( – promoted by odum)
… per Shay Totten in this week’s Fair Game: most of Gov. Shumlin’s top appointees got substantial pay raises over their predecessors. Some are getting 10% or more, and a couple — Susan Wehry and Steve Kimbell — are really cashing in, with raises of $35K apiece. Totten sums it up:
In all, Shumlin is spending $400,000 more than Douglas on top execs, and he’s not done hiring yet.
I hate to speak ill of our new guv, but this sucks in a couple of ways. Well, three. In no particular order:
— As Totten points out, he’s seeking benefit givebacks from state employees.
— He’s proposed cuts that will impact services to the poor, among others.
— The Democrats used to routinely pillory Douglas for giving raises (and promotions) to his appointees. Now, the Dems are in power and they’re playing the same game.
Not the right time, Gov. Not the right time.
Umm, this doesn’t just look bad, it is an unrealistic decision in these economic times. Shumlin will say he needs to pay to draw the best and the brightest, blah, blah. Then get the 2nd best and brightest crew. Here in Addison County, we just narrowly averted a teacher strike, and some in the community are vowing to vote down school budgets because teachers got a raise at all. I heard that some elderly people being cared for at home will lose $2,000 a year under Shumlin’s budget. $400,000 would mean that 200 of those people could keep the level of services they have. there is a state hole for education of 24 million coming up.
In my opinion, he is handing his next opponents a gift bag. I will write the Governor’s office about this. This is why I voted Racine in the primary. I hope the governor’s judgment improves. I want to add that I worked for him in the primary, this is really disappointing.
…he were also proposing to raise top marginal rates to give everybody raises and preserve (even expand) all social programs.
Strike one.Tin ear,tone deaf etc.
Why hasn’t the state’s capacity to give high earners substantial raises been over taxed yet?
…classic “I told you so” moments. Some of us saw right through the Shumlin ruse throughout the election so decisions like this come at no surprise. I like that he chose a nice number across the board setting the stage for a perfect “fairness and equality” defense of this obscenity. Tell you what Peter, all things being fair and equal, wages across the state have been crashing in relation to inflation over the past 30 years – more so in the last two. It’s good to know what little money we have left is going to raises for bureaucrats! Thanks Jim, er..Peter.
are these raises something that were actively chosen by Shumlin or are they part of the legislative budget? I don’t know the answer to that question and would like to know. I think it’s bad either way, but doesn’t he have a specific budget for these positions as dictated and voted upon by the legislature?
Do I have this wrong? I don’t know the answer to this and don’t have the time to research it today. Anyone able to help me out with this?
Mid level individual contributors in a moderately successful business the size of Vermont’s government would average about $100k per year, plus long term incentives and a competitive benefit package. Managers, $125-150k. Directors, $200k. Vice Presidents? $200-400k, depending on what area they’re in charge of. A sales VP can easily make $1M in a great year.
But, of course, many people do not work in those jobs. They make $50k as a teacher or nurse, or $15k at minimum wage jobs. The other person’s salary always seems to high, if it’s higher than yours. Simply paying people high salaries does not, of course, provide any assurance of success in a role. But handicapping yourself by getting junior level people, or those that can afford to cut their take-home pay in half, is certainly not a good way to start out either.
Good government is worth paying for. Not every expenditure goes directly to the poor; some has to be spent on (hopefully) great people to run the programs and make sure we’re getting the best for our money. If you think you’re going to pay at the rate of a junior PR flunky to run a state agency and get good results, you’re dreaming.
PS – Of the 5 democratic primary contestants, who is the only one not working for the administration? Oh, yeah, that would be the one with the job at Google.