Texas Tribune
On top of their civic responsibility, every member of the Legislature will have a personal stake in the state budget.
As it stands, the proposed budget includes a 12 percent increase in the base salaries for state district judges. That number — currently $125,000 annually — also happens to be the basis for legislative pensions. An increase in the pay for judges is an increase in the annual pension benefits for members.
The budget would raise the pay for judges to $140,000, an increase that would mean a minimum of $2,760 per year for legislators qualified to retire. Lawmakers' regular pay is $7,200, plus a per diem to pay for travel, food and lodging when they're on state business. To qualify for retirement, a legislator needs at least eight years in office. With that, a former lawmaker could begin collecting annual benefits at age 60. With 12 years in state office, that former lawmaker could start drawing retirement at age 50.
The spreadsheet below shows the tenure of every current lawmaker at the end of 2014, rounded to the nearest year; the estimated amount of their base retirement at that time; the amount it would increase with the current budget proposal; and the resulting annual total pension benefit.
On top of their civic responsibility, every member of the Legislature will have a personal stake in the state budget.
As it stands, the proposed budget includes a 12 percent increase in the base salaries for state district judges. That number — currently $125,000 annually — also happens to be the basis for legislative pensions. An increase in the pay for judges is an increase in the annual pension benefits for members.The budget would raise the pay for judges to $140,000, an increase that would mean a minimum of $2,760 per year for legislators qualified to retire. Lawmakers' regular pay is $7,200, plus a per diem to pay for travel, food and lodging when they're on state business. To qualify for retirement, a legislator needs at least eight years in office. With that, a former lawmaker could begin collecting annual benefits at age 60. With 12 years in state office, that former lawmaker could start drawing retirement at age 50.
The spreadsheet below shows the tenure of every current lawmaker at the end of 2014, rounded to the nearest year; the estimated amount of their base retirement at that time; the amount it would increase with the current budget proposal; and the resulting annual total pension benefit.
Actual benefits vary depending on choices lawmakers make in their plans, on other pensions, and non-legislative government service and so on.
Many members — 85 of the 181 in the House and Senate — won’t qualify for pensions at that point. The rest would be eligible for annual pensions of $27,760 to $148,120. One last thing: The changes don’t just affect current members. Lawmakers who have already retired would get the increases in pension payments, too.
How do our local state reps fare? Apparently, not too badly.
In District 37, Rep. René Oliveira, a Democrat, has been in the House for the past 32 years. His estimated base pension is $86,250 and with the proposed $10,350 increase, it will rise to a modest $96,600.
Eddie Lucio Jr., Senator for District 27, another Democrat, has been in the legislature for 28 years and his base pension is only a measly $80,500. With the proposed increase of $9,660, that would also see an increase to $90,160.
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, Senator for District 20, has the same exact numbers as his Cameron County colleague with 28 years of tenure and with the increase in the budget, will see his pension would also increase to $90,160.
Coming hard on their heels is Rep. Eddie Lucio III, of District 38, who with an eight-year tenure of serving the public , could retire tomorrow and draw a $25,760 pension with the $2,760 addition in this budget added to his current $23,000 base pension.
10 comments:
It is easy to get an agreement on a bill that will put money in the pockets of legislators....but difficult to get them to agree on anything that the public wants or needs. I like Eddie Lucio's bill that requires legislator to take a drug test when they enter the legislature. BUT....there is no punishment or negative action in the bill if a legislator fails the drug test. So, based on what I have read, Eddie Lucio is wasting our money and the legislature's time on a bill that has not punishment for failing the drug test. Our legislature, like the U.S. Legislature if full of self-promoting assholes who can easily and quickly pass bills that benefit their membership, but can't find a way to pass bills that benefit the public.
That would also mean a raise for Sergio "the leach" Zarate. Nadamas le anda lambiendo los huevos a los Lucio para ver que migajas le avientan. Pinche rata con su "Down by the Border" tranza. Y para acabarla de chingar es camarada de los BUC. Ahi van andar los pendejos con los letreros de la mensa de Dolores ahora que corra para juez. Esa ni pa science fair judge la hace.
Rene Oliveira siempre tiene la cara como que se esta aguantando un pedo y los ojos iguales de chuecos que los de Nena Barton.
what's ur pension, juan? zilcho. nada! u shoulda worked, buey!
MONTOYA...QUE FEO ESTAN ESTOS GUEYES
http://educationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/from-the-dallas-isd-audit-possible-fictitious-moving-invoice.html/
By Joyce Foreman"If the invoice is phony and she and her husband got any of that money returned to them, she should be fired and a criminal investigation should be done. I am so tired of this type of behavior at DISD while schools are closed, teachers are fired and class sizes continue to grow."
(our money and the legislature's time on a bill that has not punishment for failing the drug test.) They're not called los Sucios for nothing.
Dags.
They all represent Vested Interests. That' how the make their money !
Eddie Jr. needs to vote himself a big pension raise so he can suck off the taxpayers' tit when he's no longer in office and no longer can live off the money he gets under the table for supporting those pulling the strings behind every move he and III make.
self serving laws to enrich themselves only. These guys are just like the US congress, all those nice salaries and pesnions and other stuff does not apply to you and me, the common folk. We always end up getting the end of a stick or the grand chorizo san manuel. so lets continue voting for them folks, looks like we all never learn.
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