It is evident Chuck Todd has been hanging around politicians for too long. He has shown no understanding of the average American, yet he can empathize with the $175,000/year ‘woefully underpaid’ politician. Is there any doubt why Americans are so ill served by the mainstream media?
Where is Chuck Todd’s concern for the struggling American?
Chuck Todd was sadly able to empathize with ‘woefully underpaid’ politicians while never questioning how their ideology leave many Americans more broke. Todd brought up the subject of congressional salaries in his interview with recently retired Congressman Jason Chaffetz.
“You brought up something recently that there has got to be some way to fix this housing issue in Washington,” Todd said. “And I know fifty other states are not going to care. People don’t care. But I have always said if people ask me are members of Congress underpaid or overpaid, I say they are woefully underpaid. And I say this. I challenge you to figure out how to have two households on an income of $175,000, not possible, anywhere in any business.”
According to Chuck Todd, a household cannot live on $87,500 a year ($175,000/2). The median household income in America in 2015 was about $56,516, lower than it was in 1999, $57,909. So it seems given Chaffetz ideology of reducing federal spending at all cost, he should be able to tighten up his budget especially given that he makes more than three times the median income.
Instead, Chaffetz spent part of the interview complaining about his inability to support his household at home and his life in DC with his current salary.
“The reality is I have a mortgage at home,” Chaffetz said. “I have got kids in college. I can’t afford both. And so you are faced with that reality. I do think there should be a stipend, a $2,500 a month allowance for housing. We make a very handsome salary. Nobody is going to vote for a pay increase. Certainly not in this atmosphere. But they also have no idea how many dozens of people who are family minded or in a financial reality that they can’t afford two mortgages, and two sets of payments. … I can’t afford the $2500 that it takes to have proximity to the Capitol.”
The same type arguments are being made by American who cannot grow out of poverty because of stagnant wages and the lack of a living wage. The Congressman, his cohort, and his ideology are unconcerned about Americans with worse options.
What Todd said next is problematic.
“I guess the way to pitch this to the public that is,” Chuck Todd said. “if you don’t do this, then Congress only is for the so committed they’re willing to do it instead of, have their own life, or the super wealthy.
Chuck Todd is copping to creating a politician-friendly narrative to convince Americans that Congress deserves a raise lest only rich people serve. Why is that narrative not provided by Todd and his cohort for those lacking health insurance or a livable wage? Why are these specifically Republican politicians not questioned on their Ayn Randian ideology when applied to the masses as Chuck did empathetically for Chaffetz.
The media’s lack of empathy and connection to the masses, their symbiotic relationship with politicians and businesses, directly result in them misinforming of the population at large. Their narrative becomes the narrative of the powerful.