Speaking of who's paying

(10-23) 10:29 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

The Senate voted itself a pay raise for the fifth straight year, boosting the annual salary to about $158,000 in 2004.

The House also agreed last month to accept an increase in the annual cost-of-living allowance, which gives all members of Congress a boost of about 2.2 percent in their take-home pay starting in January.

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., who every year stands up against pay increases, said that with the economy still weak and many Americans finding it hard to make ends meet, it was "the wrong time for Congress to give itself a pay hike."

"This automatic stealth pay raise system is just wrong," he added.

Feingold said that with an annual increase of about $3,400 slated for next year, an election year, members of Congress will have received a $21,000 raise in their pay over the past five years.

The Senate, by a 60-34 margin, tabled or killed his amendment to a pending appropriations bill.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said it was a mistake to call it a pay raise, and that lawmakers were merely receiving a cost-of-living increase being given to other federal workers and military personnel. article

Where I work, it's the people who pay me that decide how much to pay me. If I don't like it, I can negotiate or quit. Shouldn't the taxpayers get to vote on Congressional salaries or something?

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.