![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
17-04-2022, 02:27 PM
By SUSAN HAIGH
yesterday
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While Tammy de la Cruz didn’t want to discourage her 51-year-old husband from stepping away from the part-time job he has grown to love, she acknowledged it didn’t make financial sense for him run again in November.
“The retirement planner in her didn’t even have to use a calculator to do the math,” Joe de la Cruz, a Democrat, told fellow House members when he announced in February that he’s not seeking reelection. “The US$30,000 a year we make to do this illustrious job, the one that we all really care for, is truly not enough to live on. It’s truly not enough to retire on.”
Lawmakers in other states, often those with part-time “citizen” legislatures, have raised similar complaints. In Oregon, where the base pay is about US$33,000 a year, three female state representatives announced in March they are not seeking reelection because they can’t afford to support their families on a part-time salary for what’s really full-time work. They called the situation “unsustainable” in a joint resignation letter.
Connecticut legislators haven’t seen an increase in their US$28,000 base pay in 21 years.
......
Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said he believes that low pay, coupled with the threats and picketing some lawmakers and their families have received over issues like COVID-19 rules, will discourage people of modest means from running. And that often means people of color.
......
In Washington, Democratic Sen. Mona Das, a child of immigrants from India who was first elected in 2018, recently announced on Facebook that she’s not seeking reelection. Part of the reason, she said, is the difficulty she’s had in meeting her financial obligations on a state Senate salary. Senators in Washington earn US$56,881 a year plus a per diem to offset living expenses when the legislature is in session.
......
roughly 71% of state legislators are white, 9% Black, 6% Hispanic and 2% Asian or Hawaiian
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Legislative chambers continue to remain male-dominated on average. Nationally, around 29% of state lawmakers are women
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“That financial barrier is one of the biggest struggles for getting into public office,” Paros said.
......
“If there isn’t a good compensation package,” he wrote, “how do we get decent public servants who aren’t wealthy, retired or have the luxury of a spouse with a good enough job to support someone being a legislator?”
Full report at: https://apnews.com/article/business-conn...41203e37f7
yesterday
......
While Tammy de la Cruz didn’t want to discourage her 51-year-old husband from stepping away from the part-time job he has grown to love, she acknowledged it didn’t make financial sense for him run again in November.
“The retirement planner in her didn’t even have to use a calculator to do the math,” Joe de la Cruz, a Democrat, told fellow House members when he announced in February that he’s not seeking reelection. “The US$30,000 a year we make to do this illustrious job, the one that we all really care for, is truly not enough to live on. It’s truly not enough to retire on.”
Lawmakers in other states, often those with part-time “citizen” legislatures, have raised similar complaints. In Oregon, where the base pay is about US$33,000 a year, three female state representatives announced in March they are not seeking reelection because they can’t afford to support their families on a part-time salary for what’s really full-time work. They called the situation “unsustainable” in a joint resignation letter.
Connecticut legislators haven’t seen an increase in their US$28,000 base pay in 21 years.
......
Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said he believes that low pay, coupled with the threats and picketing some lawmakers and their families have received over issues like COVID-19 rules, will discourage people of modest means from running. And that often means people of color.
......
In Washington, Democratic Sen. Mona Das, a child of immigrants from India who was first elected in 2018, recently announced on Facebook that she’s not seeking reelection. Part of the reason, she said, is the difficulty she’s had in meeting her financial obligations on a state Senate salary. Senators in Washington earn US$56,881 a year plus a per diem to offset living expenses when the legislature is in session.
......
roughly 71% of state legislators are white, 9% Black, 6% Hispanic and 2% Asian or Hawaiian
,,,,,,
Legislative chambers continue to remain male-dominated on average. Nationally, around 29% of state lawmakers are women
......
“That financial barrier is one of the biggest struggles for getting into public office,” Paros said.
......
“If there isn’t a good compensation package,” he wrote, “how do we get decent public servants who aren’t wealthy, retired or have the luxury of a spouse with a good enough job to support someone being a legislator?”
Full report at: https://apnews.com/article/business-conn...41203e37f7
