Check out the state news area or the Wisconsin State Journal. I know that I read in one of those places just today that the state is adding something like 85 more people to work on unemployment claims.

Interesting that they say they can't refuse it yet don't follow that up with a pledge to introduce legislation to prevent it happening again. Any politicians care to explain that? I'd vote for you!

Maybe they could give all their raises back or refuse them somehow and hire more people to work the Unemployment phone lines, etc. so a person could get ahold of someone regarding their unemployment instead of getting a voice message to either go online (which doesn't help much) or call back later....With so many people unemployed now I think we need more people hired to help the unemployed!!! I have tried for 3 weeks to get a human with no avail or even a e-mail question returned...

5.3%? Forced? This past union contract for my job gave us a whopping 0%. I feel so bad for these guys.

BTW, I voted against the contract we got...

No one should think that this $49,900 is such a bad paying job. When you add in the daily per-diem that they get of $88.00, for showing up in Madison, it could add up to another $440.00 per week to their wages. There are people in their districts living on $440.00 a week or less.
Then add on the fact that most of them are attorneys, realtors, business owners or people drawing pensions, this becomes a pretty lucrative part time job.
Perhaps they should follow the example of Russ Feingold a few years ago, just turn their salary increase back into the state coffers and then publize the list of those who do.

Baloney.

I've been saying for years that the taxpayers should vote as to whether or not we feel they deserve raises. Do you think they'd change THAT law?

And what about Congress. They don't deserve raises; they don't deserve lifelong paycheck after serving one term or 50 terms. Cut all that out and wow there might be a reduction in defecit.

Heck, I run for office based on that, but it takes big money to get elected and I'm broke and unemployed.

Whether they are underpaid or not isn't he issue. Neither is the issue how little the raise will cost the state. The issue is that these liars know very well that they set this up so that they could all claim it's not their fault and it has always been in their power to change the way these raises are engineered. Just like the old automatic gas tax increases were set up to relieve the legislature from having to be on record in favor of a tax increase, this cynical mechanism is designed to provide pay raises without the need to vote in favor of it with the resulting accountability such a vote brings.

Since they've been stiffing government employees, especially employees at the UW System, they should not give themselves a raise.

It's a cute dodge to avoid responsibility for giving themselves raises during their current term.
.
We voters failed to kick out all the incumbents, so to a large extent, we have to blame ourselves for their continued failing behavior.
.
To remedy future "mandatory raises", all future pay increase legislation should include a "current term 2/3's ratification" vote by the legislators in office during the time the raise will take effect.
.
Alternatively, a constitutional amendment that future legislative pay raises will only apply to new members who have never held a wisconsin state office might be an effective alternative to term limits. "Go ahead and run for office, but your starting pay will also be your highest pay."

Regardless if whether you are an apologist for elected officials or an antagonist toward them, one must consider the beauty of a lame do-nothing governmental body allocating itself a pay raise in the midst of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression as poetic at best – pathetic at worst. Just in Janesville alone thousands of people are now unemployed as of just this week. You can’t make poor timing like this up!

Just when writers think there is just nothing gritty to dive into, the State Legislature comes to rescue. We all wait with bated breath for Phase-Two of this drama in where the Democrats and Republicans both blame each other for this pay increase travesty – while they both pocket the money, of course.

Bob Keith
cooldadiomedia.com

If they don't take a raise now, they'll get behind the next time it's time to get a raise and soon they'll never get catch up. How many of you gave back your raise or bonus (free turkey, etc.) cause others were without? Take it now or it's gone.

what a crock

I hate it when things like this happen. What a harsh thing to do to someone, make them take a raise!

Ok, they are law makers, right? So how about making a law to give the money back, or making it an option every pay raise? Stranger laws are on the books.

Wisconsin legislators are full-time, and arguably underpaid by comparison with other states. Also, Walker, does your job require you to commute from Superior to Madison?
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/2004/...

$49,943 isn't a lot of money to begin with, considering their role in society.

Aren't they also paid travel expenses to get to work and their meals paid for by taxpayers?

Don't you wish your employer paid you to drive to work and for your lunch.

I say let's flood the phone lines to Rep. Decker's office as well as our local officials Robson, Nass, Hixson, Benedict and Sheridan.

I agree the $300k isn't the solution but when Nass was on his cut everything soapbox it should have included this as well.

Now only if somebody could force them to do their JOBS!!! I always thought you get a raise do to how good your doing your job. They haven't done much of anything.

They could donate it.

<sigh> Just once I would like to be forced into a raise LOL