Imagine if you will state legislators voting themselves pay increases or changing their benefit packages WITHOUT the confidence of the people they represent - the voters? It happens all the time even in the U.S. Congress, but how many voters know about it in a timely fashion to say anything about, for or against? Now, imagine this same thing happening (staying with the example of state legislators) in hard economic times, but legislators deny state employees a pay raise. They get one, but state employees don't...and the reason given, "it's the economy...our budget can't afford a pay increase".
You see, this is EXACTLY what happened in my state three years ago, but very few people across the state knew anything about it until word leaked out the next time the legislature tried to vote themselves another pay raise. This time, people all across the state complained and not surprisingly, the vote failed. Now, while this wasn't a union issue, the larger point I'm trying to address is if left up to the legislators they won't have the interest of the state employee in mind; they'll have their own agenda. The ONLY way to make this process fair is to insist that pay raises or any other benefit afforded to state legislators is tied to state employees. In short, if they vote themselves a pay raise, ALL state employees should get one as well. Since WE ALL work for the People and our income is taxpayer funded. No free rides, but TOTAL fairness as well. Better yet, put the vote to the People. If they believe public servants are doing a good enough job to warrant a pay raise, their vote will determine such.