Not only does New Jersey’s legislature stink, but it’s also one of America’s costliest

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Here’s one more closing thought for you at the end of dismal 2015 in Garden State politics, Save Jerseyans.

I’m not trying to depress you; I’m giving you ammo to help wake others up.

Trenton StatehouseNot only did just four legislators of eighty Assembly members – all from the powerless minority party – lose their jobs in November despite New Jersey’s substantial fiscal problems, but our state’s legislature remains one of the country’s best paid notwithstanding an objectively crappy job performance.

Our legislators are the 11th best paid in America at $49,000/year per member. The Senate President, Steve Sweeney, and the Assembly Speaker, Vincent Prieto, pulls down $65,333. The legislature’s workforce is the 7th largest in America bringing the cost for each legislator to at least $200,000 annually which, of course, doesn’t include leadership staffs and other ancillary employees.

And then there’s the legacy costs…

Here’s an idea: while we’re all proposing constitutional amendments, how ‘about one tying legislators’ salaries and staffing allotments to the state’s credit rating? Or inversely, to the property tax ratings?

Just don’t hold your breath waiting for someone to take it up…

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Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8618 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

9 Comments

  1. 40 x 200,000= $8, 000,000. What was the bill for Christie’s “exoneration” report? How much more would it have been if they had saved their notes, another 12 million? What was the price of the “special election”? Let’s put everything in perspective., I’m not happy with any of them, but it would be great if someone actually wanted to solve a problem with more than the next election as a time horizon!

  2. Except for the fact that everyone in PA is armed to the teeth in a “shall issue” state – unlike Nueva Yersey, which is Nazi-occupied territory.

    Apparently, you are too stupid to understand the criticality of the Second Amendment at this juncture in our nation’s history.

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