It is interesting how many times I’m asked the question, “Why can’t you guys in D.C. balance the federal budget like our state does?” This question is the symptom of a much bigger challenge. Since teaching civics is no longer a priority in many schools and homes, the average person simply doesn’t understand the election process or the environment in which their laws are made. For instance, let’s take the Georgia General Assembly, which consists of 56 senators and 180 representatives. By statute, the session must convene by the second Monday in January and must not exceed forty legislative days. However, if you chair a committee, your responsibilities extend far beyond a forty-day session. Effective and engaged legislators do not stop working at midnight on Sine Die, but continue throughout the year meeting with constituents, attending committee meetings, and educating themselves on governmental challenges.With legislators in many other states earning sizeable salaries, most citizens are surprised to learn that the annual salary of a Georgia legislator is only $17,500. Please don’t misconstrue this column as a plea for the State to allocate heaps of tax-payer resources for my colleagues and me, but instead, see this as a small part of a larger systemic issue involving compensation for those in the public service sector.
The Georgia State Capital is comprised of more than just 236 eager legislators. A network of interns, volunteers, and full-time legislative assistants work in concert to help keep things operating as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, this support structure is incredibly underpaid. The average hourly wage equates to slightly more than $10 an hour for many of these positions, and a starting annual salary of $34,000 for legislative assistants. Many of these individuals spend over two hours in traffic each day, traveling forty or more miles from the suburbs, and then they must pay to park once they arrive to work. These are not entry level positions performing menial tasks — they serve as liaisons to the community. Many times, these individuals spend much of their day helping constituents navigate the bureaucracy of agencies such as the Veterans Administration, DFCS, and the EPA.
This disparity is not limited to just those working at the State Capitol. A recent report stated that the average wage of first responders in Georgia hovers around $32,000 annually, and police officers average a wage slightly higher at $39,000. These professions make incredible sacrifices each day to keep our communities safe. This work is dangerous and very stressful, but the stress doesn’t end at the conclusion of their shift. The financial stress requires most of these public servants to work second and third jobs to support their families.
While I’m not a proponent of increasing the state minimum wage as some other states have done, I do believe we must value the efforts of those who risk their lives for us every day. When society places little or no value on something, then the quality cannot be sustained. A law enforcement officer or first responder should be able to support his or her family without having to get an additional job.
The average salary in Atlanta was recently calculated at $59,000 a year, and I don’t believe there are any more dangerous, stressful, or professional positions than public service positions. The normal argument I often hear is, “How are we going to fund this proposal?” Well, since the State of Georgia doesn’t make money, it takes money from its citizens in the form of taxes, and then redistributes it where it deems appropriate. Maybe we should re-evaluate and prioritize what is truly important to our communities.
to your business!