D.C.'s elected elite are not deserving of pay increases

My letter is about the salaries of all of our congressmen and senators and our president.

The president just asked for a raise of 18 percent once out of office because he feels it is unreasonable to live on the current pay for past presidents.

I am sure that there are many people in America who would be very happy with just half or a fourth of his annual income to live on. We, the senior citizens of America, have not gotten a cost-of-living increase in the last two years.

The government loves to play fast and loose with our money.

And I would like to know why the president, after he is out of office, does he continue to be paid? All of us would like to receive regular paychecks after leaving a job, but that is not reasonable so why do we do it? Once they are out of office, the payments should stop. This would help with the deficit.

There should also be term limits on senators and congressmen. And they should not be allowed to vote on their own pay raises. Let the American people of the states that they represent decide if they warrant a raise or not.

No one that I know of in America can name their own raise, so why should they?

Social Security, according to the president, is an entitlement. No, it is not! We Americans paid into it from money that we earned, and I for one do not appreciate it given to illegals that did not earn it.

If I can manage to raise four children, working three jobs and managing to put a roof over our heads, food on the table and clothes on their backs, with an income of less than $1,500 per month. I am sure that our leaders can.

Georgianna K. Lake

Bradenton

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "D.C.'s elected elite are not deserving of pay increases ."