Apparently lost in all the preparations for Independence Day was informing taxpayers about a pay increase the U.S. House of Representatives voted for itself.
Surely such an expensive and important development would be at or near the top of our elected officials' list of things to do.
But wait. Somehow, members of the House of Representatives recently boosted their annual salaries to $168,500 -- a 2 percent increase -- without informing their employer, U.S. taxpayers.
Now, some may say we're on thin ice complaining about a 2 percent salary hike given that the consumer price index is running closer to 3 percent.
And others may wonder why we're raising the issue at all, given the importance of those positions in the House and the weighty matters its members must consider.
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And, furthermore, doesn't baseball player Barry Bonds make 20 zillion dollars a year, and doesn't movie star George Clooney command 5 zillion a picture?
Well, OK.
But considering that Congress itself is responsible for the increased debt load borne by all taxpaying Americans, and considering that a salary of $168,500 is far more than most Americans could ever dream of making annually, and yes, as minimum wage advocates will point out, that minimum of $5.15 hasn't moved since 1997, how on earth could Congress give itself a pay raise?
We concede agreement with most of those points.
However, even more disgusting is how members of Congress go about the shady business of pay raises. They do it through the back door. They don't debate it. They simply allow it to happen based on previously passed legislation.
There is one obstacle left, however, and that is the U.S. Senate, where the bill is headed next.
Perhaps the Senate will see the wisdom of not allowing the raise to take place, or of sending a message of some fiscal restraint at a time when those words seem to be missing from the vocabularies of most of those elected to Congress.
