America needs to rally. Jobs are scarce, incomes are falling, and prosperity seems to be slipping away.

Congress could help, but instead of bold new bipartisan ideas, the nation's legislators have done little lately except argue. Here's why Congress is so out-of-touch. About one percent of all Americans are millionaires, but roughly ! percent of those serving in Congress are. "here's nothing wrong with being rich. #ut there is a problem when the people creating tax and economic policy fail to understand the financial stress a typical family faces. $very year, members of Congress get an automatic cost-of-living increase in their pay, which is now %&' ,((( per year)about *. times as much as the average wor+er earns. ,or the last two years, Congress has voted to forego its annual raise. #ut even flat pay would be a luxury to millions who have endured pay cuts, been relegated to part-time status or lost their -obs. .embers of Congress are eligible for two types of retirement plans and a retirement healthcare plan that in nearly every way are more generous than benefits typically offered to private-sector wor+ers. /ne research group estimates that fringe benefits alone are worth about %01,((( per year to a federal legislator. 2n addition to generous pay and gilded benefits, members of Congress en-oy a long list of conveniences and other per+s, including free par+ing at their wor+place on Capitol Hill, and at priority lots at 3ashington, 4.C.'s two airports. "hey're special, you see. Congress has temporarily banned these pet spending pro-ects, which evade ordinary budgeting procedures and often amount to home-district favors for donors or supporters. #ut some lawma+ers want them bac+. "he test will come in 1(&*, when the next Congress will either extend the ban or revo+e it and start delivering overdue favors. 5ome of those Congressional speeches broadcast on cable are given before an empty chamber in the Capitol, simply because politicians +now they might get on "6. $xpanded "6 coverage of Congress has been a welcome bit of sunshine, but it also encourages posturing and sensationalism. 2n the private sector, competition punishes the obsolete and rewards those who deliver. Congress, however, holds a monopoly on legislating, so it still operates by ancient procedures and dallies indefinitely on urgent matters. "here's no measure of effectiveness for the body as a whole, and some members insist that gridloc+)a euphemism for accomplishing nothing)is in the nation's interest. .embers of Congress sometimes reveal a dangerous degree of ignorance on

vitally important issues they have considerable power to regulate. "his year, for instance, the science -ournal 7ature said a House committee had 8entered the intellectual wilderness8 on climate science, and "he $conomist called 9epublican debt-ceiling negotiators 8economically illiterate.8 ,or every member of Congress, there are about 11 registered lobbyists who donate money, throw fundraisers and manipulate legislation to the benefit of corporations and interest groups. 5ome of the most powerful lobbyists are former members of Congress, who form a 8shadow Congress8 more influential than pressure from voters. Journalists, bloggers, and pundits -ump on every argumentative word in 3ashington, while underreporting +ey issues li+e unemployment and poverty that matter more to real people. "his ma+es politicians even more narcissistic and combative, since they +now they'll generate coverage if they say something controversial. :oliticians manipulate voters every day with half-truths)or outright lies) about taxes, spending, and many other issues that directly affect the nation's prosperity. "oo many voters embrace feel-good propaganda that they want to hear, instead of learning the basic facts about issues they care about. "hey should do a better -ob of calling out dishonest politicians)and shunning media outlets that sto+e political food fights. by 9ic+ 7ewman