GOP Rep: I'm 'Struggling' On My $174K Salary (VIDEO) - TPMDC

[WillyT]

GOP Rep: I'm 'Struggling' On My $174K Salary (VIDEO)
Evan McMorris-Santoro | TPMDC
March 29, 2011, 5:39PM

<snip>

At a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin earlier this year, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) was asked whether he'd vote to cut his $174,000 annual salary. Duffy sort of hedged, and went on to talk about how $174,000 really isn't that much for his family of seven to live on. Then he went on to say he supports cutting compensation for all public employees, along the lines of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has proposed for the Badger State.

The whole thing was caught on tape, and it was posted to the Polk County GOP's blog, along with several other clips from the town hall. Then just that clip where Duffy talks about his salary was taken down and removed from the internet by the county party because, an official said, the YouTube clip "was being republished without our consent."

Here's the clip, obtained by TPM: @ Link Below.

Here's what Duffy says about his salary:

I can guarantee you, or most of you, I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With 6 kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage. I drive a used minivan. If you think I'm living high on the hog, I've got one paycheck. So I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I'm not living high on the hog.

Duffy also said that he pays more in health care costs and retirement savings than he did when he was a district attorney before he ran for Congress. That said, Duffy said he'd support the idea of "public employees across the board" taking a compensation cut.

"Let's all join hands together and say 'I'll take a pay decrease, absolutely," Duffy said.

A Duffy spokesperson told TPM that Democrats are trying to make the salary line into a partisan shot.

<snip>

More (w/Video): http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/gop-rep-im-struggling-on-my-174k-salary-video.php

:wtf:

[aquart]

1. Anyone who doesn't know how to live on $174,000 should not be dealing with budgets.

Anybody's budget.

[Raksha]

13. True! n/t

[salin]

19. bingo!

[gristy]

2. more discussion here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x770073

[freshwest]

3. Listen closely and you shall hear...

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[DefenseLawyer]

4. Cutting salaries for members of Congress is a crackpot idea.

But you have to be one dumb son of a gun to defend your own salary while demanding that others must take a pay cut.

[freshwest]

7. No. You have to be a crackpot to do that.

[Raksha]

14. A crackpot or a Republican...same difference!

[freshwest]

20. They have joined and become one huge rubbish pile of cracked pots.

[SoutherDem]

5. So sad :(

$174000 for 7 people. That is over $24000 per person. There are walmart employees who make less and have families of 3 or 4. He may not be high on the hog, but he isn't on the hoof either. :)

[Terra Alta]

6. He shouldn't have had so many kids if he couldn't afford them.

Isn't that a GOP talking point? "Don't have a whole buncha kids if ya can't afford to take care of them"?:shrug:

In any case, he needs to learn how to budget better. I wish I had a $174,000 salary to "struggle" on.

[keroro gunsou]

8. two words:

bitch please.

[TheDebbieDee]

10. Seconded........

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Polk County median household income $50,500

nt

[HillWilliam]

11. Poor thing. My heart is pumping piss for him.

I got laid off two weeks ago. I've scraped enough together to get through April. After that, all bets are off.

Duffy, you sumbitch, walk in *my* shoes a few weeks.

:nopity:

[LynneSin]

12. Duffy is nothing more than a reality show product

He's a former Real World person

[L0oniX]

15. A classic bottom feeder off of the goverment tax payer teat.

[pacalo]

16. I was inspired to write a song...

(to the tune of "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme):

Come & listen to my tale
'Bout a cheesehead named Sean
Whose job as a rep is nothing but a "fail".

He wants to take your rights away
While he's livin' high off the hog
He's nothing but a hypocrite --
A Walker idealogue.

All because of ALEC, that is
GOP jerks.

Well I hope there'll be a day
When these cons will be recalled.
It's not coming fast enough
Wisconsin's quickly being mauled.

Their rights are being whittled down
With such ferocity
All because of a governor 
Who thinks he wears a crown.

WalkerFitzStan
That's the plan.

[OwnedByFerrets]

17. You fucking asshole. Despicable.

[Shallah Kali]

18. This is a job for Facepalm Cat

[Blue Owl]

21. Who exactly does this fuck represent, anyway?

Not anyone I know.