Getting Your Money’s Worth?

Harry Reid (D-NV), United States Senator from Nevada and Majority Leader of the United States Senate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When a business hires a new worker they are looking to get more income generated by that new employee than the salary or hourly wage the employee is being paid.  In business speak, the business is looking to get a good return on their investment or ROI.

As voters in the United States we have as a group elected 535 individuals to positions of responsibility, as either Senators or Representatives of our respective states.  These elected individuals in essence work for us, and there are recent times when one begins to wonder if we’re getting a good ROI for our vote.

Approximately $100 million  per week covers salaries and budgets for the congressional offices.  Over the past week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) refused a request by the Republicans in the Senate to bring the President’s income tax plan to a vote.  This plan, is the one where all of the current Bush tax cuts would be extended for all income earners, except those who are earning more than $250,000 a year.

So, here we have our elected officials refusing to take action on current tax law that affects a majority of wage earners throughout the country.  And so lets give them a break as every employee has a bad or off week while they’re working.  However let us not forget that it has now been 1180 days since the Senate has passed a budget which is one of their responsibilities as Senators.  By not passing a budget they are in direct violation of Section 2 of Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

Seeing that our senators are not performing their elected duties are we really getting our money’s worth?