tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505180960909001059.post3803850603683851896..comments2023-08-18T00:46:15.377-04:00Comments on Roland Hansen Commentary: The Worth of a PoliticianRoland Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14510269002146276854noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505180960909001059.post-18740589904592688082010-01-08T23:13:07.616-05:002010-01-08T23:13:07.616-05:00Roland,
Politicians are not the only salaried wor...Roland,<br /><br />Politicians are not the only salaried workers who work long and / or odd hours. As Maggie points out in her comment though, they seem to garner benefit packages not available to those in the private sector.<br /><br />I would assume however, that politicians running for office know and understand the hours required to obtain and retain such a position. Once in the job, like many outside of politics they simply work the hours required by their responsibilities.<br /><br />From personal experience, I also understand that often "hours on duty" are not always "hours of work", so the equation is not as simple as hourly rate. <br /><br />While I have taken this subject on recently and am therefore perhaps guilty of such comments, I posed them as questions as well. What my research taught me is simply that the guilt that I was always told that I was supposed to feel for the underpaid government worker is no longer a part of the personal burden that I carry.Timothy W Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505180960909001059.post-86960649573448016142010-01-07T15:52:23.495-05:002010-01-07T15:52:23.495-05:00Roland...while I have my own ideas about the '...Roland...while I have my own ideas about the 'worth' of many politicians, I think your question leaves out an important point.<br /><br />When asked why they ran for public office, many politicians will tell you 'to give back' to whatever community they're hoping to serve.<br /><br />If that's the case, the money is of no consequence since there should be no financial reward associated with 'giving back.'<br /><br />While I detest that as a reason (it sounds so contrived and often has nothing to do with reality), it must be considered when determining the 'worth.'<br /><br />From an hourly rate comparison, though, I can tell you that most politicians make less than minimum wage when you add in all the hours worked and divide by the yearly salary.<br /><br />Then again, some politicians are worth way more than what they are paid ... but that's usually a matter of personal opinion.<br /><br />The issue isn't so much the 'worth' of a politician but rather their compensation compared to their constituents. When politicians are 'perceived' to make more than those they serve, it's an issue for the voters. <br /><br />Often, though, it's not the actual salary as much as it is the perks, whether that be a retirement system that the private sector could never compete with or medical insurance that would be a 'rolls royce' more than a 'cadillac'...<br /><br />And then there are the 'other' financial benefits. I don't know how they do it, but so many members of Congress become millionaires while serving. Not many non-public workers have such 'opportunities' or 'advantages.'<br /><br />Just some points to consider....Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.com