Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Pay Raises for Politicians as an Anti-Corruption Measure

Maybe this explains our aldermen's annual, automatic pay raises.

Jacobs supports pay hike bill in Illinois

By Kurt Erickson, Quad-City Times, Thursday, May 08, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — While Quad-City members of the Illinois House voted Wednesday to reject boosting salaries for state lawmakers by nearly 12 percent, state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, supports getting paid more money.

“Frankly, if you don’t want politicians selling jobs and you don’t want politicians carrying plastic bags to the Governor’s Mansion full of cash, well then you’ve got to pay them,” Jacobs said.
Editorial: Just say 'no' to state official pay hikes, Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Commentary: Sen. Jacobs should check his shoe, Sunday, June 01, 2008

4 comments:

Craig Gernhardt said...

The soap opera continues. Another world, by Rich Miller.

Suzanne said...

He isn't actually saying that we have to pay him more not to steal from us, is he? That would be, how do you say, a shakedown.

CNB said...

That's blackmail. "Pay us more or we'll continue our criminal ways." Perhaps this is a better solution: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/02/news/china.php

The North Coast said...

What incredible nerve.

Where have we heard this crap before? We have heard the same argument in defense of violent criminals from poor backgrounds.

It sounds shabby enough to justify crime on grounds of poverty when the perp is really poor, but it is unspeakably vile to justify it on such grounds when the criminals are already being paid salaries that are many levels above those of ordinary citizens, millions of whom, for some strange reason, manage to scrape by on average or marginal incomes without resorting to a life of crime and corruption.

Time to tell the corrupt scum populating our state legislature that there are thousands of people out here who are qualified to do their jobs, and who'd be happy to do them for less money, without resorting to corruption. Let's make a statement at the next election and replace them all.

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