:: The UberPlexer ::

URLinfo

[::..archive..::]
03/01/2003 - 03/31/2003 04/01/2003 - 04/30/2003 05/01/2003 - 05/31/2003 06/01/2003 - 06/30/2003 07/01/2003 - 07/31/2003 08/01/2003 - 08/31/2003 09/01/2003 - 09/30/2003 10/01/2003 - 10/31/2003 11/01/2003 - 11/30/2003 12/01/2003 - 12/31/2003 01/01/2004 - 01/31/2004 02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004 03/01/2004 - 03/31/2004 04/01/2004 - 04/30/2004 05/01/2004 - 05/31/2004 06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004 07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/31/2004 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004

:: Thursday, March 27, 2003 ::

Everyone should read The US Constitution. Though what is the reason for Amendment XXVII? "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened." It doesn't really seem to make any sense, or at least doesn't seem worthy of a whole damn amendment. It was adopted in 1992.

OK, a little looking uncovered the fact that the amendment eliminates the possibility of a "pay grab" by incumbents (basically retroactivelly giving themselves a raise).

Here's some detailing of this practice,

"In 1789 the compensation for our Senators and Representatives was fixed at $6 for each day's attendance; in 1815 at $1500 a year, in 1817 at $8 a day; in 1855 at $3000 a year; in 1865 at $5000; in 1871 at $7500; in 1874 it was made $5000; in 1907, $7500; in 1925, $10,000; and now in 1996 it is fixed at $125,000 per year."

"Madison thought it an 'indecent thing' that congressmen should be empowered by the Constitution to fix their salaries. After the advance of 1815 many of the members of the House were defeated for reelection. The advance of March 3, 1873, affecting the President, the Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and some other departments, made on the last day of Grant's first term and operating retroactively 'during the term for which he shall have been elected' was denounced by the country as a 'salary grab.' On January 20, 1874, it was repealed to all "except the President of the United States and the Justices of the Supreme Court" whose salaries the Constitution forbids Congress to reduce."

Two things about this, one is that $125k isn't too bad. The other is that the Amendment was adopted in 1992, just a scant 100+ years after it was a big problem.

This page asserts that The Homeland Security Bill is a "pay grab." But this William Safire article puts it all in perspective. Scary.

You should also read John Scalzi, a big proponent of First Amendment rights. That's all for now, later.

:: Matthew 11:27 PM [+]    ::
...