Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Saslaw to Taxpayers: "Better get back to work, we need your hard earned dollars in our pockets"

Funny, isn't it? When Democrats claim that they are working to make life better for families, they go and take more tax dollars away from these families to fund their own pay raises. If you don't believe it, then you should ask Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax). He loves money, in fact, you can't give him enough money. If you ask him, he would like for the Senators in Virginia to receive a pay raise...now. With Virginia in a budget crisis, he would rather raise your taxes to FUND his pay raise, rather than scale it back (along with the per diem amounts) to assist in a common sense solution to address the crisis at large.



In the January 12 edition of the Virginian-Pilot, the House Republicans called Saslaw out on his proposal for a pay increase. The House Republicans realize that it is essential to cut back on their own budgets than to pass it along in a tax increase for taxpayers across Virginia. Saslaw said:



The $18,000 salary paid to state senators hasn't increased since 1988, according to Saslaw.


"It's now worth about $8,000 or $9,000," he said of the legislative salary Monday morning.


He accused House Republicans of "grandstanding" to score political points.


"We're fully capable of running our own business," Saslaw added, noting the House savings will have little effect on achieving the estimated $2.9 billion in spending cuts needed to offset a revenue chasm in the budget.



With all due respect, Mr. Saslaw, this is not political grandstanding. Rather, you are standing in the way of Virginia's prosperity by standing for a pay increase.

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