We learned during the recent elections that there are some Cayuga County legislators who believe they should be compensated fairly for their time.
While we enjoyed listening to first-time candidates talk about giving back to their communities and their dedication to public service, we were struck by those disgruntled by the amount of time they spend as legislators when compared to the salaries they are paid.
It was downright disturbing to listen to District 9 legislator Steve Cuddeback break down in minute detail how much per hour he figures he is paid as legislator (somewhere between $1 and $3 an hour he calculated).
In the 2003 election, we listened to legislator Sam DeRosa explain that he was running for county clerk because the job of legislator didn't pay nearly enough for the amount of time he spent on the job.
And these are just two examples of those who have forgotten the true meaning of public service. They are elected representatives of the people, which is both a privilege and a sacrifice. But instead, some legislators see this as a part-time job, a way to earn a few extra dollars and collect great health insurance benefits; others see this as a set-up for their retirement.
If this were a part-time job, then there would be open applications, job interviews, reference checks, and we'd hire the best person for the position, which is the way the county presumably handles all of its other job openings.
But elected positions are different. You get picked by a couple of party bosses, and if you're in the right party (Republican: County; Democrat: City), you often are a shoo-in for the salary and the insurance. Heck, how many of our legislators do you think would get an interview if their positions were advertised with the qualification requirements?
HELP WANTED: Part-time legislator. Must be good communicator, can evaluate budgets, manage people, willing to work hard, dedicated to people, works well in group situations, energetic, optimistic ...
As we have discovered over the last several years, some of our county legislators are in need of a refresher. Maybe they could sit down with unpaid school board members in their district, who could teach them Public Service 101. The trouble is, these elected county officials equate their positions with state and federal lawmakers, and not school board members. It is that perverse judgment that leads them to protest that their free health insurance benefits help offset the “low pay” they receive.
Let school board members tell you about “low pay.”
And you will also continue to have defensive legislators suggest that fair salaries and good health insurance benefits are an attractive carrot to lure potential candidates, but we beg to differ. You don't want legislators who are doing this job for the money or the insurance.
You want a legislator who is doing it for the people.
It was downright disturbing to listen to District 9 legislator Steve Cuddeback break down in minute detail how much per hour he figures he is paid as legislator (somewhere between $1 and $3 an hour he calculated).
In the 2003 election, we listened to legislator Sam DeRosa explain that he was running for county clerk because the job of legislator didn't pay nearly enough for the amount of time he spent on the job.
And these are just two examples of those who have forgotten the true meaning of public service. They are elected representatives of the people, which is both a privilege and a sacrifice. But instead, some legislators see this as a part-time job, a way to earn a few extra dollars and collect great health insurance benefits; others see this as a set-up for their retirement.
If this were a part-time job, then there would be open applications, job interviews, reference checks, and we'd hire the best person for the position, which is the way the county presumably handles all of its other job openings.
But elected positions are different. You get picked by a couple of party bosses, and if you're in the right party (Republican: County; Democrat: City), you often are a shoo-in for the salary and the insurance. Heck, how many of our legislators do you think would get an interview if their positions were advertised with the qualification requirements?
HELP WANTED: Part-time legislator. Must be good communicator, can evaluate budgets, manage people, willing to work hard, dedicated to people, works well in group situations, energetic, optimistic ...
As we have discovered over the last several years, some of our county legislators are in need of a refresher. Maybe they could sit down with unpaid school board members in their district, who could teach them Public Service 101. The trouble is, these elected county officials equate their positions with state and federal lawmakers, and not school board members. It is that perverse judgment that leads them to protest that their free health insurance benefits help offset the “low pay” they receive.
Let school board members tell you about “low pay.”
And you will also continue to have defensive legislators suggest that fair salaries and good health insurance benefits are an attractive carrot to lure potential candidates, but we beg to differ. You don't want legislators who are doing this job for the money or the insurance.
You want a legislator who is doing it for the people.
The Citizens' Say
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