No Pay Hike Until Economy Improves, Governor Says
The New York Law Journal by Joel Stashenko - May 4, 2009
The shaky economy has effectively shelved the possibility of a judicial pay raise until a recovery occurs, according to Governor David A. Paterson. While he said he has believed for years that state judges deserve their first raise since 1999, the governor said Friday it will not happen as long as the state faces huge budget gaps and shrinking tax revenues. "Certainly last year and this year, with the extreme downturn in the economy" means the state cannot increase pay "for anyone," Mr. Paterson told reporters after the annual Law Day observance at the Court of Appeals in Albany. The sharp criticism Mr. Paterson and other state officials received when they have tried to increase the pay for selected aides shows the negative attitude of New Yorkers toward pay raises in the public sector. The governor attributed it to an "overflow of anxiety people are feeling based on the downturn in the economy." Once the economy stabilizes, the governor said, "I don't think it'll be any problem" getting judges their increase. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has said he is continuing to talk with the Legislature and governor about breaking the impasse over a pay bill, but has conceded that poor state finances and the economy have made the discussions even more difficult than in years' past. On Friday, appearing with Mr. Paterson before reporters, Chief Judge Lippman said, "We hope the economy is going to turn around very soon, through the governor's effort and President Obama's."
Screw them and their pay hike, those cowards in black dresses belong in jail
ReplyDeleteI agree. I never thought I would say this but they are criminals.The lawyers and Judges in Rockland County are a worse than the thugs on the street.They do more damage and couldn`t care less.Don`t fool yourself into believing that they will ever do anything that does not enrich them.Judges Kelly,Christopher and Berliner are pure EVIL.
ReplyDeleteJudges and Lawyers in Orange County are from the same criminal breed.
ReplyDeletefix the MTA`s problems before you pay the judges more money.
ReplyDeleteOpen up records about judges.
The number of cases that they hear
the number of cases they throw out
how many appeals were filled against them and how many were overturned.
They keep that information and your tax dollars are used to collect that information.
Put that information on line ad also put how much money they
"donate" to groups and other polliticians to get thier job
Judges take note...no one wants you to have raises...why is that..answer from any robe out there!
ReplyDeleteThese jerks knew what the salary was when they took these jobs. It's not like they were recruited, they actively sought out these positions, and did everything they could to get it.
ReplyDeleteThey have no right to expect anything more than what the position paid when they took the job.
If it's money they want, and think they can make more in the private sector, no one is making them stay.
As a taxpayer, I certainly don't want someone who doesn't want the job to have it.
Disgusting.
Come on people, be realistic. I hate corrupt judges like everyone else but there are honest good judges out there. Take the money form corrupt judges and give it to the honest judges.
ReplyDeleteAnd who is going to determine the GOOD judges? Nice thought, but you must resolve one little issue...ethics, legal knowledge and fairness... and who possesses it in the judiciary!
ReplyDeleteI will agree to raises for any judge who has those attributes and it can be proven...and not by any administrative or chief blah, blah judges.
the governor and attorney general and legislature need to think long and hard about the corruption in the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Attorney Discipline Committees, and Audit for public review all of the Courts before even thinking of raises for the judges. Perhaps these folks need to start listening to the families and children that have been broken up, destroyed and more at the whim of the judges and look at their economic plights first before crying to the Governor for more raises. any public official that does not take the harm and corruption seriously is destined to be removed from office by the people and power of the people.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Albany Times Union:
ReplyDeleteState workers get their raises today, after three-week lag
April 29, 2009 at 5:43 pm by Rick Karlin
Today is something of a happy day for lots of state employees in the “administrative” phase of state government. That’s because it’s payday for thousands of office workers employed by the state and their paychecks include that contractual 3 percent wage hike. That’s the raise that Gov. David Paterson wants them to forgo due to the state’s dire fiscal outlook.
That the raises are coming now, however, illustrates why state workers may be wary of some of the governor’s other proposals, including a proposal to “lag’ their paychecks again.
The raises actually took effect at the start of the new fiscal year, but because of prior lags instituted in earlier budget crises, state workers get paychecks for the actual time that they worked a few weeks late. The lag is then made up at retirement or when workers leave state service.
Workers in the “institutional” functions, such as correctional officers or those who do direct care of people in group homes or other institutions will see their raises next week.
Update: Correctional officers, as Joey911 notes represented by NYSCOPA are still negotiating their contracts and won’t get their raises. Other prison workers represented by CSEA, though are on track for their 3 percent raises.