Dallas Jackson
No one can say that politicians mail it in for holidays.
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During an emergency session, the governing body for New York convened for a crucial discussion. They met to decide if they should give themselves a 29% raise. The vote passed.
Now, when the New York Assembly and Senate returns to session, they will be the highest-paid in the country. The base salary for these public servants is going to be boosted from the $110,000 that they had been paid since 2018 to $142,000.
They even managed to get it to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. A quick turnaround for any legislature. Impressive. Even if for their own raise. The next highest-paid state legislation is California, which pays $119,000 a year.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told the AP that she and her fellow politicians deserve the 29% raise.
“It’s a full time job,” she told the outlet. “Sooner or later in order to be able to afford to do the job, we have to raise pay.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat like Stewart-Cousins, agreed with the move. She made it official by signing the bill effective, finding time to fit it in even before her inauguration.
According to the census, the median income in New York is $75,157 for the average 2.6 person, family. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are also still reporting inflation at a much smaller number than the . . . 29% raise for ‘cost of living’
“In November, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 7.1 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted,” it reported. “The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in November (SA); up 6.0 percent over the year (NSA).”
New York’s Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt released a statement on the raise. He said that it was “patently offensive to the people we represent” adding “Albany’s One Party Ruling Class continues to put their own misplaced priorities first.”
The Assembly has been Democrat controlled since 1975 and is currently at a 102-48 membership in favor of the majority party.
