More delay, no pay

New York’s state senators and assemblymembers haven’t gotten a raise since 1999. The way they’re behaving, they won’t deserve one for another 17 years. We’re more than happy to have legislators get a pay hike roughly in line with inflation since the last increase — a healthy 47% jump — as is currently being contemplated by a special pay raise commission. On three simple conditions:

l the boost must be accompanied by at least a spray of ethics reform to start disinfecting the stink heap that is Albany — for instance, a ban on the corrupting cash payments bosses grant to favored members or limits on outside income.

l those who’d be pocketing the extra pay must have the common decency to show their faces and ask for it.

l the announcement that paychecks will be fattened must come before, not after, the election, so voters can factor that into their choices.

Legislators are unwilling to take “yes” for an answer, and time is running out.

Last week, the seven-member commission canceled planned public testimony because not a single one of the invited 213 lawmakers had the courage to appear to state their case. Accordingly, the panel has also called off a Thursday meeting where the final recommendation on salaries was to be debated.

Which means the next meeting isn’t until Nov. 10 — two days after Election Day.

The fraidy-cat lawmakers, who cynically set up the commission hoping to avoid voter scrutiny, are obviously praying that will be the day they get their windfall. No way, no how.

Panelists have spent more than eight months weighing legislative and executive raises. While there’s consensus that executive agency chiefs deserve hikes, they’re deadlocked on the Legislature. Lawmakers have only themselves to blame.