A Cronkite News Service Weekend Special
Supporters of raise for lawmakers say low pay costs Arizonans
NOTE: This story moved Thursday, Sept. 25. We recommend it for weekend use.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 (thumbnails, captions below)
By DEANNA DENT
Cronkite News Service
ANTHEM _ As a state lawmaker, Doug Clark is used to discussing issues important to students in his community. This morning, while most people are having breakfast, he’s meeting with two dozen teenage boys in an auditorium at Boulder Creek High School.
The subject: gearing up for the soccer season.
“We’re going to have practice out there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so we can get back in shape,” Clark tells his audience. “This is going to be a winning season.”
Clark, a Republican, is finishing his first term representing District 6, which stretches from north Phoenix past New River, in the state House of Representatives. He isn’t running for re-election, and this meeting helps begin a new chapter in his life as this school’s head soccer coach.
Colleagues, Democrats as well as Republicans, say Clark is an example of someone who could make a great impact at the Arizona State Legislature. But Clark, who pursued his interest in education on several committees, said he simply can’t afford to continue in the role because of the low pay and the time required.
“On June 30th, you can’t just turn on a light switch and make in five months all the money you need for the year,” Clark said. “It’s tough for someone who is in the middle- or lower-income stratosphere. Where I fall, it is a sacrifice.”
In November, voters will decide whether to increase state lawmakers’ pay from $24,000 to $30,000. It would be the first raise for lawmakers in 10 years. Since 1998, voters have defeated four other attempts to increase lawmakers’ pay.
Supporters of Proposition 300 acknowledge that it’s easy to reject the idea of a raise as a protest or out of concern for the state budget. But they say the pay lawmakers receive costs Arizonans in other ways.
The Legislature began as a two-month exercise involving ranchers, farmers and other ordinary citizens, but now sessions can run as long as six months and require lawmakers to put in more than 60 hours a week. That makes it difficult for people with full-time jobs and families to take on the role, supporters of the raise say.
“We are way too over-weighted with people that are retired or run their own business or people who are married to someone who is wealthy,” said state Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson. “We don’t represent Arizonans that spend 40 hours a week working.”
Farley said he is fortunate to be an artist, which allows him to work on weekends and evenings during legislative sessions.
Michael Valder, president of the Arizona Advocacy Network, a group that promotes civic participation in government and submitted arguments in support of Proposition 300, said the demands of the job can invite lawmakers to consult for or work for organizations with an interest in legislative action.
“The question comes up: How do you support politicians to get elected and how do you support them if they hold office? And the answer to that is an adequate paycheck,” Valder said.
Low pay and low appreciation pushes candidates to find other means to supplement their incomes, said David Berman, a professor emeritus of political science at Arizona State University.
“When you feel that you’re not being appreciated you don’t put as much effort into your work and you’re more susceptible to people offering money,” Berman said.
Clark said he would have loved to run again if finances weren’t an issue. A real estate agent, he said he and lawmakers with full-time jobs and families have to spend nights and weekends catching up on work during legislative sessions.
“To take it seriously _ and that may be my downfall _ I found myself not home until 9 p.m. at night and meeting all weekend with constituents,” Clark said.
State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, said she opposes the raise because of the poor economy, which has state, county and local governments cutting back.
“People around the state are struggling to keep their homes and buy gas,” she said.
Sinema has a several of part-time jobs, including political consulting and teaching at Arizona State University. She worked full-time as a social worker and attorney before joining the House of Representatives.
“You can’t have a full-time job and work in the Legislature,” Sinema said.
Tom Jenney, executive director of the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers, said the group isn’t necessarily opposed to a raise for lawmakers and supports representation of diverse groups. But he said he doesn’t want to see raises become a stepping stone to creating a full-time Legislature.
“In the specific case of Doug Clark, it would have been nice to have him around; he did a great job,” Jenney said. “The problem is we definitely don’t want to go towards encouraging a full-time legislature and people to become full-time politicians.”
^___=
PHOTOS:
Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images and download; caption information is in the file under File>File Info.
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-LAWMAKER PAY: Outgoing state Rep. Doug Clark, R-Anthem, speaks to students Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem in his new role as head soccer coach. Clark, who also is a real estate agent, said he isn’t running for the Legislature because he can’t make a living given the pay and the hours required. Arizona voters will decide in November whether to give lawmakers a raise from $24,000 to $30,000 a year. It would be the first raise for lawmakers since 1998. Voters have rejected raises for four straight elections. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Deanna Dent)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-LAWMAKER PAY: Outgoing state Rep. Doug Clark, R-Anthem, speaks to students Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem in his new role as head soccer coach. Clark, who also is a real estate agent, said he isn’t running for the Legislature because he can’t make a living given the pay and the hours required. Arizona voters will decide in November whether to give lawmakers a raise from $24,000 to $30,000 a year. It would be the first raise for lawmakers since 1998. Voters have rejected raises for four straight elections. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Deanna Dent)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-LAWMAKER PAY: Outgoing state Rep. Doug Clark, R-Anthem, speaks to students Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem in his new role as head soccer coach. Clark, who also is a real estate agent, said he isn’t running for the Legislature because he can’t make a living given the pay and the hours required. Arizona voters will decide in November whether to give lawmakers a raise from $24,000 to $30,000 a year. It would be the first raise for lawmakers since 1998. Voters have rejected raises for four straight elections. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Deanna Dent)