Lawmaker Salaries & Private vs. Government Class
Legislative Salaries per state in 2007
Michigan is highest at $79,650/year with a $12,000 yearly expense allowance. It's no wonder that the election process is so cutthroat; it pays to be a lawmaker in this country. With benefits like that, who needs to work in the private sector? Nice job, if you can get elected.
Then there's New Hampshire that pays its lawmakers a measly $200 per 2-year term with no per diem allowance. That's the kind of legislature we need; a citizen legislature. They don't have an incentive for staying in power (other than maybe philosophically), and when out of session, they have to stay in the private sector (assumably) and live and work under the laws they set.
Our country definitely has a class system, but not the usual "rich vs. poor." We now have the "private vs. government class." Not only does it pay to be a lawmaker, but depending on the level of government and position you're in, you're likely to make a lot more working in the public sector and receive better benefits than in the private sector. I could easily make $2,000 - $5,000 more per year working for government doing almost the exact same thing I do now for a private company. That doesn't make sense to me, although I understand why there's a disparity-no competition, and no powerful labor union to force the employer to provide higher wages and benefits, as well as to lobby the government for more funding.
Michigan is highest at $79,650/year with a $12,000 yearly expense allowance. It's no wonder that the election process is so cutthroat; it pays to be a lawmaker in this country. With benefits like that, who needs to work in the private sector? Nice job, if you can get elected.
Then there's New Hampshire that pays its lawmakers a measly $200 per 2-year term with no per diem allowance. That's the kind of legislature we need; a citizen legislature. They don't have an incentive for staying in power (other than maybe philosophically), and when out of session, they have to stay in the private sector (assumably) and live and work under the laws they set.
Our country definitely has a class system, but not the usual "rich vs. poor." We now have the "private vs. government class." Not only does it pay to be a lawmaker, but depending on the level of government and position you're in, you're likely to make a lot more working in the public sector and receive better benefits than in the private sector. I could easily make $2,000 - $5,000 more per year working for government doing almost the exact same thing I do now for a private company. That doesn't make sense to me, although I understand why there's a disparity-no competition, and no powerful labor union to force the employer to provide higher wages and benefits, as well as to lobby the government for more funding.