Wyoming Vote Tracker

To quote Rush Limbaugh, the Governor has stepped in it. Two big stories this week hitting the presses, and it’s not even Wednesday.

• The Governor’s salary.

Making just over 100 Grand per year, even if only for four to eight years, would be a thrill for the majority of us common folk who aren’t elected. We could accelerate our debt snowballs, be more charitable, save for the rainy day. Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against the legitimately rich. Yes, at times I envy them, more their financial status than anything, but if the money have is legitimately in their possession, I’m not going start scheming on how I can get their money, though I might dream about how I could make their salary.

Yesterday, I pointed out a post on Sunflower Desert about all the state employees that are making more money than the Governor. At first, It didn’t strike me as too odd that state employees that are not elected (other than justices and judges who are appointed and then re- confirmed every so often by the voters) make more than the governor. Then I heard this report on the Big Horn Radio Network noon news:

Nearly 100 Wyoming state government employees are paid more than Governor Dave Freudenthal. Freudenthal makes $105,000 per year. He also gets a vehicle, use of the state plane and lives rent-free in the state mansion. Freudenthal’s salary is below the average $124,000 a year average pay for governors, ranking 38th among the 50 states. He says the state Legislature should increase pay for the office to keep up with the cost of living.

Keep up with the cost of living??? What cost does he have? Surely he’s not spending $105,000 on his own personal stuff. $105K with a car and a plane to get you (and presumably whoever else) around, plus a mansion (presumably at least partly furnished). That is just insane that the Governor is suggesting demanding a pay increase.

But then, I read on Sunflower Desert again.

• Non-Candidates can propose higher taxes

I kid you not, that’s the Governor’s ideology.

The Democrat suggested that a “war tax” might be needed to fund domestic needs, as overseas conflicts are consuming federal funding. He joked that he could make such a suggestion because he’s not a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Freudenthal said the responsibility for pursuing research on technologies such as carbon sequestration has fallen to the states, as the federal government is dealing with war costs. Those costs will likely continue into the future, he said.

“At some point, we have to recognize if we are going to pursue the foreign policy objectives we have, it’s going to cost money,” he said.

Freudenthal said people might have to pay a “war tax” to fund domestic needs, including energy research and development.

The governor made his comments at the 2007 annual meeting of the Council of State Governments-West, going on through Wednesday at Jackson Lake Lodge. He was part of a panel called “The Future of U.S. Energy? Let’s Ask Those Who Know It,” along with representatives of General Electric, British Petroleum, EnCana Corp. and the Idaho National Laboratory.

Freudenthal focused much of his 15-minute talk on the realities of carbon emissions and climate change.

He’s not up for election. He’s almost halfway through his second term (pending any challenges to the state’s term limits law). He’s not running for U.S. Senate (yet). He’s not likely to challenge the Republican U.S. House Candidate (Cubin or otherwise, Gary Trauner’s got it covered).

First off, I’d like to commend CST for using the word Democrat, not Democtratic. It’s a rare thing in main-stream media to see that practiced. They like to give the Democrats a bit of a pedestal to stand on by referring to them as Democratic elected person John Smith said….

But anyways, back to the issue. What is so wrong with states funding things without the Federal involvement. Granted, if the Feds owe money to the states, it ought to be paid to the states, no questions asked. But we’re talking about research that the state is doing, and even some of the product being sold to other states, so why propose a federal tax increase? To paraphrase Mrs. C., it must just be the Democrat way.

Maybe that’s why he wants a higher salary. Higher taxes, higher salary, more money for energy development. Oh wait, I forgot, even the rich Democrats are exempt from tax increases.

Technorati Tags: Gov. Dave Freudenthal, state budget, war tax, energy development

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