Letter: Raise needed for quality Legislature
Print
Email
Save
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
When we were working to build the modern-day Republican Party in the 1960s, I became friends with a former legislator who believed in raising legislative pay. His opinion on the matter was rather complicated, but the simple version was essentially the ultimate, conservative adage, “You get what you pay for.”
The present pay passed in 1980 is a formula that will inevitably lead to a Legislature populated by people who don’t need the money or to whom the pay is sufficient. This is too narrow a pool of potential candidates to lead to a diverse Legislature.
The present pay is therefore a threat to the ongoing quality Legislature we have. Congratulations to the legislators who took the courageous step of voting for the pay raise. It was a difficult vote, but I believe others would have voted for it with a different bill or set of circumstances.
The request has been made by some that the raise ought to be delayed for the next term. That would depend on whether you believed the present pay was a threat to ongoing stability or the increase was merely an effort to raise individuals’ pay.
Some of the individuals who led the effort don’t need the money so they must be concerned about the former. In any event, I was also impressed that in interviews central Louisiana members did not turn on each other.
Indeed, it is a difficult situation to have to vote on your own raise. If it weren’t, it would not have taken 28 years.
Unfortunately, in the end the increased pay probably will be comparable to what it was in 1980. That might not even be the case since previous Legislature eliminated retirement benefits.
Lansing Kolb
health-care executive
Alexandria
The present pay passed in 1980 is a formula that will inevitably lead to a Legislature populated by people who don’t need the money or to whom the pay is sufficient. This is too narrow a pool of potential candidates to lead to a diverse Legislature.
The present pay is therefore a threat to the ongoing quality Legislature we have. Congratulations to the legislators who took the courageous step of voting for the pay raise. It was a difficult vote, but I believe others would have voted for it with a different bill or set of circumstances.
The request has been made by some that the raise ought to be delayed for the next term. That would depend on whether you believed the present pay was a threat to ongoing stability or the increase was merely an effort to raise individuals’ pay.
Some of the individuals who led the effort don’t need the money so they must be concerned about the former. In any event, I was also impressed that in interviews central Louisiana members did not turn on each other.
Indeed, it is a difficult situation to have to vote on your own raise. If it weren’t, it would not have taken 28 years.
Unfortunately, in the end the increased pay probably will be comparable to what it was in 1980. That might not even be the case since previous Legislature eliminated retirement benefits.
Lansing Kolb
health-care executive
Alexandria
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
