At a time when people are losing their jobs right and left, and state agencies are having to sharpen the budget knives, 31 representatives, 28 Democrats and three Republicans, voted Monday to give themselves four percent pay increases. The only area representative to vote against the resolution eliminating the pay increase was Rep. Bryan "Big Gun" Stevenson, R-Webb City.
The good news is they failed by a 129 to 31 margin. The vote came on a House Concurrent Resolution from Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa, to disapprove the recommendations of the Missouri Citizens' Commission on Compensation of Elected Officials. The vote to disapprove the four percent cost of living increase came less than four weeks after the legislators received a 14.5 percent pay increase, putting them at $35,915 per year. Legislators meet for 75 days per year.
The following legislators cast their votes for the increase:
Bert Atkins, D-Florissant
Shalonn Curls, D-Kansas City
Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis
Albert Liese, D-Maryland Heights
Ray Salva, D-Kansas CIty
Gina Walsh, D-St. Louis
Patricia Yeager, D-St. Louis
Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra
Curt Dougherty, D-Independence
Tishaura Jones, D-St. Louis
Timothy Jones, R-Eureka
Beth Low, D-Kansas City
Michael Spreng, D-Florissant
Rochelle Gray, D-St. Louis County
Michael Brown, D-Kansas City
Tim Flook, R-Liberty
Tom McDonald, D-Independence
Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City
Steve Webb, D-Florissant
John Burnett, D-Kansas City
Ted Hoskins, D-St. Louis
Roman Lee LeBlanc, D-Kansas City
Kate Meiners, D-Kansas City
Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City
Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph
Mike Colona, D-St. Louis
Jonas Hughes, D-Kansas City
Paul LeVota, D-Independence
Sharon Pace, D-St. Louis County
Michael Vogt, D-St. Louis
Terry Witte, D-Vandalia
I know it is too much to expect you to ask any pertinent questions but if you had you would have found that the majority of those voting yes were voting for judge pay raises. Judges were part of the package and inseparable.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but the judges were already making well over $100,000 a year. They can do without the pay increases. It was the wrong message to be sending, even for those who tried unsuccessfully to separate the judges' and legislators' increases.
ReplyDeleteIf that is your opinion I hope the R-8 Board votes to not give teachers pay increases....
ReplyDeleteYou know, in a time when most workers aren't getting raises and/or losing their jobs why should any of them think they deserve a raise? Maybe they could stop and think about the people that got them where they are once in a while! JMO!!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with someone wanting a raise. We all want to make more money. I believe it takes real courage to vote against your own pay increase. Many people put in the same situation would have voted for it. Just to clarify, they did not receive a 14.5% increase 4 weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteThe state legislature is a full time job that pays a part-time salary. If they billed their hours at a non-union carpenter's wage, they would make more. Plus, our local legislators have to drive a half-day twice a week. Budget work and bil-writing starts way before session and work days goe to 18 hour plus towards the end of session.
ReplyDelete