A Pay Raise for the New York Legislature During a Recession - Really?

Look, far be it from me to harp on anybody's quest to get money and more money. I am a firm believer of capitalism, and I understand everything that comes with it, both the good and the bad. However, at the same time, I think the privatization of a person's desire to make money is as natural as breathing. You couple capitalism with limited regulation, and I think you have one of the better economic systems in the world.

Where I stray from my affirmation for an individual's pursuit of capital is when that individual is a part-time governmental employee. Of course, we need people to run our government, to help the needy, and guide this nation. However, one has to understand that there are a limited number of people paying for their services, and as important and vital to this nation as civil and governmental jobs are, the pool is too shallow to give them the type of pay that a Fortune 500 company employee would warrant.

That is why I couldn't disagree more with the notion that New York state legislators are vying for a pay-raise at this time in our economy. Right now, it is clear that the entire nation is suffering from this apparent recession that the country is in. Job growth is negative, retail sales are down, and people are losing their homes. And if you think that the outcome across the nation is bad, you can only imagine what is going on in New York.

Sure, New York hasn't exactly suffered from the housing meltdown like the rest of the country, housing sales in New York, especially in New York City, are doing just fine. But in case you forgot, the locality consuming all of those home foreclosures is a little place called Wall Street. And if the people on Wall Street aren't doing to well, than the state isn't doing too well either. That is why it is expected that the New York State budget will be significantly lower than in past years, and at least $384 million less than what the state had expected it to be. Now, as New York and Governor Eliot Spitzer prepare for a low budget (and believe me, this is low relatively speaking) of $124 billion, some of the members of the State Legislature want a raise.

Now I know you're thinking, "Hey, with the economy on a downturn, why not pay these hard working lawmakers more money?" Of course, I'm not sure how many of you are thinking that, but some of you certainly are. For those of you who are, I would say that you need to really think about what you're saying.

First of all, the New York State Legislature is a part-time job, with those members who really want to make the big bucks all in possession of jobs in the private sector. How that makes for an unbiased Legislature, I'm not sure, but you get the point that they do have outside jobs.

Secondly, despite the fact that this is a part-time job, they make two times what the average person makes. Their annual salary is AT LEAST $79,500 a year. On top of that, they earn various stipends for taking on additional work. And just like any other lawmaking position, these Legislatures have the best of health and retirement plans.

Thirdly, in regards to their private jobs, they are totally kept secret. The public has no record of what these government lawmakers make with their private companies. That means someone could be a hired gun for all we know. They could be in the Legislature making laws on the benefit of a particular company, being paid a ridiculous salary for their services. That's total speculation, but it's warranted when public officials aren't forced to disclose such information.

So I see no reason for these people to be asking for a raise at this point and time. They don't need it, and the state can't afford it. They can ask for raises at their private jobs, or even take on more work within the Legislature to take advantage of some of those stipends. But to take money away from a feigning budget when it could go to homeland security, small business owners, and most importantly, the people of New York? That's just fanatical capitalism, and that is something that I am not in favor of.