Who Needs Graft when there's just plain Greed?

Consider:

* A state in recession.

* A government with crippling underfunded pension obligations, considered "worst in the nation."

* State leaders paralyzed by an increasingly bitter, personal family feud prepared to abandon millions of federal dollars for infrastructure repair.

* A HUGE pay raise for said leaders.

One of these things doesn't fit with the others. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is asking people to tell their legislators what they think about this huge pay raise that they have given themselves with his new Vote Now! Vote No! website.

With the raises, lawmakers would be making $73,000 to $100,000 a year by next summer. Gov. Rod Blagojevich would see his pay climb by more than $20,000 to about $192,000 a year.

Remember, this is an 11.7% increase for a *part time job,* a year after they got a 10% pay increase. Most Illinois legislators have "real" full-time jobs from which they derive considerable income (although some, such as St. Rep. Will Davis, do not). But that's Illinois politics. Getting rich is part of the perk of power here.

It's not quite a done deal -- although the governor and the senate leader would like you to think otherwise. The Illinois House has already rejected the enormous pay increase, and it will be jettisoned if the Illinois Senate does the same in the upcoming special session. While the governor called the special session to score cheap political points, it does give the state senate the opportunity to do the right thing. It should join the state house in rejecting this pay increase when Illinois is struggling to meet its obligations and debts -- and when Illinoisians are struggling to meet the current tax burden levied upon them.

Quinn's website offers a convenient voter contact tool to communicate with their state senator to tell them their views on this substantial pay increase (again). A simple email and petition message to your state senator provides them with your views on their upcoming pay raise. It not only comes out of your pocket, but it also decreases our ability to fund other, vital programs.

Increased violence in Chicago? No problem, as long as state leaders get their pay raise! The worst roads in the nation? No problem, as long as state leaders get their pay raise! This is, after all, Illinois. The whole point of government in this state is to line the pockets of the connected. And no one is more connected than your state senator!

(H/T to Rich Miller's Capitol Fax blog)