AOC Wants a pay raise, Proving Even Socialists Want More Money

As a Member of Congress AOC Already Makes More than 80 Percent of Households in America

America’s most famous socialist, Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) wants a raise in pay. It’s easy to dismiss her as an airhead but understand when she sends out a tweet, or Instagram message the American press corps takes notice. She is so famous, beautiful and glamorous that it is safe to say that she is the first socialite socialist in American history. Eugene V. Debs may have had an IQ 100 points higher than hers but could never match her charisma.

Well, sure, everyone wants to make more money, and that’s a good thing. Capitalism runs on the belief that people want more money and, in that desire, they are willing to work harder, learn new skills, become more productive and in doing so create more wealth which in turn benefits others. Those people tend to be rewarded with higher salaries.

AOC is not in the private sector, rather she is a public servant who wants to make more money, in fact she wants to make much more than the public. She tweeted Friday that she believes that members of Congress should get a payraise, in doing so she acknowledged the unpopularity of the idea saying, “I know it’s kind of a contrarian position.”

One of my problems with AOC, and this may be common among many in her generation, is that she communicates on Twitter, which has a limit on characters. So, her arguments in support of her various positions are usually short, if not nonexistent. Can’t someone teach AOC to write a position paper? A staffer or chatgpt could maybe do if for her. Just a thought.

So, on this issue I can only try to deduce her reasons for supporting a payraise for members of congress through a couple of her Tweets.

Currently a member of Congress makes $174,000, which is estimated to be more than 80 percent of households in America. Should it be raised? Is it too low? Well, ordinarily the market sets salaries. So, what does the market suggest. We should first look at the supply and demand. I can’t remember when or if we have ever had a shortage of congressional candidates. So, there is no need to increase the salary based on a low demand for candidates.

As far as a quality goes, sure, there are some weak candidates, some people who should never be in Congress, but I don’t believe raising the salary gets you a better crop of people.

Do members of Congress deserve more money? Well, are they doing a good job? Such a good job that they should be given an increase in salary. Not according to a recent poll by 538, Congressional approval rating stands at 17.5 percent.

Imagine if you ran a business which had a customer survey rating of 17.5 percent. Do you think anyone would be getting a raise. No, most likely everyone, from the CEO to the mailroom guy would get fired. But these are members of Congress representing heavily gerrymandered districts so most of them can’t lose. Other than Federal employees past their probationary period I can’t think of anyone with better job security. Well, maybe university professors.

Actually, as far compensation goes, at 174k I think that members of Congress are already greatly overpaid. They have unconscionable job security, thanks to gerrymandering, they get free trips, free use of the mail, and they get great healthcare, that is they exempted themselves from Obamacare.

AOC points out that the last time Congress got a raise was way back in 2009, so presumably with the passage of time should come a payraise. But it could be that they shouldn’t have gotten a payraise back in 2009, and the effect of inflation doesn’t prove that they are underpaid today. And as far as inflation goes, we are all feeling the negative effects of Bideinflation. And perhaps if congress had been more prudent with spending since 2009 inflation wouldn’t be as high today.

AOC claims that she has had and continues to have financial struggles, and that living on a congressional salary is tight for her, that may be true, but she knew what the salary was when she first ran. It didn’t deter her from running. Now she claims 174k is too low to attract middle class candidates. Well, her example undermines her claim.

She also points out that there are lots of millionaires in congress who presumably are more easily able to live on the measly $174k. Somehow this creates an unfairness.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) shared the same point and said, “Congress should not be the plaything of multimillionaires and billionaires,” Well, usually before someone runs for congress, they have had a career or two under their belt, so they have built up a lot of wealth. Warren and AOC may not understand this because they are career politicians, most in congress are not, or at least shouldn’t be.

I am reminded of an old joke about legislators pay that we tell here in Virginia. I have heard various versions of this joke for the last 30 years. It seems this candidate is elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. It’s a part time job and it pays 18k a year.

He says to his wife on election night, “Great news honey I got elected to the House of Delegates. She hugs him and says that’s great news. How much does it pay she asks.” The candidate responds, “I tell her, and then she looks at me earnestly and says I demand a recount.”

David Shephard is the author ‘Elections Have Consequences; A Cautionary Tale.“