It apparently works properly if you may get it. The job in query can be as a member of the Massachusetts state legislature with a rating place on one of many many committees fashioned there. The Boston Globe seemed into the scenario this week and realized that committee members — notably the leaders — obtain enviable wage bonuses for the extra “providers” they supply. A member of the state senate who chairs two committees earns extra yearly in stipends for his additional time work than his base wage. Mark Montini chairs the Intergovernmental Affairs and Governance and Coverage Committees. However there’s a catch to this joyful story. The the globe There was no proof that these committees did any necessary work all year long or that any payments had been written. In reality, the committee does not even appear to have any information of conferences.
As chairman of two Massachusetts Senate committees, Democrat Mark Montini of New Bedford earns $61,000 in management stipends, bringing his annual wage to $162,000 — greater than double the bottom wage of state lawmakers.
However it’s unclear what the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Steering and Coverage have achieved beneath his management.
Through the present two-year legislative session, not certainly one of Montigny’s committees has held a single public listening to or thought of a single invoice. When the Globe requested what the committees had achieved since January 2023, Montini stated the panels “serve in an advisory capability to enhance the general coverage work of the Senate” — however declined to say whether or not any had been referred to as.
There have been a few revealing gadgets on this report. For one factor, we realized that Massachusetts state senators can earn a base pay fee of greater than $100,000. That places them within the high ten p.c of earners within the nation for a job the place they solely have to point out up for work yearly (on common), generally for only a few weeks. Positive, they’ll discover different issues to maintain them busy of their part service workplace, however it’s nonetheless a reasonably candy deal. Additionally, they’ll cowl most of their bills and are lined by taxpayers.
Each member sits on a minimum of one committee. Some are given a number of assignments. For every committee membership, they’re paid a number of thousand {dollars} in extra wage. Some committees most likely have some protecting duties to deal with, however a minimum of a few of them, like Senator Montini’s chairs, do not seem to do a lot. Is it actually a sensible use of taxpayers’ cash?
when the globe Requested what the committees really do, Montini stated they “serve in an advisory capability to enhance the general coverage work of the Senate.” That sounds nice, I suppose, however has the committee really held any conferences within the earlier two years? He did not say for positive, but when they’d, you’d count on the data to seem on the Senate calendar on their web site.
The the globe Simply wasn’t singling out Montigny. They discovered that 12 legislative committees (20%) didn’t maintain a single listening to or contemplate any laws within the present session. When the committee chairs — all Democrats — had been requested about this obvious lack of exercise, they defended their place by saying the committees had been by no means meant to think about laws. They’re solely there to supply “help and recommendation”. However who’re they supporting and advising? one another? It looks as if that is one thing that may very well be achieved from the ground of the chamber with out the necessity for a particular committee to do it.
Massachusetts taxpayers are allocating about $400,000 per 12 months for membership bonuses on this committee. That isn’t an insignificant amount of cash. You assume they need to be capable to count on one thing in return for it or demand it again.
