While everyone else in the state is dealing with unemployment or severely cut wages, including many state employees who were forced to take unpaid days off, the CA Assembly is handing out raises! Looks like I chose the wrong career path, how about you? From an article posted at KMJ580:
"Here is a list of California lawmakers who increased pay for their staff members between January and June [2009]. Explanations are included where lawmakers chose to comment.In some Assembly Members' future, I foresee unemployment...
ASSEMBLY:
Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $1,500 to $2,279. Anderson's office said the staffer went from part-time to full-time and moved to a new position.
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles
_ Three staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $17,745 to $19,593.
Democratic Caucus
_ Three staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $15,756 to $17,696.
Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose
_ Four staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $26,199 to $27,510.
Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo:
_ One staffer whose monthly pay rose from $1,666 to $2,916.
Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas
_ Six staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $17,756 to $19,278.
Caballero said through frugal spending, she was able to reward staffers who have taken on extra responsibilities, several of whom were hired at below-average pay. Five of the six still earn $40,000 or less.
"It did not seem excessive given that we had taken the cuts that we were asked to take. ... It's also important to keep good staff,'' she said.
Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata
_ Three staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $16,790 to $18,387.
Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose
_ Two staffers who received promotions, increasing their cumulative monthly pay from $3,950 to $4,740.
Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate
_ Six staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $27,484 to $29,170.
Assemblyman Mike Duvall, R-Yorba Linda
_ One staffer's pay rose from $2,000 to $2,917. Duvall's office said she went from part-time to full-time and the office is still down in staff.
Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park
_ Two staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $7,561 to $8,304.
Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa
_ Five employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $20,124 to $22,401.
Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles
_ Seven employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $40,157 to $43,356.
Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Granite Bay
_ Two employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $4,833 to $5,798. Gaines' office said both employees have taken on new duties and more hours.
Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Tracy
_ One employee who received a promotion, increasing his monthly pay from $4,600 to $4,825.
Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills
_ Three staffers whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $6,731 to $7,419. Hagman's office said all three are working extra hours.
Assemblyman Isadore Hall, D-Compton
_ One staff member received a promotion, increasing his monthly pay from $4,583 to $5,133.
Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael
_ Three staffers whose cumulative monthly pay increased from $25,507 to $26,782.
Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Lancaster
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $1,500 to $3,000. Knight's office said the employee started at halftime and moved to full-time.
Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia
_ Two employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $13,918 to $13,989. Mendoza said both are doing more work after other employees left and were not replaced.
Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Monterey
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $3,378 to $3,716. The employee now works for Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, who took over chairmanship of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $6,122 to $6,734. Nava's office said the employee was promoted from senior field representative to principal assistant and took on additional work when another employee left.
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $2,120 to $3,095. Portantino's office said he went from part-time to full-time.
Assembly Republican Caucus
_ Two employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $6,667 to $7,125. Raises occurred while Assemblyman Mike Villines, R-Clovis, was minority leader. Villines' office said the employees took on additional duties when two higher paid staffers left and were not replaced.
Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $2,917 to $3,063.
Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego
_ Five employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $22,065 to $25,478. One employee was promoted from legislative assistant to senior field representative.
Sergeant-at-Arms (Capitol Security)
_ Twelve employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $43,956 to $46,740. One employee's duties changed to working for the Rules Committee, which also oversees the Sergeant-at-Arms office.
Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana
_ Three employees whose cumulative monthly pay rose from $7,131 to $7,488.
Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $6,714 to $8,393. Strickland's office said the chief of staff and some other employees shifted from part-time to full-time based on legislative activity, such as the budget, to save money: "That's part of the assemblywoman's budget plan _ we have various staffers who come in and out,'' said Rondi Guthrie, district director for Strickland.
Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $3,200 to $3,429.
Two Assembly employees moved from the Chief Clerk's office to new jobs with Assembly members, increasing their cumulative monthly pay from $5,600 to $5,880.
SENATE:
Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $4,348 to $4,493.
Sen. Ron Calderon,
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $5,060 to $5,412.
Alicia Trost, a spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, said the following raises were due to employees working increased hours or returning to regular hours after being on leave:
Sen. David Cogdill, R-Modesto:
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $10,078 to $11,540.
Sen. Robert Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $1,646 to $3,292.
Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $2,750 to $4,604.
Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $1,424 to $2,652.
Revenue & Taxation Committee
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $5,674 to $11,348
Senate Office of Research
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $9,416 to $10,594.
Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento
_ One employee whose monthly pay rose from $1,810 to $2,424."
2 People Have Had Their Say:
So this is where the stimulus money is going?
No, BRH, unfortunately these state lawmakers are spending money that would otherwise go to pay for all the critical services that the Governor keeps threatening to cut. For example, fire protection, police, corrections officers, school funding.
If you ever wondered why California is in the budget crisis that it is in currently, there is no clearer example as to how we got here.
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