The Alabama State Legislature voted in 2007 on a measure that instituted a yearly review of their compensation, resulting in a 62 percent increase in representatives pay for that year.
The summary for all of this is that when the cost of living goes up, so does their salary, and on April 1, the legislature received a 3.8 percent raise.
And it was not an April Fools' joke.
But, it's a pretty convenient, bordering on genius plan, don't you think?
If times get tough, and the economic tide rises, they get to keep their head above water with the inflatable dinghy their pay raises afford them, while those providing the raises can't get a life vest.
Please pardon the excessively nautical explanation.
And it is a good idea, aside from the part where their salary increase, meant to keep them comfortable in hard economic times, comes from the taxes paid by the citizens they represent, who are all suffering through this economic climate with them.
Representatives in the state legislature are compensated $52,600, far more than the median income for Alabama citizens, which is $40,596.
So it's good that some legislators, like State Representative in District 10 Mike Ball, can see the oddity inherent in the pay increase.
"I did not support the pay raise with the built-in annual cost of living increase," Ball said. "I believe it is unethical to use the powers of one's office to line one's own pockets."
Ball said he would be donating his money from this year's pay increase to charity, and we would encourage other legislators to do something similar with their share.
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