Patrick cuts Massachusetts lawmakers' pay

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: UPI

BOSTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- If typical Massachusetts households lost about $300 in pay over the past two years, then state lawmakers should, too, Gov. Deval Patrick said.

Patrick lowered lawmakers' salaries by about $300 earlier this week, the first time the constitutionally required salary adjustment by the governor lowered pay instead of raising it, The Boston Globe reported.

In 1998, voters passed a measure tying median income and the pay of the state's 200 House and Senate members.

The 0.5 percent pay cut to lawmakers' $61,440 base salaries amounts to a reduction of about $6 a week and doesn't affect the money some lawmakers get for holding leadership posts or driving allowances, the Globe reported.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/01/05/Patrick-cuts-Massachusetts-lawmakers-pay/UPI-55481294244191/

[anamandujano]

1. Maybe they can get some food stamps to make up for

their loss. Too bad it's not a bigger hit than $6 a week.

That's a great law and one wishes it could be applied to all "lawmakers" in the country.

[watajob]

2. I realize it's...

... more symbolism again but at least it's directed at the correct people this time and not some poor bastard at the DMV who spends all day putting up with pimple faced kids who can't drive and truck drivers that can't read.