No surprise: Boston.com readers think legislators should turn down their pay raises
"It would be a powerful statement that they cared about the people they represent."
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In defense of Massachusetts legislators, when they passed an $18 million legislative package in 2017 boosting the stipends lawmakers can receive — overriding Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto to do so — they didn’t know it would result in what amounts to a pay raise in the middle of an economy-battering global pandemic. Or that the 1998 constitutional amendment tying their salaries to the state’s median income would do basically the same thing.
But that’s where we are, which means certain high-ranking officials, like Senate President Karen Spilka and newly chosen House Speaker Ronald Mariano, stand to see about a $9,000 increase in pay as many of their constituents struggle through the pandemic.
Even though they can collect, though, they don’t have to — Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, for instance, have turned down their scheduled raises. (Mariano, for his part, says he’ll be accepting his, thank you very much.) We asked Boston.com readers their opinion, and they seem to prefer Baker and Polito’s approach.
“It’s totally tone-deaf to take raises,” one reader insisted, with another suggesting legislators should “donate that money to the restaurant industry.”
The lawmakers should “not defer but allot that money to the unemployment benefits or food banks,” said Evelyn from North Andover. “There are too many people needing food banks. Their current salaries can sustain them as usual for another year.”
In total, with more than 160 readers responding, 80% said the lawmakers should turn down the pay increases, with just 11% advocating they accept them. The other 9% mostly think they never should have been offered raises in the first place, no matter what the law says. “They should not be getting pay raises at all till this is all over, and even then, it should be a BIG ‘maybe,'” said one respondent.
Here’s what some Boston.com readers had to say about the legislators’ scheduled pay increases:
ANTI-RAISE:
“They do nothing to deserve the increase, cost of living be damned!”
“While so many in the state are struggling without even a chance at earning a living, these politicians, most not working or pretending to work from home should have been laid off. Try to register a vehicle or contact someone in government and you will cringe with frustration. This is the worst possible time to accept a raise in pay.” — Jerry, Plainville
“How much is enough? They haven’t worked a day since February of 2020.” — Walter, Falmouth, Maine
“Legislative raises should be the same percentage that the minimum wage is increased annually. If minimum wage increases 3% then the legislators get 3%, if the minimum wage increases 0% then they get 0% as well.”
“They work for the people. Take care of the people who are hurting first.”
“The state should be using excess funds to provide for those in need throughout the state. The federal government has not acted because of partisan politics. The state has not acted because ?????”
“They get paid enough already and getting the best medical care none of us normal Americans have. They should sen[d] their raises to the American people so we can live. They are too busy lining their pockets.”
“The hard-working people in Mass. are without jobs due to COVID, they are losing their homes, standing in lines for food, and not getting enough help from the government. For right now that money should be used for food pantries — people in this country should not be food deprived. Your average worker no way gets a 3% or more raise per year.” — Diane, Easton
“It it sad that Baker will order 6+% and 5+% pay raises for these layabouts that do absolutely nothing for the people of this state but will not give state employees more than 1% during non-pandemic times. During this pandemic they all received paychecks while the hundreds of thousands Massachusetts workers were losing their jobs.”
“This is the ultimate Marie Antoinette moment for the Democrat-controlled legislature. Their collective actions will speak volumes about their feelings and commitment towards their constituents.”
“A 6.49% increase (following a 5.9% increase in 2019) cannot be justified. No one else in the public sector has received an increase more than 3% in many years. Inflation has been running 2% or less for some time now; where’s the justification for this?” — Michael, Chelmsford
“During times that people are losing their jobs, taking pay cuts or not receiving pay raises the legislature should not be receiving raises. These politicians somehow forget to practice what they preach when it comes to their own salaries.”
“This is a time of shared sacrifice and even if this one would be symbolic, it would be a powerful statement that they cared about the people they represent.”
“Many people are out of work and struggling to cover household expenses and many businesses have closed either permanently or temporarily due to our overly restrictive shutdowns, and our tone-deaf ‘leaders’ feel they deserve a raise! If anything, the pandemic has proven how unprepared our state is to handle such a crisis and, somehow, they feel entitled to a raise! I guarantee that the next thing they roll out will be tax increases to deal with the financial hole the commonwealth will be in because of the pandemic … and this will solely be because of the pandemic and not because of their mismanagement? The citizens must wake up and stop blindly voting in the same tax and spend legislators.” — Maura, West Dennis
PRO-RAISE:
“Of course they should, especially if they are making over the limit to receive federal stimulus checks.”
“The raise is in the constitution. People thought it was great to do it this way and voted a few years back to tie it to median house income and consumer price index. It was an awful idea but people thought they were ‘sticking it to them.’ Be careful what you wish for.”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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