Pay raise for Congress? What do You think?

Should members of Congress get automatic pay raises?

In January, they received a cost of living pay raise of 2.8%, an annual sum of $4,700, or $392 a month. Most of them receive approximately $174,000 a year in salary, plus health and retirement benefits. It's set up so that they receive pay raises unless they vote not to.

It raises (pardon the pun) some interesting questions in this age of bailouts and layoffs.

Certainly at their current pay, it is difficult to compare the Congressional leaders with the big wigs at the financial institutions receiving millions in bonuses from taxpayer bailout funds while their companies tank and lay off average-salaried workers.

But some think our leaders should also tighten their belts while their constituents struggle to keep their jobs. They think our leaders helped get us into this economic mess, and they don't deserve a raise, even a cost of living increase.

On the flip side of the coin, others consider the price many of these lawmakers pay to take on the most challenging problems in the world and wonder if they are paid enough.

What do you think?