Op-ed: Justification For 40% Legislative Leadership Raises Is Political Voodoo

February 1, 2017/0 Comments/in Better Government, Featured, Oped: Better Government, Oped: Transparency, Opeds, Transparency /by Mary Connaughton and Greg Sullivan

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on

LinkedIn

+

When doing the people’s will is secondary to legislators’ self-interest, how strong is our democracy? The state Legislature is on the verge of overriding the Governor’s veto of legislation that includes sizable pay raises for state and legislative leaders. Their actions on this front will answer the democracy question.

Since legislators can’t raise their base pay, the hikes are limited to leadership positions in the form of increased legislative stipends. Base pay increases are formulaic and tied to the state’s median household income.

The Boston Globe reported on several questionable aspects of the bill. It contains an “emergency preamble,” which means the raises would take effect immediately. The legislation also includes pay hikes for the judiciary, which, due to a clause in the state Constitution, makes it challenging at best to reverse via initiative petition. And because committee chairs and other leadership positions have not yet been officially selected, legislators don’t need to worry about violating conflict of interest laws for voting on their own financial interests.

In short, this was done swiftly and slickly, without public input and leaving members of the public with little recourse. Read more on WGBH News…

Get Connected!

Pioneer in the News:

The Boston Globe: 16 Mass. state workers made $100,000 or more in overtime pay last year

The Boston Globe: Mass. reduced state payroll for the first time in years

Boston Herald: Anthony and Haller: State insurer using market clout to curb health costs

The Boston Globe: PRIM and proper? Statehouse leader’s law firm profited from ties to public retirement funds

Related Blog Posts:

Community Policing: A Success Story?

/

August 10, 2016

Boston, the city on a hill, has always been defined by its history,…

Opioid Usage in Massachusetts: A Painful and Tragic Trend

/

August 8, 2016

In March, Governor Baker signed An Act Relative to substance…

Casino Revenue Projections: A Roll of the Dice?

/

August 3, 2016

As the Wynn Resort Casino breaks ground in Everett tomorrow,…

Newly Proposed Theater Tax Credit All-Too Familiar

/

July 28, 2016

As Pioneer reported earlier this summer, there have been questions…

Pool Time and Part-Time

/

July 27, 2016

It’s official; we’re in a heat wave. Earlier this month,…

The Mysterious World of NCAA Apparel Contracts

/

July 19, 2016

The world of collegiate athletics is, besides great entertainment,…

Pioneer Institute Public Statement to the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board

/

June 15, 2016

Earlier this week, Fox 25 News reported that Michael Mulhern,…

Public Records Reform: Our Take

/

June 9, 2016

The public records bill that was signed into law by Governor…

Remembering Barbara Anderson

April 15, 2016

Barbara Anderson’s passing marks the loss of a good friend…

Judicial Branch Holds Transparency in Contempt

/

March 29, 2016

In yet another Massachusetts public records milestone, the Center…

MBTA Transparency Is Now ‘Back on Track’

/

March 29, 2016

Today, the MBTA released its long-anticipated performance dashboard,…

Sunshine Week 2016: Highlights from Pioneer’s Government Transparency Team

/

March 18, 2016

Each Sunshine Week, Pioneer shares highlights of its government…

Recent Ruling on MBTA Retirement Fund Major Victory for Transparency & Accountability

/

March 10, 2016

The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald reported on an important…

Dropping Public Records Law Exemption is a Clear Win for Governor Baker

/

March 8, 2016

Currently, there are only two states that exempt the office of…

Benchmarking Tools For Municipal Officials – Budget Season Edition

/

March 1, 2016

Understanding how your community performs relative to its peers…

What the Brian Joyce Saga Says about Government Transparency in Massachusetts

/

February 23, 2016

One state senator’s dirty laundry may be catching up with him.…

How Responsive Are Massachusetts State Agencies?

/

February 23, 2016

According to Massachusetts public records law, an agency has…

MBTA commuter rail should release on-time data from every station every day

/

February 22, 2016

As Pioneer has pointed out numerous times in the past, the MBTA…