Gov. Corbett's Pay Raises
The Inky reports top aides to Gov. Corbett are getting five-figure pay raises; it's good to be close to the king.
Gov. Corbett's Pay Raises
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
I'm not sure that pay raises going to Gov. Corbett's top aides offer the best example of the fiscally-responsible governing the governor constantly preaches but, politically, I understand why they likely do him little harm.
If you missed it, the Inky on Sunday reported that four of 15 folks on the Guv's senior staff got $10,000 raises last month.
That, for them, was a good month.
The raises come as other state agencies are crunching numbers to cut spending and as advocates for the disabled and needy are in state court challenging the administration's elimination of $200 a-month in general assistance funding.
Those getting pay bumps are deputy chiefs of staff Chris Abruzzo and Luke Bernstein, policy secretary Jen Branstetter and legislative affairs secretary Christopher Carusone.
All are seeing their annual pay go from $135,000 to $145,000.
So if any of these people owe you money, now would be a good time to collect.
The reason offered for the raises is that these people work hard.
This, of course, suggests that when they accepted their $135,000 jobs they didn't expect to work hard.
Now, on the surface, it might seem counter-intuitive that a governor and administration that preaches fiscal restraint, cuts social services and seeks to reduce or limit government spending across-the-board would be handing out 10K bonuses to its own.
But beneath the surface are two truths: it's good to be close to the king, and handing out raises isn't politically all that risky.
For example, those who take offense to political appointees grabbing fat pay increases even as the state's unemployment rate (8.2 percent) rises above the national rate for the first time in six years aren't likely to be Corbett supporters anyway.
And, in the context of the state of the state or Corbett's approval rating or a reelection bid two years from now, this is the kind of story not likely to have staying power.
I'm not suggesting it's right. And, in terms of the Guv's public image, it helps reinforce the views of those who see him as a pal of big business who cares little about the poor.
In short, it'll further irk those already irked at Corbett; and it'll fade away in the macro-politics of a reelection effort.
That said, it certainly merits a Grrrrr.
Comment removed.
Corbett don't forget the rest of the little people who work for you as well. The "King" has to be good to all of his subjects. Send all of them 10K. I am sure they work just as hard as your appointees.— A. Martinez- I am so thankfully we have an honest, corruption fighting, fiscally responsible governor.
Vote Republican!— carl and sons -
As much as it is hypocritical and questionably deserving, why not cover the real issue about constitutional pay grabs?
Each December 1st, the Legislature takes an unconstitutional pay boost through a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA). Article III, Section 27 is explicit, prohibiting increases in salary during a term. Yet, each election season the newspaper editorial boards around the state forget this clear violation of our State Constitution and endorse incumbents that take this COLA.
Gary J. English
avigilantone at yahoo dot com
(HTML deleted)— avigilantone - We're talking about $40,000. Nutter just handed out $11,627,000 in raises to the non-union city workers. It's part of how companies keep employees, hammerheads.— battman21
- Comment removed.
- He handed out raises to four people. Typical liberal idiocy: $11M < $40K b/c source is taken into account. $16T must make a lot of sense to you. — battman21
- Comment removed.
- I'm sure Branstetter's husband, who is a political consultant for Republicans in PA, is happy to see his wife get more money. Plus it compensates her for being another of Corbett's political stooges on the PSU Board of trsutees.— rums623
- This comment has been deleted.— nat turner
- How did he take from the poor? They are poor, so by default they have nothing, so nothing was taken from them.
— 835union - Comment removed.
- Interesting (but faulty) logic you are using there. Are you suggesting people can't be poor unless they have absolutely nothing? Or perhaps in your eyes, they are poor, so they ARE nothing.
— Hutch - Ackerman, Greene, Ayers, Nutter, Ramsey. 5 Severly overpaid Democratic pieces of garbage.— 835union
- Also interesting that Branstetter was named a non-voting member of the PSU Board of Trustees just 1 week after the release of the Sandusky indictment, especially given that she has an extensive background in public relations for educational and public agencies.— rums623
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
