Observations

In an earlier post, I discussed the relationship between the "Deep State" (DS) and the "Administrative State" (AS); how the DS subsumes the AS, and uses it as a tool (some call it a weapon) to achieve its goals. There's another element even more pernicious than the AS, which is just as subsumed by the DS and operates under its manipulation: the political class . Like all the parts of the DS, the political class is populated by people with bills to pay, families to feed, and lifestyles ... all of which need financing . Anything that perpetuates the political class, particularly the incumbency, is good; anything which impedes or threatens the existence of the political class is evil in their eyes. Simple faith is all it requires for membership in the political class: all one has to do is believe that this mass of people, bureaucracy and non-governmental organizations are of value to society, that its working members deserve to live off the taxpayer, and that

I'm stunned by AOC's remarks of yesterday, 12 June 2019, demanding a Congressional pay raise of a measly $4,500 a year on top of an already-excessive salary of $174,000 a year. Let's break that down so we ordinary working people can deal with it. A congresscritter earns $174K, before taxes, a year. This works out to $14,500 per month, or $3,346 per week. For a married congresscritter at their current salary, using the very worst assumptions (no deductions, two dependents total including self, married), the tax liability is approximately $32,000. This would reduce the gross salary to a $142,000 net per year. This is usually called take-home pay, and is not counting FICA/Medicare, state income tax withholding and other factors that further reduce net. For giggles, let's say the congresscritter has a residence in Connecticut, which has a 6.5% flat income tax rate at that income level, for another reduction of $11,500, for a net-net (take home pay) of $130,500 per year