Just say 'no' to state official pay hikes
Take a look at those pay increases that seem certain for Iowa and Illinois state elected officials. Now look at your own W-2. See any similarities?
Doubtful. Earning power is declining nationwide among those who don’t have the power to boost their own salaries. But today an individual in each of our community’s two states holds the power to implement these obscene pay increases.
In Iowa, Chet Culver has only to sign a bill authorizing his own 9 percent pay hike along with incomprehensible 23.6 percent raises for most other state cabinet members. The bill was introduced April 23 and zipped through the Legislature in 24 hours.
Culver has called his proposed raise “modest” and notes it is a smaller percentage than the previous governor’s last raise.
Small comfort.
Democratic Senate leader Mike Gronstal said the raises were necessary because some department heads made less than their chief deputies.
Even less comfort.
The governor’s own raise leaves him 14 percent higher than the national average for gubernatorial pay of $124,398. Recall the long, contentious discussions about bringing Iowa public school teacher pay simply up to the national average.
Iowa’s executive branch deserves modest pay hikes, not whopping windfalls.
Illinois
Illinois Senate President Emil Jones will solely determine if those 11 percent pay hikes go through. State law allows a compensation review board to set elected leaders’ pay. Those recommendations become law unless lawmakers specifically vote them down. We commend the Illinois House (including Reps. Mike Boland and Pat Verschoore) for voting May 7 against the pay raise. Now it is in the Senate where Jones controls everything. He’s already made clear where he stands on the raise. “I need a pay raise. I need a pay raise,” he said, repeating for emphasis.
Illinois Quad-City Sen. Mike Jacobs joined Jones’ poverty chorus. Incredibly, Jacobs reasoned the pay hike is necessary to keep lawmakers honest.
“Frankly, if you don’t want politicians selling jobs and you don’t want politicians carrying plastic bags to the Governor’s Mansion full of cash, well then you’ve got to pay them,” Jacobs told Times Springfield reporter Kurt Erickson.
Jacobs’ logic puts the price of lawmakers’ honesty at $72,985, up 11 percent from last year.
We expect it will get steeper in the years to come.
Elected state leaders in Illinois, unlike Iowa, deserve no pay raise this year. The utter collapse of the legislative and executive branches under the Democrat-controlled Statehouse merits a pay cut. (And a recall, but that’s another editorial.) If Jones has any respect for the voters who put his party in power, he’ll not only allow the vote, but lead the call to cap salaries.
Then repeat it for emphasis.
Pay raises on the table
Iowa
Governor up 9% to $142,570
Treasurer up 23.6% to $127,530
Auditor up 23.6% to $127,530
Ag Secretary up 23.6% to $127,530
Lt. governor up 23.6% to $127,530
Illinois
Governor up 12.8% to $192,773
Legislators up 11.7% to $72,985
Legis. leaders up 11.7% to $102,547
Lt. governor up 12.8% to $147,415
Comptroller up 12.8% to $147,415
Treasurer up 12.8% to $147,415
Attorney general up 12.8% to $170,094
Sec. of state up 12.8% to $170,094