Mason County Commissioner's Plan to Nearly Quadruple Their Salaries!

[XLFD]

Earlier this year in January, the Mason County Commissioners had contemplated a more even distribution of their income among their members by bumping up the salaries of those three commissioners that did not receive the $14,000 + that four other members received for health and dental insurance.  The leader of the opposition, Mary Nichols, one of the three 'underpaid' Commissioners, was successful in killing that increased burden to the taxpayers, but unsuccessful in convincing the part-time Commissioners that receiving $19,000 per year in health insurance for a job that has officially meets for one 1.5 hour each month was morally repugnant.

That was originally discussed in detail here, where a table for compensation was presented as well.  Later, we saw why Lew Squires should be replaced ASAP for his incredible sense of entitlement and self-worth when he said in this thread:  "I do not view my job as part-time. I take this very serious. This is important to me. I put my heart and soul into this. They need to be compensated for a job well done."  And added: "I am definitely not on this board for the insurance coverage, not at all."

Then get rid of it for you and others.  But though this idea was voted down, there continued a discussion of how to more evenly compensate the commissioners.  Note their base rate of pay is $3100 ($3700 for the chairman).

Enter the summertime, and the consideration of their Finance Committee has proposed raising that base rate from $3100 to $11,200 ($13,000 for chairman).  That's a 361% raise.  They then raise the per diem rates for committee meetings from $30 to $45.  They also will go up once again in a year after this by the same rate the county's non-union employees may receive at that time. 

In order to sell this obscene raise, they do drop the health care coverage (in anticipation of Obamacare?), and tell us that the taxpayer will still be shelling out about the same amount. 

 

But these guys were overcompensated before, and when you recieve almost $1000 per month or more, for a meeting that normally lasts less than 90 minutes, you are way overpaid.  Particularly, when most of the people in the County are happiest when no new legislation or taxes come their way from the Commission.  Of course, they will likely do this with little public input, since they meet on Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM to do what they think is right.  Remember, what they do come election time, on August 7. 

Let's face it, if you are making minimum wage and work an average of 29 hours each week for a year, you won't make as much as one of these County Commissioners do for their less than 18 hours of official work they do in a year, if this proposal passes.  That's even when your job is important to you and you put your heart and soul into your work.  But nor do you have the power to raise your wages 361% for doing an overall crappy job of things.

[Willy]

That picture of the wind turbines is a good reminder of why the board needs to be replaced. If they don't like the salary then they should quit.

[XLFD]

It should be an interesting August.  All candidates are Republicans (note: except for Mary Nichols, and perhaps Susan Boes, all incumbents are RINOs), and each of the seven districts, down from ten, are contested.  That means the August result will be final. 

Two of those districts have two incumbents going against each other due to the reduction of districts.  We hope to get some questionaires back from these candidates by the end of the month; they have all been sent out this last weekend.  If they are incumbents and decide not to participate, we will have a proxy answer their questions based on their past votes.  If they are challengers and decide not to participate, they will just be ignored.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

And Lew Squires makes HOW much per year in his chiropractic practice?

[XLFD]

This link shows his business rakes in $140,000 annually.  Not too bad for a back quack.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

I'd hazard a guess that his entire operation rakes in more than that.   The average salary for a chiropractor in Muskegon is $127 k and some change.   http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/Chiropractor-Salary-Details-Musk...

[XLFD]

Probably.  And yet he can't afford to get health insurance for his #1 employee: himself?  

Why do that when he can have the rest of Mason County pay for it? 

Now that's some kind of integrity-- which is what he advertises boldly on all his placards.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

Why pay for it when you can get it for free?  :-)

[AQUAMAN]

Hey Dulci, why indeed? And speak of the Devil Schneider? Hew! and PEW! on him ! A REAL Cronie if I ever saw one!a CROOK! in the greatest sense!