Pay raise follies

Last Wednesday evening, women legislators hosted a Cabaret! fundraiser at the Springfield Hilton. According to State Rep. Karen May (D-Highwood), the program included a saucy vamp serenade by heavy-smoking, raspy-throated State Rep. Barbara Flynn-Currie (D-Chicago), a "hot" dancing ensemble featuring Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) as well as soloist State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Sycamore) who crooned Patsy Cline's "Crazy, crazy for believing [the governor. . .]" 

If only the ladies would have played back the House floor discussion on State Rep. Fred Crespo's HJR 132, rejecting the Compensation Review Board's recommendation to give all state lawmakers a pay raise. It was hilarious. Embarrassingly so. Capitol tourists stared in disbelief as they heard at least two state representatives publicly state for the annals of history just how much they deserved pay raises.

Just to get this straight, the governor-appointed Compensation Review Board made a recommendation to the General Assembly that they should get a 12.8 percent pay increase.  If the House either did not act upon the board's recommendation or accepted it outright, the raise would be enacted automatically.  It would have included an accumulation of any pay hikes rejected in the past, unless stipulated differently.  Instead the Illinois House rejected HJR 132, and thus, this year's recommended pay raise.   

Dr. David Miller, a Dolton dentist, voted "Present" on HJR 132 after whining about the cost of setting aside personal business revenue sources to serve in the General Assembly.  Miller insisted that to maintain a diverse group of people in the Illinois House, lawmakers' pay would need to increase so that more, not less, people could run for state office.

State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) said HJR 132's inclusion of judges' pay would end up an expensive court battle.  "They'll just sue because the constitution protects their pay increases," he said.  "The judges will get their pay raise, no matter what we do."

And besides, McCarthy, one of Governor Blagojevich's staunchest defenders in the Illinois House,  said in his opinion state lawmakers deserved a pay raise, saying, "I don't think we're overpaid." 

As if on cue, several Illinois House gallery visitors laughed out loud.  It was the most hilarious floor routine of the day.  The women legislators should have sold tickets to THAT performance.

Those voting against HJR 132 and FOR a pay raise were Democrat House members Will Davis, Elga Jeffries, Karen May, Bob Rita, Bob Molaro, Milton Patterson and House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Madigan is also the Illinois Democratic Party's State Chairman. 

Cue the laugh track now . . .

Comments

Barbara Currie doesn't smoke and hasn't smoked for some time. Not that facts matter in this "august" publication.

[Michelle]

Wow, that's good news! She and Barack Obama no longer smoke. But according to Smokers Anonymous, once a smoker, always a smoker.

Anyone who's heard her talk or sing knows her vocal cords are suffering from too much smoke.

Maybe this publication is more "august" than you think, anon.

The reps who voted for the raise are either unopposed (McCarthy, Rita, Davis, Miller) or aren't running in the fall (Jeffries and Patterson). The chief sponsor of the bill to reject the raise, Fred Crespo, has a challenger.