Joe_Battenfeld's Blog

Yeah, me. I think EVERYONE on the hill deserves whopping pay raises. It's not like this state pisses away money foolishly all the time. Reach in the till and spend a little money Massachusetts! Hell, you can't take it with you. While you're at it, throw some more dough at all those state troopers standing on the side of the highway staring of into space, or reading the paper. They deserve it too!

Joe,
even though they came "running out " and
denied wanting the money, the very next day
in the paper it said" The Mass Pike wants $100 million to do something.
So while they told us they wouldn't take the pay raise, in one way or another they will get this raise, meanwhile people like us ,the hard working under paid will continue to loose everything we have tried to build.

If they feel so underpaid why not replace them with someone requiring less pay who will appreciate the position instead of whining because they are making 100K+ doing nothing if they were doing there job Massachusetts would run a lot better. When you spend 25k on curtains for your office I can see why you would want to make more. Governer live within your means and you could survive off of 100K+. The average Ma. resident makes 25K a year. Wonder how we all do it and we can not ask for pay increases. I wish a overhaul of our state would happen. Mayor Menino can't talk, Governer Patrick is busy off buying curtains and the others have the heads in the clouds. If we are so liberal and such a great state get real people into office and give us a chance if not soon we will be in a recession but this affects only the 25K earnings bracket so why would politicians care look what they are doing on the clock whining over making 100K+. I wish that was my only problem. Your job performance is horrible but you want a raise. Joe keep up the good job I love to watch your interviews with Mumbles crack me up....

Elected officials should have their pay raised by the same percentage that they lower the tax rate on the tax payer. The inverse should also be true. They should loose pay based on the percentage that they raise taxes.

Make that a referendum issue on the next ballot!

A part time legislature? How about the Texas model where the legislature ONLY meets 150 days unless the Governor calls a special session. For example, the Texas legislature met last year for the 150 years and the rest of the time they had to do their real job.
Why should any state legislature make around the same money that the federal legislature makes? And Represenative DiMasi is pleading for more taxes in Massachusetts? He and all the others should take a 50 percent pay cut and you wouldn't need more taxes!

Chris,

Part time and volunteer? travel expenses and no salary?

You must be from NH. Our legislature doesn't respond to public referendums. Been there, done that. They decided the voters don't know sh!t. And they still get elected. Go figure!!!


NorthernObserver
Make that a referendum issue on the next ballot!

I agree that you need to compensate these people at higher rates to attract better quality talent.

I think the term limits needs to be part of the deal.

They should have the ability to save us many more millions, and therefore, be worth it.....You get what you pay for, if you want to pay garbage, you will attract the very amateurs we have who cannot even write a simple law without wacky unintended side effects.

Elite one,

"It is the only way to attract talented people to the public office."

It seems to me that dedicated, talented people join our armed forces every day and aren't exactly highly paid. It's SUPPOSED to be about a desire to SERVE, not BE SERVED.
Public office = public service. This is all about power and money, and not at all about the good of the people that pay the bills.

Too much money given to the Governor will make him think he should be President...after all the President of our nation doesn't make much more than the proposed $175,000 a year that the governor wants from the state.
I thought Massachusetts was facing a budget crunch? Guess its not that bad if they want to do that.