The national economy is in the tank. Local taxes are outrageous and threatening to go even higher. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.98, and Chicago is way above average. Our state budget provides no relief for taxpayers. So what does our sta
Yes, our august legislative body is contemplating raising their salaries for the second year in a row, because, as we all know, they have been so hard at work coming up with legislation that will help their constituents, and, as such, are woefully underpaid (sarcasm doesn’t even shame them, nor irony).
The slimy part of the pay grab is that the legislators are so sneaky about it. The state House members have already voted against the pay raise by a 94-8 vote. But that vote simply leaves it up to a Senate body that has no shame and could vote to approve the 12 percent hike, which would then include House members, judges and other statewide officials, including the governor, whose salary would rise to $192,773, up from a current level of $170,917.
The lawmakers currently receive $65,353 annually. They can augment that salary, serving as chair of various committees and other leadership roles. The pay would rise to $72,985 if approved. Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, whose salary would go from $91,824 to $102,547, reportedly is all for the raise, but he should rethink his stance.
A 12 percent raise, while all of the aforementioned economic troubles are crushing his constituents, smacks of an arrogance that cannot be tolerated. It sure would be nice for middle-class voters facing horrendous property taxes and a new array of city and county taxes to be able to simply vote a 12 percent pay raise to make ends meet.
But they can’t, and the state legislature shouldn’t. It is not even a matter of determining whether the legislators deserve the raise. Some of them do a great job and may be well worth the salary they are receiving. But this is not the time to be raising salaries (exceeding the rate of inflation), while workers in this state are not able to get any increase, and, in fact, are facing salary and job cuts.
Our state lawmakers ought to be much more sensitive than to make a second consecutive run on the taxpayer’s wallets simply because they can. We urge the Senate to vote down the pay raise, and, those House members who voted no should, as a matter of principal, pledge to not accept the pay raise they voted against.
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