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Assembly members Addiego and Rudder lead way by reducing their salaries $4,900
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder Tuesday announced they cut their legislative salaries by 10 percent in March of last year.
The action cost them $4,900 each in salary. Assemblymembers and senators make $49,000 annual.
And with state government entangled in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Burlington County Republicans have re-introduced a bill that would cut the compensation for all the states 118 other legislators by 10 percent.
"These are tough times for the families, seniors, and the people who have lost their jobs or had their pay reduced,'' Addiego said. "It is important for New Jersey families to know that the Legislature is willing to stand side-by-side with them, and that together, we can get through this crisis."
Addiego and Rudder initially introduced their legislation (A-1212) during the 2008-09 legislative session, but it was stalled in committee.In a letter to assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex), Addiego and Rudder asked her to "make this a priority" of her first term as speaker.
"This will be a traumatic budget season, with the huge hole left by the previous administration. There will be many cuts, and a lot of pain," Rudder said. "We think it is important for the legislature to take the first cut from their own paychecks."
Here is their letter to Oliver:
Dear Speaker Oliver:
New Jersey is facing a momentous economic crisis, and when next year's budget is eventually settled, it is likely that everyone in the state will be asked to make sacrifices.
A year ago this month, before we even realized the full extent of New Jersey's economic problems, we voluntarily accepted a permanent 10 percent reduction in our legislative salaries.
We wanted to show New Jersey families that we were leading by example and sharing the load, and our hope was to encourage other legislators to join our efforts.
To that end, we introduced legislation mandating the same 10 percent pay cut for all members of the Senate and Assembly. Sadly, this important legislation has languished in committee for more than a year.
Dropping our salaries by $4,900 sends a clear message that we understand that the families in this state have been burdened with too many tax increases, the fear of job loss, and evaporating funds in their checking and savings accounts.
We respectfully ask you to make this a priority of your term as Assembly Speaker, and assure that the new version of our bill, A-1212, moves through the legislative process and lands on the Governor's desk for signing.
As New Jersey families struggle to make ends meet in these difficult economic times, we ask that you adopt this effort as your own, and proclaim to New Jerseyans that the legislature is willing to lead by example and that we will work together to find a way out of the fiscal morass.
Sincerely,
Dawn Marie Addiego
Assemblywoman
Scott Rudder
Assemblyman
