O'Malley on pay increases
Speaking to reporters after an event in Dundalk yesterday, O'Malley also discussed the much-debated salary increases for some positions in his administration.
He defended the pay hikes, saying they were necessary to retain or attract top workers. In particular, he spoke up for a new pay scale for the chairman of the Public Service Commission. "We are going to pay top dollar to defend consumers," O'Malley said. "We would like to do more, but these are tough times."
A report from the nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services shows that O'Malley raised the salaries of 53 top positions at a cost of $680,000. O'Malley also reduced the salaries of 33 positions in the government's executive pay plan, which includes the top positions, for a savings of more than $200,000.
That means that the overall increase in the pay plan, which covers a total of about 180 jobs, is only slightly higher than the standard 2 percent for all state employees, according to the administration.
Comments
DLS reports that 53 people had their pay raised for a total of $680k and 33 people, including these top earners, received pay reductions of $200k, and for 180 people, including these folks, the raises and reductions is just more than 2% for each of them.
Steve Larsen received a $70k raise. if this reflects 2% then he was making $6M??????!!!!!!! News reports had Colonel Sheridan making 37% more than Colonel Hutchins. Was that Sheridan's demand? Was it responsible to replace Hutchins at this cost?
I am probably math challenged. Governor O'Malley has demonstrated that he is math challenged. Can't the reporters ask someone in accounting to verify the numbers? Please don't just print what the tell without checking the facts and telling the public what the fact check revealed.
Posted by: Bruce Robinson | March 14, 2008 1:20 PM
O'Malley is full of BS. Marylanders will remember all this at the next election. Caps have to be put on this jobs and Maryland voters should be the one's to vote on them. Not the stupid people down in Annapolis. They work for the taxpayers of Maryland and if we have to suffer during the bad times so do they.
Posted by: suzy | March 15, 2008 6:07 PM