State Senate Reforming Perks?

The State Senate began deliberating on one of the pressing issues perplexing voters this year: legislative perquisites. Special perks, like free healthcare and cars, on top of generous compensation (rivaling that of cow milkers and tattoo artists) have voters looking to oust every incumbent this year. Since November 2004 30 lawmakers opted to retire and 17 were voted out while a sitting Supreme Court Justice was also ousted.

Voter ire over the imperial hubris they smell on their state legislators is causing some to reconsider their packages. The $600/month allowance for cars is one target. Anyone who visits the state Capitol can readily observe the expensive wheels with special license plates attached denoting the legislators' affinity for luxury at taxpayer expense. So senators are agreeing to forego this perk along with paying up to 1% of their health insurance premiums to ameliorate voter rage.

I have news: if you really want to stem the rage apologize for the pay raises, return all the money to the state coffers (not charities), roll back the affect of the raise on your pensions, get rid of your legislative slush funds, enact real campaign finance reform, and enact serious lobbyist reform measures. That's what's needed. This perk reform is really meaningless without the remainder of the issues being passed.