No salary increase for state legislators

The move may have been a political ploy by Republicans in the Illinois House of Representatives. But it worked. And, for that, Democrats should be embarrassed.

The bottom line: Our elected officials in Springfield should not get any kind of salary increase come July 1.

That's not an indictment of their skills or effort. We'll save that debate for the next election. They need to set the tone for our state in these trying times, especially as they debate increasing taxes.

Companies throughout the state are laying people off, slashing salaries and taking away benefits. Retirement funds are depleted.

But in the state of Illinois, a cost-of-living increase of 2.8 percent will go into effect for elected state officials on July 1 unless they vote to not accept it.

That's what House Republicans tried to do last week. Their attempt to get the measure voted on immediately was rebuffed by Democrats (save for three, including Jack Franks of Marengo). Democrats complained that the Republicans were trying to short-circuit the process. They weren't going to allow that, no sir.

See, voters don't care about the maneuvering that takes place in Springfield. They care about results. Democrats should have realized that. That is, if they are seriously planning to vote down the automatic salary increase to their $67,833 a year salary. (Leaders make close to $100,000)

State Rep. Paul Froehlich, a Schaumburg Democrat, quickly e-mailed staff writer Dan Carden after Carden wrote about the failed move by Republicans.

"... When a bill does come up for an actual up or down vote, all the Democrats from my area will be sponsors of the bill and will cast enthusiastic yes votes," Froehlich said.

We anxiously await that next vote. In the meantime, we think Froehlich and the other suburban Democrats missed a great opportunity to show some independence and leadership on this issue.

As for the Republicans, good move, so far.

"This is an outrage that we're even having this debate about an increase in our pay at a time of 9.1 percent unemployment. It's an absolute outrage," said state Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr., a Mundelein Republican.

State Rep. Darlene Senger, a Naperville Republican, called it "pathetic" to get an automatic increase when the state has lost more than 200,000 jobs in the past year.

Indeed, we couldn't agree more. That's why we are sure that all the House Republicans and anyone else who votes against these salary increases will decline them if their efforts fail.

If not, then this was just a political ploy that means nothing in the end. And for future raises, we think the procedure should change. Automatic increases should be abolished. There has to be a better way.