Friday, October 02, 2009

Now HERE'S An Idea

Proposed for Illinois (never, ever, going anywhere) but ought to be proposed in Wisconsin!!

...pertaining to the legislature: Cut their pay and send them home. “Legislators are paid entirely too much,” he said. They get $65,353 annually-and more if they’re in the `leadership’ or are chairmen of committees. Of course their pensions are a scandal. That’s the first thing. Their salaries ought to be drastically reduced.

The old canard was that if you raised their pay, a better class of lawmaker would emerge. [How's that working out for Wisconsin, hey?] Not so: a class of careerists emerges which is interested only in extending their service to get fat, juicy pensions. That’s the first thing: cut their pay. “How much to pay them? New Hampshire has never gravitated from the status of citizen legislature. That state pays each lawmaker $500 for each session plus per diem travel. I am for a more liberal amount--$1,000 for each session plus per diem travel.

New Hampshire, eh?

HT: Roeser

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