Who dares call this accountability?
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Kristen Gazaway
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Guest columnist
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Short of committing treason or espionage, a member of Congress can break the law, leave office in disgrace and -- assuming he served enough time in office -- walk away with a tidy pension, writes Kristen Gazaway. Congressional ethics rules all members of Congress pay Social Security taxes in the same amounts as if employed in the private sector at the same salary. Members are eligible for federal pensions at 62 once they complete five years of service. They are eligible at 50 if they served for 20 years. The amount of a congressional pension varies depending on years of service, age at retirement and the average highest three years of salary. Which explains why they vote themselves pay raises. What about politicians forced to retire due to scandal, corruption or misconduct? Members of Congress can be denied pensions only if they commit treason or espionage offenses. The National Taxpayers Union estimates that about 20 lawmakers convicted of felonies since 1980 are receiving federal pensions of about $1 million a year. Michael Vick is facing expulsion, fines and bonus repayments, yet crooked politicians are walking away with millions at taxpayers' expense. If he retires due to this scandal, Sen. Larry Craig will walk away with $130,000 annually, plus Social Security. Tom DeLay gets $56,000 plus Social Security, and he is eligible for a defined-contribution retirement program. His wife will help him out with her $500,000 retirement package care of the Bankroft firm that employed the ex-housewife as a political consultant. I cannot find out what Richard Nixon walked away with, or what we are currently paying impeached President Bill Clinton. I do know he gets his retirement, office in Harlem, staff and bodyguards -- all at taxpayer expense, despite his "reforming welfare and entitlements" pushing 9 million women and children off the rolls in the first year alone. Clinton was quoted as saying that he didn't go into politics a millionaire, but he came out as one. To be fair, all three retired presidents enjoy these perks. Randy "Duke" Cunningham forfeited his $2.5 million house and $1.8 million in cash but kept his $64,000 retirement. Who can tell me how much Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Mark Foley, Pete Domenici, Alberto Gonzales or William Jefferson will leave with? Corporations have raided retirement plans with governmental aid for years. Pension scams have become more prevalent with more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Meanwhile, a certain governor in Oregon tells the poor, who aren't making it on the food stamp allotments determined by his state, to dig in Dumpsters to supplement them. Newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats promised real ethics reform but the ones that are offered are too little, too late. Taxpayers are supposedly tired of their money being spent on programs for the lazy and indolent poor. What about the crooked and corrupt wealthy? Is there more accountability for conduct in the NFL? Gazaway lives in Idaho Falls, You can write to her at 2495 Mars St., Idaho Falls, ID 83402.
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