Chicago Mayor Richard Daley demands Obama take a pay cut

[wndycty]

Talk about balls. Daley is a big Obama supporter and they are close but he overstepped on this one.

Daley demands Obama take a pay cut

BY LISA DONOVAN
Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter

CHICAGO--President Obama -- and every federal employee -- should take 15 unpaid furlough days for the sake of the country, Mayor Daley suggested Friday.

They need to suck it up and feel the pain Americans have endured in the economic downtown that has seen jobs and wages slashed, he said.

"I hope every federal employee from the president all the way down takes 15 days without pay to turn that money back to taxpayers' use, because they're getting laid off, they're getting cut back, there are no jobs out there," Daley said Friday.

An animated Daley offered the advice during a press conference on the Northwest Side to announce $1.7 billion in projects around the city. The projects use money that comes from bonds and federal and city coffers, including tax increment financing districts.
-snip-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/08/daley_demands_obama_take_a_pay.html

[Bad Thoughts]

1. Yes, because public employees are paid too much!

Daley can blow it out his ass. Civil servants get squat when compared to professionals and businessmen. Their current salaries aren't even enough to attract talented people (at least those who aren't politically ambitious).

[skipos]

2. Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me

Personally, I'd like to see politicians paid the minimum wage, required to get their own healthcare, fly coach, live like the rest of us, etc.

[DrToast]

10. The thing is that Obama already cut WH salaries when he started

[question everything]

14. Then you'll get what you're paying for

You will either get multi millionaires who do not need the income, or individuals with no experience and no knowledge and no contact who would use their one or two terms as a stepping stone for the next phase.

[skipos]

20. Funny...

"You will either get multi millionaires who do not need the income, or individuals with no experience and no knowledge and no contact who would use their one or two terms as a stepping stone for the next phase."

This sounds like what we already get.

[NutmegYankee]

18. Most federal employees are normal people, with bills to pay also.

[Arkana]

33. I'd rather the first African-American President who gets 300 death threats

a day NOT fly coach like the rest of us, thanks.

[hedgehog]

3. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Take more money out of circulation.

That's a great idea!

Anyone have an idea if the Chicago school of economics has even heard of Keynesian economics?

[LiberalFighter]

4. I don't hear him saying that he along with all Illinois govt employees will take 15 days unpaid.

[Better Believe It]

11. He will! Just give him time.

[phleshdef]

5. Isn't the President's pay constitutionally controlled?

[Kdillard]

22. Yes it is but apparently this genius doesn't understand that

little fact.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. No, it isn't. It's controlled by Title III, Chapter 2, Section 102 of the U.S. Code. n/t

[hileeopnyn8d]

31. Yes, it is.

The answer is more like yes and no, but as it relates to this thread, it's yes.

The Constitution states that the President's salary cannot be increased or diminished during the period for which he was elected.

US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.

[stray cat]

6. Will state employees like Daley do the same? the rest of us are -why not?

[Hansel]

7. Tim Pawlenty tried this in Minnesota, except

the only government employees he thought should take wage cuts were hourly employees. Apparently it would have been just to tricky payroll wise to apply this to salaried employees. Them there computers just would have gotten so confused.

It ended up that hourly employees just had their wages frozen for two years and the salaried employees, including him and his staff, will continue on like nothing happened.

Clearly the budget should be balanced on the back of the least paid and most vulnerable, and government employees should work for free. Of course, as we all know, Tim Pawlenty is the expert in de-bridging the gap.

[DevonRex]

8. Good lord. Does he have any idea how much a clerk makes????

So, what? They don't eat for 2 weeks?

[Better Believe It]

12. He's heard about it.

[NYC_SKP]

9. NYC_SKP demands Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Kiss His Supple Ass.

Breaking.

News at Eleven.

:mad:

[question everything]

13. Has Daley shed his body guards at his vacation home in Indiana?

It was in the news some weeks ago, when "armed and dangerous" inmates escaped from a nearby prison right into his back yard.

[Historic NY]

15. Maybe Daley should settle contracts with his cities employees...

that have languished for several years.

[Morning Dew]

16. Well, sure, cuz the President gets actual days off.

Aide: "Sir, we're under nuclear attack."

President: "Whatever. I'm on a furlough day."

[Cha]

19. ..

:)

[Cha]

17. Has Daley taken his cut?

I didn't read the whole thing.

[Historic NY]

24. Don't you mean gotten his cut.

[depakid]

27. He was born to get his cut- like his daddy before him

[TankLV]

21. Great - another DEMOCRAT attacking a Democratic President

wonder where he was during the past EIGHT YEARS!!!

[Hamlette]

23. what a dolt. Why doesn't he "order" CEOs to take a 15 day furlough and give it to gov't. n/t

[saltpoint]

26. Daley seems to keep the city he's mayor of in reasonably good

working order.

But the president earns his salary.

[camera obscura]

28. Hmm. I dunno about that but I do wish he'd cut the presidential wage

It's gone up so much with the past two presidents, it's just ridiculous.

[hileeopnyn8d]

32. It went up

in 2001, based on an increase by Congress & Clinton in 1999. Congress and the President cannot increase or decrease presidential compensation for the sitting president. It's in the Constitution.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

29. Has Daley taken a pay cut to help his city's workers?

I can't find any evidence of it. Typical hypocrite a$$hole. It's pile-on time for the president it seems. Quite a sad day when other dems are joining in on the scapegoating. Oh wait, I forgot, that's everyday here at DU as well.

[CreekDog]

30. I've taken 4 this year so far voluntarily

:shrug:

I did the same last year.

[OwnedByFerrets]

34. A really stupid statement. Most sane people would wake up

the next day and say "WTF was I thinking?"

[marshall]

35. As an alternative, why not just have him pay more taxes?

That would be a real trend setting example for the American people--introduce a voluntary sliding scale. If you can afford to pay more taxes you can.