Letter: AB464 should not be passed

Tuesday, April 8, 2003 | 8:51 a.m.

Regarding Assembly Bill 464, which deals with the compensation of legislators:

Well, they just keep trying, don't they? Sadly, this one looks like a winner.

Create a "Commission to Review Compensation of Legislators." Give them statutory authority to set the salaries, then send it to the Budget Division.

Does that mean no more up or down votes on legislative pay raises? I think it does.

So, what do we have here? Clearly another attempt by the "best and the brightest" to get around the Constitution. You can always see the government insiders' mentality at work when you read the phrase "attract and retain." It is the insiders' notion that the electoral process could not possibly have any input into determining the correct level of compensation for elected officials.

Also, the internalizing of the process completely eliminates any tie back to the ordinary citizen. Salary comparisons are to be made with "persons with similar qualifications who are employed by the State of Nevada and in the public sector." The idea of tying legislators' pay back to the working people of Nevada now becomes illegal -- literally.

We know from past experience the members of this panel will be rich and politically connected. That doesn't make them evil, but it does distort their view. A person with a high six or even seven-figure annual income with a couple of million, or much more in stock options, is going to have a totally different perspective on compensation than the cab driver, the bank teller or flight attendant whose economic status will, by statute, have no consideration in the process.

If this thing passes, it's just another nail in the coffin of representative government and another brick in the wall of privilege between an elitist government and the peasants.

AB464 should be killed.

KNIGHT ALLEN