A Congress Of Dunces

This week, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago City School District were able to reach an agreement that ended a strike that lasted just less than two weeks. The strike reactivated vitriol and heated debate over the issues of unions, teachers and the state of public education. Finally, after the smoke cleared, the two sides were able to reach an amicable agreement based on compromise that returned more than 350,000 children to the classroom.

Much of the debate against the teachers had to do with poor performance, a lack of clear results based on test scores and the antiquated maxim that teachers get their summers off and leave work everyday at 3:00 pm. This is an issue I have spoken on before, but more than wanting to defend the noble profession of teaching I was actually reminded of another group of employees that work fewer days, with lesser results that are severely over-compensated and require no union to negotiate on their behalf. I am talking of course, about the Unites States Congress.

The second session of the 112th Congress came back to work on September 10, 2012 after their annual five week summer break. They worked all five days that week, and then returned to session the next week to work three days. Now, they're going on break again until after the Nov. 6 election. Yep, you read that right. They took a five week break, came back to work a blazing eight days in two weeks and then hit the road again for six weeks. This means, that in a twelve week period, our legislators have actually been on the job for eight days.

Certainly by now you're thinking, "Well they have to run for office." Does your job allow you to vote on when you'll be taking time off for a round of interviews to get a promotion or schmooze to keep your job? Mine sure as hell does not. And even if the typical election year schedule does allow for time for campaigning, it's imperative to remember two very fundamental points. First, maybe if you need time to campaign to keep your job, you should shorten your break in a summer there is an election. Second, you are being paid to legislate and not to win over voters.

In fact, thus far in 2012 Congress has been in actual legislative session just 111 days. As a direct contrast, the average school teacher spends about 180 days in the classroom. Sure, the congressman needs to have time to campaign and spend time in his district in much the same way that a teacher must obtain advanced degrees, plan lessons, correct homework and attend meetings, conferences and extra curricular events. After the election is done, there are likely to be only 20 - 25 days of legislative session time before the end of the year. Meaning that at best, congress will come up at least 35 days short of the average school teacher.

The average salary for a public school teacher in this country is somewhere near $44,000. Teachers in Chicago weren't even negotiating about money as much issues like the length of school day, tenure, the affect of test scores on promotion and retention and of course benefits like health care and pensions.

Meanwhile, the average congressional member receives around $174,000 per year. That works out to an average salary of about four times a teacher, while working seven fewer weeks a year. But it doesn't stop there. Congressional members also receive a very generous benefits package including lifelong pensions guaranteeing them a full salary for life and the very best health care money can buy.

So, we must be getting great results from spending so much money on these illustrious national leaders. Well, that is not how it appears to the average observer. Several recent polls show an approval rating for Congress at somewhere around 10%. In other words, 9 of every 10 Americans think they're doing a poor job at running our country. Gridlock rules the day and the blame game is more rampant than at any time in modern history.

Some pundits have even speculated that the reason for the lengthy absence prior to the election is the simple political fact that no one will compromise enough to pass legislation because it may give the other party some sort of political capital. They're refusing to work together, so they just won't work at all.

The Chicago teachers have returned to the classroom to help children learn and to help them grow to become members of a productive society. Perhaps those students will become productive as long as they aren't taught to run for Congress.