, property and other investments."



Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Fri Nov 6th, 2009 at 09:24:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So, it is not a question of Congress members SIDING with the rich. They ARE the rich.  

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Fri Nov 6th, 2009 at 10:15:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
some (or many) of them are rich (after all, netroots hero Grayson is one of the richest members of the House), but that it has become almost impossible for the non-millionaires to get elected. It kinda skews the representativity of the body...

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Nov 7th, 2009 at 09:08:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Exactly!  Which is why public financing of elections is essential to the survival of anything worth calling a "democracy."  But it also skews their perceptions.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Nov 7th, 2009 at 10:10:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I've long suggested that it's difficult for the representatives to get serious about reforming America when, as far as they are concerned, there is nothing wrong with a system that worked for them

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Nov 7th, 2009 at 09:32:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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