About That Pay Raise...

I mentioned, yesterday, that the state senate voted to give themselves and other fat cat politicians a pay raise. It was buried in the story about the animal cruelty bill.

Apparently, things are so great in the economy, as taxpayers struggle with job losses, et al, that the state senate thought it was high time to give themselves a raise!!!

So much for them being "public servants". Note that they are giving themselves a pay raise while Arkansas taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet, losing jobs, etc... in an economic downturn.

If ever there was time when politicians ought to refrain from giving themselves a pay raise, it's in times like these. If ever the taxpayers of Arkansas deserved a pay raise, in the form of a significant tax increase (more than 2/3s of 1% of the state budget), it's in times like these.

These politicians have a lot of gall to suggest that the taxpayers should continue to languish while they to loll around like fat cats, demanding that we pay them more.

Honestly, legislators get all the free steak dinners they can eat from lobbyists, $1,800/month for "office expenses", per diem, and mileage, all TAX FREE, since they are "reimbursements, in addition to their salaries. Oh, and then there's the subsidized, greatly discounted Capitol Hill apartments, with free cable, internet, utilities, laundry, etc... Are we really expected to allow these fat cats to give themselves a raise?

Another topic for a future post: note that we never read about the government laying people off or cutting pay. On the contrary, government is a growth industry. If a government program fails or overspends, they just demand more money.

Here's the link.