Monday, July 26, 2021

Today is a day to post of things Howie Klein has published recently at DWT.

Skipping to the nub of this post -

 The median income in the U.S. is $43,585. The median incomes in socialist countries Norway, Sweden and Denmark are higher. The only other country with a higher median income than the U.S. is Australia. But our elected representative in Congress are doing much better than the rets of us. Most are millionaires. I wonder how much empathy they have for people with such different economic struggles. But forget the mere millionaires. There are 22 members of Congress whose net worth is over $30 million.

With one quasi-exception-- Senator Richard Blumenthal-- none of the richest members of Congress are progressive. All of them, regardless of party, are conservatives. There are no billionaires but there are 3 with over a quarter billion. And there are some who are basically owned by billionaire patrons. These are the 22 richest, give or take:

  • Darrell Issa (R-CA)- $283.3 million

  • Rick Scott (R-FL)- $259 million

  • Mitt Romney (R-UT)- $250 million

  • Mark Warner (D-VA)- $214.1 million

  • Vern Buchanan (R-FL)- $157.2 million

  • Don Beyer (New Dem-VA)- $124.9 million

  • Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)- $114.7 million

  • Michael McCaul (R-TX)- $96.8 million

  • Roger Williams (R-TX)- $89.4 million

  • Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)- $88 million

  • Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)- $82 million

  • Suzan DelBene (New Dem-WA)- $79.3 million

  • Fred Upton (R-MI)- $79 million

  • Kevin Hern (R-OK)- $61 million

  • Scott Peters (New Dem-CA)- $60.4 million

  • John Hoeven (R-ND)- $46.7 million

  • Ralph Norman (R-SC)- $43.4 million

  • Jim Risch (R-ID)- $41.8 million

  • Ron Johnson (R-WI)- $39.2 million

  • Mitch McConnell (R-KY)- $34.1 million

  • Buddy Carter (R-GA)- $33.2 million

  • Steve Daines (R-MT)- $32.9 million

The feeling at Crabgrass is these Congress critters clearly know what's best for all of us to prosper, but because it is not what's best for their fortunes gaining, they follow their own best interests.

They serve in public. They do not serve the public. That distinction matters. 

And what can I do about it? I would likely have voted for Blumenthal if a resident of Connecticut. Some people voted for the rest. Sad.

Finally, the families of the two Minnesota Senators each have at least seven-figure wealth. That creates distance from regular people and regular peoples' needs.

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