Comments on: Pondering the Pay Raise http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/ & Home of Lawn Mower Repair Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:29:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Brian http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2953 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:30:35 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2953 Kathy, I just realized that my comment #12 was mysteriously abbreviated. I had a bunch of greater than signs in the post and I bet they were treated as html tags and "hid" a chunk of my comment. I don't have the energy to replicate it now, but it laid out my reactions (or lack thereof) based on the size of theoretical pay raises. Kathy, I just realized that my comment #12 was mysteriously abbreviated. I had a bunch of greater than signs in the post and I bet they were treated as html tags and “hid” a chunk of my comment. I don’t have the energy to replicate it now, but it laid out my reactions (or lack thereof) based on the size of theoretical pay raises.

]]> by: Danny http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2906 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:19:57 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2906 <i>LOL</i>, regarding comment #10, 1) I am sorry to say that no one is being paid one dime by anybody to run this site. 2) The Governor's salary <i>has</i> risen by about the same percentage as the legislator's pay raise (in roughly the same time span). If you believe that is a Democratic talking point, well, that probably says as much about you as anything else. :) 3) If you think all this site does is echo the talking points of the men you named, then you have not <a href="http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/02/08/in-defense-of-mike-hubbard/" rel="nofollow">been reading</a> <a href="http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2006/12/15/hd-22-candidate-john-warren/" rel="nofollow">very long</a>. For that matter, <a href="http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/22/payday-loans-bad-bill-good-bill/" rel="nofollow">Lowell Barron</a> would say you haven't been reading since Thursday. Heck, <a href="http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/bob-riley-joe-reed-showdown/" rel="nofollow">Joe Reed</a> would say you haven't even been reading this weekend. But glad to have you reading now! --- Brian, regarding your comment #8, I think we are mostly in agreement. While there may be much objectionable about the legislators' pay raise, the <i>amount</i> may not be the most objectionable consideration. LOL, regarding comment #10,

1) I am sorry to say that no one is being paid one dime by anybody to run this site.

2) The Governor’s salary has risen by about the same percentage as the legislator’s pay raise (in roughly the same time span). If you believe that is a Democratic talking point, well, that probably says as much about you as anything else. :)

3) If you think all this site does is echo the talking points of the men you named, then you have not been reading very long. For that matter, Lowell Barron would say you haven’t been reading since Thursday. Heck, Joe Reed would say you haven’t even been reading this weekend.

But glad to have you reading now!

—

Brian, regarding your comment #8, I think we are mostly in agreement. While there may be much objectionable about the legislators’ pay raise, the amount may not be the most objectionable consideration.

]]> by: Brian http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2904 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:28:28 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2904 Kathy - First off, sorry for the late reply; I was quite busy this weekend. Not to reveal too much to any prospective politicians who might be reading this, but here is my rough "pain level" for a raise given the whole no raise since 1991 circumstance: 50% - I'm royally pissed. I vow not to forget and I actually expend time and money both trying to prevent the raise and (if unsuccessful) keeping the memory of the raise in front of the voters. Kathy - First off, sorry for the late reply; I was quite busy this weekend. Not to reveal too much to any prospective politicians who might be reading this, but here is my rough “pain level” for a raise given the whole no raise since 1991 circumstance:

50% - I’m royally pissed. I vow not to forget and I actually expend time and money both trying to prevent the raise and (if unsuccessful) keeping the memory of the raise in front of the voters.

]]> by: ALmod http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2894 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:11:24 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2894 Anon, are you refering to Zac McCrary (sp?), former blogger? Anon, are you refering to Zac McCrary (sp?), former blogger?

]]> by: Anonymous http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2893 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:41:24 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2893 Why don't the people who run this site come out and admit they're being paid by the Alabama Democratic Party? All they do is put on the internet the talking points of Joe Turnham and Zac what's-his-name and Lowell and Ken Guin. Why don’t the people who run this site come out and admit they’re being paid by the Alabama Democratic Party? All they do is put on the internet the talking points of Joe Turnham and Zac what’s-his-name and Lowell and Ken Guin.

]]> by: Kathy http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2860 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:47:06 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2860 Brian, serious question here. Could the Legislature have done anything differently that wouldn't have angered people? Yes, it looks bad, and it may very well be bad, but it may have been the only way to get a raise passed. Brian, serious question here. Could the Legislature have done anything differently that wouldn’t have angered people? Yes, it looks bad, and it may very well be bad, but it may have been the only way to get a raise passed.

]]> by: Brian http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2857 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:32:00 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2857 <a href="http://www.flashpointblog.com/2007/03/21/mad-as-hell/" rel="nofollow">I made the point myself</a> that the 62% raise equals about 3% per year (compounded) since 1991. That is very reasonable. It isn't about the money. It is about the arrogance of them doing it the way they did it when they did it. I made the point myself that the 62% raise equals about 3% per year (compounded) since 1991. That is very reasonable. It isn’t about the money. It is about the arrogance of them doing it the way they did it when they did it.

]]> by: Danny http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2851 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:00:15 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2851 I confess that I don't follow Susan and Brian's point that the governor's job is full time so for that reason it should have greater percentage increases in salary. If someone makes $50,000 full-time, and someone else makes $10,000 part-time at the same company that decides to give a 10% cost-of-living increase, then the first one will make $55,000 and the second one will make $11,000. (One is still five times the other.) Except Brian and Susan believe that the full-time job should get a larger percentage increase simply because it's full-time? Since we are talking about <i>percentage</i> increases, I don't follow that reasoning. As for doing it in one fell swoop, yes... would have been less dramatic if it had been increased to this level a bit at a time over the years (like the governor's salary was). FWIW, this way cost the state less over the years because the state didn't pay for legislative raises in the intervening years. I'm not intending to defend the legislators' raise or attack the governor's raises here; I'm simply pointing out a striking similarity that makes the legislators' raise less objectionable to me, <i><b>relatively speaking</b></i>. You of course may love them both, hate them both, or love one and hate the other, as you see fit. I confess that I don’t follow Susan and Brian’s point that the governor’s job is full time so for that reason it should have greater percentage increases in salary.

If someone makes $50,000 full-time, and someone else makes $10,000 part-time at the same company that decides to give a 10% cost-of-living increase, then the first one will make $55,000 and the second one will make $11,000. (One is still five times the other.) Except Brian and Susan believe that the full-time job should get a larger percentage increase simply because it’s full-time? Since we are talking about percentage increases, I don’t follow that reasoning.

As for doing it in one fell swoop, yes… would have been less dramatic if it had been increased to this level a bit at a time over the years (like the governor’s salary was). FWIW, this way cost the state less over the years because the state didn’t pay for legislative raises in the intervening years.

I’m not intending to defend the legislators’ raise or attack the governor’s raises here; I’m simply pointing out a striking similarity that makes the legislators’ raise less objectionable to me, relatively speaking. You of course may love them both, hate them both, or love one and hate the other, as you see fit.

]]> by: Brian http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2850 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:59:48 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2850 Apples and oranges. In addition to the aforementioned fact that the governor's job is full time, he didn't ask for it all in one fail swoop at the beginning of the quadrennial. Even the most biased observer has to admit that the legislature only did this because they think the voters will forget in 2010. They didn’t campaign on it and they sure as hell wouldn’t do it in an election year. Apples and oranges. In addition to the aforementioned fact that the governor’s job is full time, he didn’t ask for it all in one fail swoop at the beginning of the quadrennial. Even the most biased observer has to admit that the legislature only did this because they think the voters will forget in 2010. They didn’t campaign on it and they sure as hell wouldn’t do it in an election year.

]]> by: ALmod http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2848 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:49:58 +0000 http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2007/03/23/pondering-the-pay-raise/#comment-2848 Well, we never said that we agreed with the Governor's pay raise, either. And two wrongs do not make a right. Well, we never said that we agreed with the Governor’s pay raise, either. And two wrongs do not make a right.

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