Our senators and representatives in the house make $174.00 per year and work less than 1/2 a year or 26 weeks per yr. To you and I that would be considered PART-TIME. They also can begin to collect their pension at age 50 and continue to work and get their full pay. To begin with they don't represent the people yet they represent the big businesses that fill their campaign chests. How can someone really understand what it feels like to be middle class or in poverty if they have not personally lived their. Take for example: David Vitter of Metairie was given $30,000.00 per year by his father 30 years ago as spending money when he was in college, what does he know about living in the middle class? Think about it; $174,000.00 per year for less than 26 weeks and all they do is vote "NO"!