A five-day workweek is too much?

Members: House is not a home By: Josephine Hearn and Patrick O'Connor Oct 11, 2007 05:58 AM EST Rank-and-file members of Congress are grumbling about the five-day workweek instituted this year by House Democratic leaders, complaining that it leaves little time for campaigning and allows few weekdays to deal with business back home. (Politico)

If the members of the House are looking for sympathy, then it is falling on deaf ears. Mine especially. The elected leaders of the United States were never expected to take up politics as a "real job." It was supposed to be a part-time, volunteer effort. Unfortunately, it has become, in many cases a full-time career for a number of people that are not qualified to do anything else and in some cases barely qualified to do the job they are in. And now they are belly aching that they have to put in a full day's work for a full day's pay?

These are people that I am paying to shuttle back and forth between their home and their office on a commuting schedule that is a consultant's dream. These are people that I am paying to staff and office, read and answer mail and respond to issues. In most corporations, where real money is required to get work done, there are CEOs without the staff or office space that these people have. And they are complaining? These are people that get to waste my money, extolling the virtues of what they have accomplished, when they are on vacation more than they are at work?

Sorry. No sympathy from those of us that work more than 40 hour weeks but only get paid for 40 and have a maximum two weeks of vacation. None whatsoever.