A fleeting moment of nobility
A college basketball coach in Mississippi, whose team won fewer games this year than in the two previous seasons, decided there should be no reward for mediocrity. He returned the $25,000 bonus he’d been given, saying:
“I really compare it to AIG. Why would I take a bonus when we went backwards?”
Refreshing, eh? Nothing could be nicer, in these troubled times, than the sight of someone in a high-profile job cutting back so we wage-slaves can see that sacrifice is shared by all. Hopefully, others will follow.
Uh, not Congress. According the Bloomberg News:
The U.S. Senate last month passed a measure limiting “luxury” spending for corporate travel by recipients of federal bailout funds. Two weeks later, about two dozen senators of both parties left town for political meetings on the Florida coast.
And not the Wake County Board of Commissioners. According to the News & Observer:
Wake commissioners split 4-2 down party lines Monday, with the Democratic majority voting down a proposal to cut the elected board members’ salaries by 10 percent.
Despite losing the vote, Republicans Joe Bryan and Tony Gurley both said they would voluntarily give back a tenth of their commissioners’ salaries — a portion in line with the cuts faced by county departments due to the poor economy and declining tax revenues.
The commissioners voting “no” to the pay-cut proposal explained their reasoning thusly: (1) “I’m not going to play these games.” (2) “I’m the brokest commissioner on this board.” (3) It could start rumors among county employees that their pay might be cut, too. (4) Commissioners already make enough sacrifices. (5) It would save only $3,731, and what difference could that make?
Boy. That feel-good moment from the basketball coach didn’t last long, did it?
March 25th, 2009 at 8:09 am
WARNING! YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A CLICHE ZONE!
The problem - one problem - with politicians is that they only act out of self-interest. So if their constituency gets stirrred up enough about an issue, guess what? That issue instantly becomes their opportunity to accumulate those cherished browinie points that can be redeemed at reelection time What better way to ensure that cherished club membership than to manufacture a little bluster for the homefolks.
I think members of Congress are beneficiaries of our low expectations. While the Florida junket is disgusting, we’ve all heard of a helluva lot worse. And no doubt, we’ll hear of a helluva lot more. Their duplicitous behavior and lazy, ham-handed legistlating seems to provoke yawns rather than outrage from we chumps who vote them into office.
And it ain’t like we don’t get something out of this sorry arrangement. Pork, anyone?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:09 am
“Boy. That feel-good moment from the basketball coach didn’t last long, did it?” that’s why they call it a moment.
and i’m gonna be the f*****g idiot who defends some of those AIG guys. some of them earned and deserved those bonuses. unfortunately, they make excellent scapegoats for obama and congress, et al. maybe a taste of being the little guy will make them a better person, though being a little guy all my f*****g life hasn’t made me such a great f*****g person.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
But I thought The One was going to bring Change and Hope? ;D
March 25th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
and you turned out to be right.