|
ILLINOIS
STATE REP CALLS DELAYED LAWMAKER PAY ‘EXTORTION AND CORRUPTION’
Illinois Policy Institute
State Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago,
criticized payment delays for Illinois politicians, despite the fact
that his compensation cost taxpayers nearly $100,000 in 2015.
|
 As thousands of state vendors wait months for payments in Illinois, state
politicians continue to voice tone-deaf complaints that they aren’t getting
their own paychecks on time.
State Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, took to Facebook to comment on the fact
that State Comptroller Leslie Munger tossed lawmaker salaries into the state’s
$8 billion pile of unpaid bills in April. Her office most recently sent out
payments to lawmakers on July 4.
“Offering a financial incentive to an elected official to secure their vote on a
subject is corruption,” Martwick wrote. “If you do that, you will go to jail.
Withholding pay in order to force a vote is no different.”
His post linked to an article detailing one state lawmaker’s efforts to earn
extra money by driving for Uber.
“By denying him pay, Leslie Geissler Munger and Bruce Rauner are trying, and
succeeding, at putting him in a very difficult financial decision,” Martwick
continued. “That is extortion and corruption.”
Illinois lawmakers aren’t used to being treated like everyone else.
Martwick’s total compensation cost taxpayers nearly $100,000 in 2015, including
his $67,836 salary, nearly $10,000 in health care benefits and dental insurance,
and more than $9,000 in travel reimbursements and per diem payments. He also
racked up an additional $12,800 in pension benefits for when he retires.
And that’s for what is essentially part-time work.
[to top of second column] |
 Illinois’ state lawmakers also enjoy levels of pay protection not
granted to any other body of state government. Until April, state
lawmakers were getting paid despite Illinois’ lack of a state
budget.
That’s due to a 2014 bill rammed through the General Assembly by
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John
Cullerton. The bill exempted lawmaker salaries and operating
expenses from the annual appropriations process. In other words,
those payments became “continuing appropriations,” which means they
must be specifically prohibited to stop money from flowing to
politicians. They’re also immune from year-to-year cuts.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn signed it.
Clearly, Martwick needs a reality check.
Illinois lawmakers should keep in mind that they live in a state
with the second-slowest personal-income growth in the nation. Too
many Illinoisans have gone years without a decent paycheck. Illinois
is also the second-worst state in the nation for putting people back
to work in the wake of the Great Recession.
Meanwhile, Martwick and his colleagues receive high salaries,
unprecedented salary security, great health care, and guaranteed
pension payments on the backs of taxpayers.
Who can complain?
Click here to respond to the editor about this article
|
