Tuesday, March 30, 2010

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND SHARE SACRIFICE?

Governor Chris Christie continues to preach the need for "shared sacrifice" in these tough budgetary times, but are lawmakers in the State Senate and General Assembly ready to do their part? Maybe.

Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder, both Republicans, are pushing a bill that would cut salaries for all the State’s legislators by 10 percent.

Addiego says, “These are tough times for the families, seniors, and the people who have lost their jobs or had their pay reduced. It is important for New Jersey families to know that the legislature is willing to stand side-by-side with them, and that together, we can get through this crisis.”

“This will be a traumatic budget season, with the huge hole left by the previous administration. There will be many cuts, and a lot of pain,” says Rudder. “We think it is important for the legislature to take the first cut from their own paychecks.”

The general public might like the idea, but people should bear in mind that working as a State Senator or Assembly member is considered a part-time job. While taking a 10 percent cut in a $49,000 a year position means something, work in the legislature is not the main source of income for most lawmakers.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

While taking a 10 percent cut in a $49,000 a year position means something, work in the legislature is not the main source of income for most lawmakers.

It sounds like you think the cut needs to cause "pain" or "hardship" in the recipient - I contend that if every check the Gov't cuts could be shrunk by 5 or 10%, that adds up to a 5 to 10% cut in cost with no corresponding cut in services. That IS something useful and it shouldn't be trivialized simply because it is only a part-time job.

If every legislator gave up $4,900 that would add up to a few jobs that neededn't be cut to help close the budget gap - and that means everything to those whose jobs are not cut...