I live in Illinois, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. Our state, like most others, has financial issues. Well, the state judges are bitching because they have been told they will not get their yearly raise. The governer of our state has told them the state has budget difficuties and, that many other state employees are going without pay increases and they will have to just bear with this until things get better. These judges make between 127,000 and 158,00 a year. What are they going to do? They plan on suing the state, saying the state constitution guarantees them a right to a raise. What a bunch of greedy, bitchy assholes. Lots of pople in the private sector and not getting any yearly raises. The economy is not doing that great and raises just are not being handed out in many cases right now. I say fire them all and appoint/elect new ones. All we need, the state courts are jam packed with serious legal cases and these jerks want to spend more court time and money (taxpayer money) to sue for a raise.
This too happened a few months ago but, I had to post it anyway. Illinois, the state I live in (live.. I should say barely exist in with all the taxes and shit).... is in a financial crisis. Like most other states, poor financial planning during the "good" years has resulted in like a $2 Billion budget deficit. So, our newly appointed democratic governer has asked all state departments to make cutbacks and save costs and freeze or cut salaries. When a reporter asked him if he will be taking a paycut, his response was like "Well, I am married and have 3 kids and need to send them to college and I can't take a pay cut". This clown makes $150,000 a year, has free housing in the state capital, and most likely a bunch of other services provided at no cost to him..... shit.. take a $25,000 per year pay cut as a token. And that excuse he gave... like.... who does not have family needs and kinds to send to school and such. What a tard. I didn't vote for him.
This is a little older than the date listed but, I HAD to post this. This all happened in November of 2002. The city of Chicago is in financial troubles. Mayor Dailey has to cut 400 non-essential city workers from the payroll to make up for the budget deficit. However, the city alderman and such, at the last very minute (about 11:45PM on the last day possible), voted themselves a 15% pay raise. That amount to about $13,000 per year for each alderman. Many of these would be public officals are felons to begin with, and have done hard time. I guess in Chicago, it is okay to do time for a felony and then get a job working for the city government. These alderman or city council jobs or whatever are only part time anyway and they currently make like $85,000 a year. What makes it worse, the fire fighters and cops have gone a few years without a raise. What about them??? OH.. on 9/11... we love you fireman, we love you policeman, you are heros... blah blah blah. But, in a big city when push comes to shove, it's screw you city workers we are broke, but not so broke we can't give ourselves a %15 pay raise.