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Show ttmbttmctia Arguments for INFLATION HAS MADE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE AVERAGE CITIZEN TO AFFORD SERVING IN THE LEGISLATURE! The current legislative compensation level is S25 per day plus $15 per day for expenses. These levels were set In 1968 and rank 48th out of the 50 states. By comparison, a consumer would need $ 108 today to buy something that would have cost $40 in 1968. This means that when legislators from outside the Salt Lake Valley attend a legislative session, each legislator has only $40 per day to pay for meals and lodging. At the same time, many legislators receive no other pay and miss work. It is obvious that inflation has lessened the buying power of legislative pay to the point that only wealthy or supported individuals are encouraged to serve in the Utah Legislature! CITIZENS WILL HAVE A DIRECT VOICE IN SETTING LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATION! The commission established to set legislative compensation will be a citizen commission. Neither legislators nor the Governor will have the authority to set compensation. The commission will be appointed by the Governor. Legislators will have nothing to do with making recommendations about their own compensation. LEGISLATORS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RAISE THEIR OWN PAY UNDER THIS AMENDMENT! The amendment guarantees that legislators will not be permitted to raise their own pay. Any recommendations made by the citizen commission will be either accepted, rejected, or lowered. But under no circumstances will the Legislature be allowed to increase any recommendation. THIS AMENDMENT ENSURES THAT ALL CITIZENS WILL BE REPRESENTED IN THE UTAH LEGISLATURE! If compensation could be increased, even modestly, it would encourage participation in the Legislature by individuals with modest incomes. This would ensure that our Legislature would retain its status as a part-time, part-time, citizen body representing all Utahns. VOTE "YES" ON PROPOSITION NO. 2! Senator Wilford R. Black Senate Minority Leader 826 North 13th West Salt Lake City, Utah 84116 Senator Jack M. Bangerter Senate Majority Whip 1177 East 5th North Bountiful, Utah 84010 Rebuttal to Arguments in favor of Proposition No. 2 1 CITIZENS WILL NOT HAVE A DIRECT VOICE IN I SETTING LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATION. First, Governor-appointed committees tend to be slanted in favor of those who have the power to jj appoint their members. This means that any committee appointed by the Governor to establish legislative compensation will be representing the views of the Governor, not the citizens. Second, history has shown that whenever the f government sponsors a change in our Constitution, the direct power of the electorate is diluted. Power then 1 shifts to those who govern, who then exercise this 1 power for their own benefit and convenience. Third, if so-called "independent" citizen committees commit-tees are so much better at providing quality policy decisions than the direct vote of the people, as the proponents of this amendment would suggest, then we might as well have the Governor establish a committee to appoint all public officers so that we can abolish popular elections altogether! Representative Alvin S. Merrill 4280 South 838 West I Murray, Utah 84107 I -14- |
