Congress is too generous!

It's bad enough that the dead in Chicago still vote, but in Congress, the dead continue to receive a paycheck!

It is tradition in Congress for family members of a congressman who died while in office to receive the equivalent of one year’s pay for the congressman. There is no constitutional authority for this generosity.

The family of the late Senator and Klansman Robert C. Byrd will receive $193,400 through the recently-passed temporary spending bill.

In Byrd’s case, that amount came to $193,400. The money is to be equally distributed among Byrd’s children and grandchildren (all of whom are surely as poor as a West Virginia coal miner), according to the text of the amendment.

Where we commoners work somebody passes a hat to collect money to help out the family of a deceased or seriously ill coworker. I expect Congress to do the same -- pass the hat -- not steal money from the people so they can give it to their deceased buddies.

I am pleased that our congressmen are so generous. But, they need to be generous with their own money -- not mine -- it's not theirs to give!