Posted by Libertino on 12/11/08

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_co/judicial_pay_raise

From Yahoo News...

Pay raise for judges tucked into bailout plan

WASHINGTON – If the $14 billion bailout plan for U.S. automakers passes, it will help more than just Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Federal judges would get a pay raise, as well.

The raise — an annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA — would bring U.S. District court judges up to par with members of Congress, who will receive an almost $5,000 boost on Jan. 1. District judges and lawmakers now earn $169,300 a year but are expected to be awarded a 2.8 percent raise next year, said Dick Carelli, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., insisted that the judicial pay raise go into the automaker loan measure, which is the only item of business on Congress' lame-duck agenda.

Under ethics legislation enacted almost two decades ago, members of Congress get a cost of living raise automatically, but they have to vote to give judges an identical raise. Because the spending bill covering U.S. courts has not passed, the step is necessary if judges are going to get their COLA.

The Senate passed the judicial pay measure as a separate bill in November, but the House never acted. A House Democratic leadership aide said that while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., supports the pay raise, it was difficult for the House to hold a stand-alone vote in the midst of a recession to increase the pay for people making far more than most workers.

As a result, Reid has taken the unusual step of linking the obscure but important judicial pay issue to the unpopular auto bailout.

There is concern among many policymakers that judges are not paid enough relative to the importance of their offices, and in six of the past 13 years, judges have been denied their pay raise as lawmakers opted not to take their own COLA.

Even with the raise, judges earn far less than lawyers at big firms, just as members of Congress make less than many lobbyists.

If the pay measure fails to go through this year, judges are likely to get the increase as one of the first pieces of business next year.

Posted by Libertino on 11/25/08

You know, I was thinking just the other day, on how precinct leaders could gain funds, meet neighbors, and spread the CFL message.  I notice there how many local business' are using door-to-door flyers for advertising. 

 I was thinking, unless there is already some outstanding CFL rule against it, why couldn't we do that?

Just go around to local business' in your precinct and ask if they would like to help our message of liberty by contributing X amount of money for a small ad on your CFL flyer, monthly newsletter, etc...  It would show neighbors in the community that local business' care about liberty, it would bring in a little extra cash in on the side for CFL, and I bet you'll get to know your local business' a lot better to.  Some business owners might even let you put up some CFL flyers or action alerts in their stores.  I'd like to think this would be especially effective in small towns.

 I wouldn't know the best way to go about doing this, but I just thought throwing the idea out there would get some minds more creative than my own to figure that one out.

I hope this helps churn up some great new methods of canvassing, new reasons to get to know your neighbors, and new ways to help spread the message of liberty.

Peace,

Nic