“Across the country office holders are putting more heft in their envelopes – For public officials a pocketbook issue.” By Paul Vitello p. 7 of NY Times News of the Week

You and I have no say in the matter.  The Constitution left out the matter of compensation or pay for people doing the work of government (the Elected Ones) out.  So, the Elected Ones hired a whole host of people who did the scut work and received pay for it.  This sort of resembles the corporate world where there are elections of sorts and CEO’s and CFO’s and Board Members sit and decide the fate of the companies and how much profit must be earned in order to vote themselves raises that represent the whole income of small countries.

In either example the cost of representation seems to go up and never down.  Economies may change from green to red but the cost of government and the cost of businesses that survive always go up.  (Please give me examples where this is not correct).

Now, I have been the President of a Condominium of 52 apartments for six years.  I know nothing of economics and have had my pay doubled and trebled annually. Actually, you know, nothing doubled and trebled is still nothing.  As a matter of fact and record, I have donated not only my time but a computer and its accoutrements as well as a copy machine, a table and money to pay for paper and the production of newsletters and have done the writing and distribution myself.  I wonder why the good folks in Tallahassee found it necessary for people like me, who run condominiums and Home Owners’ Associations to do the work – just like the work of our representatives whom we elect every 2, 4, and 6 years – specifically and pointedly shall not be paid?  Why is it good and proper in one instance and not in the multitude of other instances?

Following each election in national, state and local contests, the need for the new representatives of the people to get more money seems endemic. The gap between what Public officials vote themselves and the public representatives of buildings and associations receive grows larger while the work and the problems increase.

I have already announced that I will no longer be president of my Condo although I have been elected as a 2007 Board Member.  Surely, the same rules that applied to me over the years will apply to the new officials who become responsible for the Condominium.  I shall be there to observe and report.