Assembly speaker generous with raises

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/9/7 | Jim Sanders

[SmithL]

Top employees of Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez recently received raises as high as 22 percent to boost their salaries, most already exceeding $100,000, at a time when state government continues to spend billions more than it receives in revenue.

Dan Eaton, Núñez's chief of staff, received an 18 percent increase that will pump an additional $30,000 into his wallet this year and make him the Legislature's first employee to earn more than $200,000 annually, state records show.

Eight employees working in Núñez's office or for his Assembly Democratic Caucus earn more than the speaker's own base salary of $130,000, which is set by an independent commission.

Eaton's pay of $200,004 exceeds that of the lieutenant governor and every one of the state's constitutional officers except the governor, who is scheduled to make $206,500, although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declined to accept his state pay.

Overall, the Legislature has more than 200 employees earning salaries exceeding $100,000 annually -- 93 Assembly employees and 112 Senate workers, according to Jan. 1 salary records.

Ted Costa, chief executive officer of People's Advocate, which launched the recall drive against former Gov. Gray Davis, said huge salary hikes are hard to swallow when the state is struggling to bridge a projected $5 billion budget gap.

"I think if they want to make the big bucks, they ought to get out and work in private enterprise," Costa said.

[SmithL]

It is good to be King!