If you want an example of Democrats being Democrats, the Vermont legislature has one. They are in the process of rewarding themselves (without any public input) for successfully ignoring constituents’ concerns.
Related: Are Vermont Socialists Not Yet Ready To Accept the Price They Must Pay for Socialism?
Elected Democrats don’t feel a responsibility to represent the interests of voters. Once in office, their job is to tell them what they need even when it is not what they want.
The much-hated heat standard bill is a good example. It passed despite significant objections from the peasants. Their governor, who is effectively a cuckold to the Dem majority legislature, listened long enough to veto the bill to no avail. The State Senate has already overridden what is now expected to pass through the lower chamber like sh!t through a goose [which it has – the house has overridden the Veto].
The people didn’t want it, but elected Democrats knew better, and for that, they want to reward themselves with a fast-tracked hike in pay and benefits (S.39).
The Vermont House Government Operations Committee yesterday voted 8-4 to send to the House floor a hefty pay raise, adjournment pay, and state employee-level health care benefits for the Legislature.
The Legislature currently makes $811/week in session, which is easily 800.00 dollars too much. That rate will rise incrementally to $1,210/week by 2027. The people who know better will also be eligible for health care benefits, $242.00/week in adjournment (out of session) pay. More mileage pay, lodging, meals allowance, childcare expenses, and a slew of other bennies, including raises for leadership, professional development per-diems, and a death benefit for their survivors that amounts to pay they would have received for the session in which they ceased to be.
Measure that greed against its fiscally irresponsible tone-deafness, the crappy economy, inflation, higher energy prices, and additional cost burdens from new legislation (like the heat standard). Everything costs more, thanks to Democrats, so their legislative majority response is typical of their party. You will give us more so we can afford to offset the financial burden of our policies.
The government first, the people last.
New Hampshire Democrats have a similar impulse, but paying for a professional legislature has not come up (that I can recall) in ten or twelve years. Members of our House and Senate get $100.00 a year plus mileage, a legislative license plate, and a drawer at the state house. No benefits unless near-total impunity for exceeding the speed limit to do the people’s business counts.
The House Speaker and Senate President get an office and a few dollars more, but not much. It is a genuine people’s Legislature.
This benefits taxpayers. Short of rising in the ranks to pursue a paid gig at the federal level, there’s not a lot of incentive to do it, do it for long, or abuse it (some still find a way).
Yes, our Legislature has the odd long-term seat warmer, but it is not for pay or benefits. There are none. And it will only stay that way if we can keep Dems out of the majority and something that passes for a Republican warming the governor’s chair. The side effects of this form of government to date have been low crime, high standard of living, low poverty, high quality of life, better health outcomes, lower total tax burden, and a slew of other things that Vermont used to enjoy before the hippies flipped the government.
Vermont has been going downhill ever since, but at least the professional politicians will be doing better, assuming they have the stones to override what should be a quick veto from the governor on the raise and benefits package when this makes it to his desk.
And they will do better because politics is about their wants and needs, not yours.
