Thursday, June 24, 2010

Dems get kudos for returning special-session pay

Kudos to Democrats Jim Wayne of Louisville and Melvin Henley of Murray for returning to the state treasury more than $2,500 in wages they received for this year's special legislative session.

In the private sector, if work doesn't get done on time there are consequences. In the public sector, Frankfort's politicians too often benefit from a policy of procrastination.

How many other lawmakers will follow Wayne's and Henley's example? Taxpayers are watching.

2 comments:

outlaw hunter said...

It would be remarkably generous of KY's press to seek out and report to Kentucky's public list of Kentucky legislators' who have not returned their pay for not doing the only job they have.

Start with the two leaders first; i.e., Honorable Williams and Stumbo.

Taxpayers pay the honorable President of Senate and House leader plus tremendous high salaries to their staffs. I went to Courier Jounral/Lexington Herald "government jobs" database for information below:

SENATE OFFICE
SENATOR DAVID WILLIAMS
LEADERSHIP STAFF
HARILSON $107,208.00
HALL $52,599.00
METCALF $50,503.00
SEDMAK $50,503.00
CAUDILL $50,503.00
HOGAN $50,000.00
BAEZ $64,469.00
NEWMAN $60,684.00
BURGESS $66,903.00
HOLIDAY $65,628.00
HATTER $75,490.00
HARTZ $85,764.00
BARNES $93,204.00


HOUSE SPEAKER
STUMBO'S STAFF
KAPLAN $121,200.00
KIRTLEY $99,744.00
COOPER $55,047.00
ORANGE $54,040.00
McINTIRE $57,336.00
PERKINS $62,004.00
BOLTON $60,602.00
WILKINSON $60,108.00
HARDY $67,200.00
HAWKINS $65,868.00
JONES $65,868.00
BARBER $70,200.00
BEARDSLEY $69,907.00
HANES $69,696.00
BURGIN $67,380.00
TRAUGOTT $80,808.00
DORMAN $80,004.00
WILLIAMS $77,892.00
KLIMCHAK $77,568.00
HARPER, BRUCE $85,001.00
FRANKLIN $83,328.00

Taxpayers' would lose credibility in both KY leaders for taking special session salaries paid by KY taxpayers' and giving back nothing when they didn't complete the only job that had, don't you think?

Jim Waters said...

I agree! Speaker Stumbo and President Williams could set the tone by returning pay. The governor should give up a week's worth of pay. His lack-of-good-faith budget put legislators behind from the beginning.