Are They Worth It? Possible Congressional Raise

The most talked about subject in Washington last week was not the Bush transition, the budget deficit or the woes of Mayor Marion Barry, but one that is close to the heart of every bureaucrat -- and every American: pay raises. A salary-review board has proposed hefty pay hikes for 3,000 top Government officials, including Cabinet officers, federal judges and the 535 members of the House and Senate. The whole pay package -- including a 51% raise, to an annual $135,000, for members of Congress -- will cost $300 million in its first year. Even as the Bush Administration begins its...