Editorial: Backdoor benefits will earn enmity

Friday, March 12, 1999 | 11:58 a.m.

Members of the Nevada Legislature understandably are upset that as much as $100,000 each year is diverted from inmate welfare funds in the prison system to pay for Christmas parties, picnics and other perks for prison employees.

Revenue from vending machines in state prisons has been used to pay for personal items for prison employees -- including such things as microwaves and refrigerators for guards at their posts -- instead of going to areas such as medical care and the law library for prisoners. As the Sun's Cy Ryan reported Wednesday, no other state agencies are allowed to use state funds from vending machines for such uses and must pay for them out of their own pockets.

The practice has gone on since 1992 when the state Prison Board -- comprised of the governor, secretary of state and attorney general -- allowed the money to be shuffled elsewhere. If legislators are angry, however, they should concentrate most of their fire at the Prison Board for allowing the practice to develop in the first place. Instead of fighting to get the Legislature to boost the salaries of underpaid corrections officers to adequate levels, then-Gov. Bob Miller agreed to a backdoor method of compensation to increase morale.

The Legislature also should do some self-reflection since ultimately it is the body that decides whether the pay of state employees should be increased -- or capped. And state legislators who were in office in 1989 when they voted themselves a 300 percent pension increase should understand why some might be tempted to increase their employee benefit compensation in order to offset low pay.

Although the employees understandably want to keep the perks, it isn't fair to have these benefits while other state employees aren't permitted this option. More important is the fact that these are government funds that are supposed to be used for public -- not personal -- uses. The practice should be stopped.