On increase in state Legislative pay raises

From The Niagara Gazette: New York state lawmakers have certainly had their share of dumb ideas over the years.

The latest – a proposal being considered to make them the highest paid state representatives in the country – has to be considered a rapid riser, if not tops on the current list given the sorry state of the state government in recent years.

A commission created by members of the state legislature in Albany has recommended hikes in the base pay of lawmakers by 47 percent, from $79,500 to $116,900 per year.

In terms of pay, New York lawmakers currently rank third in the country behind their counterparts in California and Pennsylvania who receive annual salaries of $100,113 and $85,339, respectively.

The recommendation is just that at this point so there’s still time for public debate. It’s interesting to note, however, that the commission’s final report on the matter isn’t due until Nov. 15, conveniently following the general election in which many members of the state assembly and senate will have to face the voters.

The timing is questionable on another front as well.

While it’s hard to envision an appropriate time for part-time politicians to receive such hefty pay increases, the fact that they are being proposed amid one of the darker times in a state already besieged by a poor public image due to repeated incidences of corruption makes even more difficult to accept.

Voters and taxpayers must not forget that two of the top representatives in state government – former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos – were both recently indicted and convicted on a myriad of felony corruption charges. Other state lawmakers have been subjected to probes involving the FBI, the state attorney general’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan.

New York’s government has for too many years now made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

While good government groups and many of the state legislature’s constituents have consistently called upon New York’s representatives to take desperately needed steps to reform the inner-workings of government in Albany, little has been accomplished despite loads of rhetoric from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his colleagues.

It’s true New York lawmakers haven’t had a pay boost since 1999 and, yes, they have waited a long time for a raise.

So have a lot of other hardworking New Yorkers in other walks of life and there’s little doubt that boosting their pay to $116,900 annually is excessive.

It’s equally important to remember that salary is not the only form of compensation for representatives who, addition to their $79,500 base pay, often earn stipends of $9,000 or more for committee work and collect $172 in a travel allowance for each day they spend in Albany.

By even considering such a hefty increase in pay, the state’s elected officials are literally thumbing their collective noses at the already overburdened and struggling taxpayers and business owners of New York.

If state representatives want raises, they should consider joining the fray by securing jobs in the private sector or going into business for themselves.

Holding elected office is a privilege and a form of public service, not a means for padding bank accounts or boosting personal wealth.