Mass. legislators eligible for 5.5 percent pay raise

STUPID TAXACHUSETTS!!! TAX EVERYTHING AND THEN GIVE THE HACKS RAISES!!!!

Nice Nice!##@#^@**@

Will they go down as the state's median household income decreases?

This is sickening!

Gee, do they take away their pay increases when the median household income declines? If so, that should be in effect next year as the number of unemployed causes the median income to decrease. Funny that this headline followed the one about the state cutting 100 state mental health case workers. Nice priorities Massachusetts.

And if...or should I say when with the economy going in the direction it is ... the median home price goes down will these same legislators get a pay cut? I'm betting not.

why do lawmakers get raises, "too keep up with inflation," while everyone else gets laid off or fired? these lawmakers don't care that their constituents end up homeless, cold, or without food. they are middle class people with real homes, and the people they serve go to bed scared every night. what pigs.

most working class people don't get raises at all, much less annually. this is disgusting. they should try to live on 20-30g a year with two kids and maybe they would actually get a smidgen of compassion.

It must be nice to get a raise when I got laid off after 10 years of service. All because our public hospital has made cuts. Many people with more years are the ones that got laid off or a cut in hours. But they get a raise and probably travel money and all the parties...what a life.

You can't make this stuff up. Between EMC laying off 2,400, VENEZUELA providing oil for the poor and the state mental health dept laying off 100 people, is the headline, "Mass. Legislators eligible for 5.5% pay raise." Now that is PRICELESS!

So median income across the state is up - so why an upcoming 10% cut to local aid?? Jobs down, economy rotten, and legislatures want their 5.5% increase! They should all turn it down - completely!

They make all kinds of cuts and lay off people and then give them a 5.5% pay raise? SCUMBAGS!

Nice to know our state goverment is patting themselves on the back while people are losing there jobs, I didn't think that losing your job and having an economy in a resession was a sign of a positive outcome of leadership and their efforts.

You've got to be kidding!!!!

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security..."

US Declaration of Indepence, July 4, 1776.

As a Police officer I have not gotten a raise more then 3% in 14 years. Why on earth do they get such a large raise when there supposed to be " giving" to their community. I say what ever the cost of living is, is what they get - NO MORE !

This is an outrage. Automatic pay increase in the face of devastaing cuts in public services. Shame on the lot of them. Repeal the increase language. Fix the part that says average income increased when thousands of jobless former income earners are not counted. I think the increases would better be linked to the charge against employers for unemployment coverage. Thus it would go down in a bad economy quickly.

What a joke, we are talking about deficits and we are going to incompetent and corrupt state legislators a pay raise, while many of us that bust our butts every day have had to forgo one to allow our businesses to survive.

What a joke, we can thank all the fools that decided to vote against eliminating the income tax. They are going to continue to take us to the cleaners.

Nothing like getting a 28.9% raise over 10 years when the economy has gone down more than that, especially this year. How did the median income go up? Unemployment went up, companies have frozen raises or closed altogether and have cut benefits? Perhaps, the actuarial estimates are actually a negative number (do you think they would take a pay cut -- bah humbug)?

Nah, I think I know.... They're basing it on the banking, insurance and auto company mean salary increases! The legislators aren't even authorizing raises to the state managers and technical pay law employees. The managers and technical pay law employees understand what is going on in this economy and accept it. Not these crooks.

And then you read the paper and see that the house is in session only an average of an hour a week and the senate less than that. I can't wait to retire from my job and move out of this God forsaken, corrupt, money mongering state.

How about giving a raise to the state workers who haven't had a raise due to their union contracts not being renewed?

5.5% for them, 5.6% for social security... and nothing but a higher cost of living for the rest of us to find a way to deal with. Gee this sounds wonderful.

Good to know the Governor is on top of these things. I'd hate to think that with the majority of people struggling to make ends meet that our public servants would have had to struggle by on a measly $58K a year (base salary)! Honestly, they're a step away from poverty! Glad to see that's been taken care of! Wish my job gave automatic raises. Too bad I have to actually prove I can do a good job to get a raise!

The automatic pay raise does not apply to the extra pay that House and Senate members get for nepotism, graft, and accepting bribes.

If our lawmakers will be getting the 5.5 pay raises then I think our retired state workers should also get this payraise. God only knows they can use this 5.5% in this time of there life when all there money is going for food and medical expense. I know it will not come near 50 or 60 k --but the little they can get on there retirement at 5.5% will sure help the little person that worked so long and hard for such a small amount in todays age!!! --I am not a retired state worker.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING THAT WITH PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOUSES, THEIR JOBS AND HAVING TO TAKE SALARY CUTS OUR LAWMAKERS FEEL THE NECESSITY TO GET RAISES. THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.

I am an Independent who usually votes Democrat, but if our legislature takes a wage increase in this economy, while they are slashing budgets and jobs, then I will definitely be voting Republican in the next election. I hope they do the right thing, or everyone should send them a message at the voting booth.

Great, I might lose my job as a teacher because of budget cuts and these bums who do nothing get a pay increase. I don't believe it.

our founding fathers would be disgusted.....we voted to reduce state income tax to 5.00% what did the pols do? they decided they just weren t going to do that....something about we couldn t afford it...hmmmm

Unfortunately, the unemployed don't factor into the calculation (specificially, zero for income is not assumed). So, you could have 20% unemployment and still see income growth for the remaining employed.

These guys should wake up and decline this.

That's between 2 and 3% per year each year for 8 years. That doesn't even keep up with inflation. Probably most of the people writing the angry posts have done better than that. What would you consider fair if you were a legislator? Or should we have no government at all?

Maybe there should be a law to decrease income and sales taxes by the percentage the legislature votes themselves raises...

How did they come up with that 5.5% number ? Did they only count people with jobs and getting a paycheck? Soon only they will have jobs and keep this scam going. With the huge deficit for the state, this is really absurd.

DEVIL Patrick, I didn't vote for him and everyday he shows me why I was right!!!!

Come on now! We all know that the Massachusetts legislature is nothing but a group of paid crooks who told us their going to do this and that and then do nothing but suck the life out of the people. They have been doing it for years. So why is everyone surprised? Once a crook, always a crook they should all be jailed.

Well Happy New Year to our state legislators. But for the tax payers of
tax -a-chussetts it is business as usual. Make less pay more, give me a
break. Thanks to our elected offficials for looking out for us NOT!!!!

You have no one to blame but yourselves when I as a republican go to the pols people stare at me because I'm the only one . You keep votinging the same vermin in time and time again also your cowardice would not along to vote yes on question 1. . What I like is the scare tactics they used on you " if you vote yes on question 1 will have to layoff cops,fireman and teachers also your property taxes are going to go up . Well you cowards voted no and guess what your property taxes are going up and there will be layoffs . You will never get that chance again even though the vermin would have defied the people like the tax rate and not implemented it would that have been enoungh for you to vote out all incumbents and all democrats , I doubt it your to afraid you cowards.

We voted these slugs in, so who is to blame!
Term limits anyone???
Mini-Mumbles Menino gets pushed through the police ranks and his wife draws down $102K as a secretary within some public agency.

Bring back Diane Wilkerson- she is no worse than any of these other hacks.

Again, it's our fault. Wake up, idiots! WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE!!!

Wow! I hope to God that you jerks are reading these comments but I suppose you really think you deserve these pay increases. How can the Governor hold news conferances stating how everyone is going to feel the pain of layoffs, cuts in services, etc. and then have the audacity to approve pay raises. I'm embarassed to be living in the state of Massachusetts right now. I am a manager in a human service agency where layoffs are occuring. I could never accept a pay raise while my lower paid staff are being laid off or not getting raises. I would be embarrassed to do so and so should the Governor and all of these law makers.

Wow, "lawmakers will now see their base pay increase from $58,237 to $61,440", compared to those fat cats in American corporation executives who got million-dollar bonus, that really is a huge increase and a high salary!

Give me a break, $61K annual salary? No wonder people don't want to run for office. If you are passionate to serve the public, but also want to raise a family decently, would you rather get a private job with much higher pay or would you rather run of office? $61/year is lower than most professional jobs’ pay out there. If you really want to attract competent people and do not turn away people with passion to serve the public, provide a decent salary.

Don't forget thet they get paid to drive to Boston for formal session. They also receive $600.00 tax free a month for "office supplies" as well as other perks...

I thought median household income has been stagnant for years, at least that is what has been reported since ..oh.. 2001.

I think our legislators should think twice before they take the raise. I know
in order for me to keep my job, I don't expect to get a raise. I'm just glad I
still have a job. My husband has been laid off from his job of 10 plus years
and now we're trying to find health insurance. Oh ya, don't forget if we have no
insurance we will be penailized financially by the state. Yes this a great
state we live in. If the Mass taxpayers have to work with what they have then
our elected leaders should follow suit. We all need to take responsibility
for the mess we're !. DON'T JUST BLAME THE TAX PAYERS!

what organization is out there doing something about this raise? this seems to be something that people need to be edx about & strategic action need to done. so if there is an organizaiton doing this on the legislature raise, let us know so we can join the fight!!!