* Comptroller Mendoza press release…
Comptroller Susana Mendoza requested that former Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt, in the spirit of good governance, decline the full month’s salary he was entitled to under current Illinois law for the days he served.
She is pleased to announce that Kodatt informed the Comptroller’s office via email today that, “In the spirit of good governance and in the best interest of the people of the state of Illinois I decline the one month salary to which I am entitled by law.”
Comptroller Mendoza is making a similar request of newly appointed Rep. Angelica “Angie” Guerrero-Cuellar, who will serve these last two business days of February but is entitled to a full month’s pay under the law.
Former Speaker Michael Madigan’s final paycheck for a full month’s salary has already gone out for him representing the 22nd district for most of the month of February.
“Taxpayers should not have to pay three different representatives three full months’ salary for the same seat for the same month,” Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza has introduced legislation, SB484 and HB3104, sponsored by State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville called the “No Exit Bonus” bill which would provide that legislators going forward are paid on a pro-rated basis for each day of service – not a full month’s salary for a day or two of service. She expects broad bipartisan support.
[I’ve made a couple of typo corrections at the request of the comptroller’s office.]
- Humboldt - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:07 pm:
I know its a typo, but “in the spirit of goof governance” seems like an appropriate way to describe this specific situation.
- Perrid - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:07 pm:
“goof governance” made me laugh
- Montrose - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:08 pm:
“In the spirit of me wanting to fade into the background and in the best interest of the people that are very upset with me, I decline the one month salary to which I am entitled by law.”
- Essential State Employee - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:08 pm:
= in the spirit of goof governance=
Is “goof governance” a typo either on this post or on the Comptroller’s press release? I couldn’t find this press release on their site yet (unless it’s coming later).
Then again, Illinois has had a long history of “goof governance” over the years. One can now add Kodatt to that illustrious category.
- Not for nothing - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:11 pm:
Again, eagerly awaiting the receipts showing Mendoza donated her salary when she left midstream in may of 2011 to be City Clerk. I’m sure it happened.
- Soapbox Derby - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:13 pm:
Has anyone checked into whether Mendoza took a full month’s salary when she resigned from the G.A. to become Chicago City Clerk?
- SouthSide Markie - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:20 pm:
== Comptroller Mendoza has introduced legislation ==
Did I miss the change in the law that now allows the Comptroller to introduce legislation in the GA? Yes, it’s a good idea, but let’s be realistic. Is this even going to save taxpayers $50,000 annually? Seems like the Comptroller’s opportunism should be reserved for something that is going to make much more of a difference.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:22 pm:
“Goof Governance” with a “d” crossed out and replaced by an “f” is a good title for an IL political history book.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:22 pm:
Since Comptroller Mendoza is now in the business of demanding that legislators not get paid according to Illinois statute, it would be nice to know if Comptroller Mendoza took her full legislative salary in May 2011 when she resigned on May 16th, 2011.
And if she did, it would be nice to know if she plans on returning said salary to the state with interest in the spirit of good governance.
I am in favor of changing the statute, but I do not believe that the State of Illinois should be in the practice of creating the expectation that people should not get paid as they have a right to under statute.
I am unaware of no precedent of demanding a refusal or return of salary from legislators for working a fraction of a month and I believe this grandstanding is inappropriate and the executive who is responsible for issuing pay checks should issue pay checks rather than publicly demand people forgo the salary they’re entitled do under statute.
Pass the law. Don’t create excuses to not follow it. Picking and choosing when to follow a statute based off of political expedience is not a good precedent to set, especially not when it comes to finances.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:29 pm:
To the commenters above, there’s a huge difference between serving in office for years and leaving one office when the term of your new office begins, and serving for just three days. Throw all the mud you want at the Comptroller if you disagree with her on this, but just know that you make yourself look silly, silly, silly
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:31 pm:
=== [I’ve made a couple of typo corrections at the request of the comptroller’s office.] ===
In the spirit of good grammar and in the reading interests of CapitolFax commenters.
- 1st Ward - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:35 pm:
Mendoza does know it’s standard to provide two weeks pay when an employee provides notice. Depending on the position it can be longer. I’m not sure why the continued scapegoating of a 26 year old keeps happening when the “adults” with 50 years experience royally screwed the appointment up. If you want to push the legislation through fine but illinois government has spent far more time than the $5k we are talking about on this.
- what the what - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:36 pm:
I have a hard time thinking this guy received, completed, and returned the paperwork within the 48 hour period he served. If he never filed paperwork to collect it, why make this a thing?
Me thinks she’s feeling a little irrelevant these days.
- Pizza Man - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:37 pm:
Anywhere and anyway the Comptroller can get ‘free air time’ in the spirit of public service decency’ while small potatoes to the State…she’ll take it!
- Pizza Man - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:38 pm:
It’s a legislative perk since the 1970s…let em’ have it…goodness.
- Not for nothing - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:44 pm:
@Social Distance Watcher - please don’t equivocate for SM. She originally jumped on this particular high horse when Arroyo and Sandoval waited out the month to get their check. Under your excuse above, they were as entitled to the money as she was.
She’s made a habit of demonizing her former colleagues. Great. Good for her. It’s what she thinks makes her stand out, her debacle of a mayoral campaign notwithstanding.
But in this instance, she should either cop to having not practice what she preached, or show us the receipts. It ain’t rocket science.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 12:46 pm:
=== I have a hard time thinking this guy received, completed, and returned the paperwork within the 48 hour period he served.===
It’s inconsequential.
It’s as much a constitutional thing than an HR thing
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 1:01 pm:
===there’s a huge difference between serving in office for years and leaving one office when the term of your new office begins, and serving for just three days.===
I was unaware that the spirit of good governance decreases over time. Perhaps this explains many of Illinois’ structural issues.
In Comptroller Mendoza’s specific case if she didn’t refuse her May 2011 salary she would have been paid for the entire month of May for her position as a state legislator and then paid for at least half of the month of May for her position as City Clerk of Chicago.
To me the difference appears to be not only did taxpayers pay the full salary for two legislators for the 1st District that month, “the taxpayers” also would have paid Comptroller Mendoza twice for part of May 2011.
In my opinion the reason why you think we should make exception for tenured legislators moving to other offices is worse than paying a new legislator for a whole month.
Follow the statute. If the statute is bad, change the statute. That way we don’t have to debate about what constitutes “good governance” and when double dipping is “good governance.”
Comptroller Mendoza is imposing a standard that does not exist and very soon she will be campaigning on pressuring people not to take the pay they were entitled to under statute.
- Sonny - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 1:05 pm:
She should probably take advice from you guys grinding your gears in the Cap Fax comments section and do nothing instead of getting media coverage across the state.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 1:32 pm:
===and do nothing instead of getting media coverage===
lol
Touché!
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 2:01 pm:
===do nothing instead of getting media coverage across the state. ===
Today’s media: Comptroller Mendoza requests new legislators refuse pay.
Media later: Comptroller Mendoza accepted pay as a legislator a time period she didn’t work.
Mendoza Response: Entitled to the pay under statute everyone does it.
Media: But what about good governance?
If not the media, it will be an opponent.
Today’s media message can be tomorrow’s petard.
- BTO2 - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 2:11 pm:
Good thing it’s based on being elected vs amount of work you perform.
- Pius - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 2:16 pm:
Southside Market: Mendoza cannot actually physically introduce legislation in the GA because she is not a member. She probably has a large handful of members in mind who will sponsor such legislation.
- Nagidam - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 2:46 pm:
=== To the commenters above, there’s a huge difference between serving in office for years and leaving one office when the term of your new office begins, and serving for just three days.===
A deeper dive could show that Mendoza left and got paid for the month and so did her replacement. Then potentially she got paid for the month at the new job same as the person she replaced. As it relates to Mendoza, research could potentially show she got full pay in the month of May for two government jobs. The google says she was sworn in as Clerk on May 18th. My bet is some enterprising political researcher will be looking at this issue.
- thisjustinagain - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 2:53 pm:
I agree with Rich about Sonny’s comment: Touche, indeed (banned punct.). Mendoza’s situation was vastly different, and it’s a false equivalency to compare her’s with Kodatt’s. Not even close, and paid for out of two different budgets as allowed and required by law. That she called Kodatt and Guerrero-Cuellar out means at least somebody is watching over State monies. Sure she gets Statewide publicity, and she deserves to by making a reasonable request on behalf of a cash-poor State after two botched political appointments made our State a laughingstock yet again.
- Soapbox Derby - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 3:02 pm:
@Nagidam
If Mendoza was retiring I’d have no problem with her skating through her last month on the payroll.
Instead, she got paid for being a State Rep. and Chicago City Clerk at the same time. Most folks would call that “double-dipping”. Not a good look for the person writing checks on behalf of taxpayers.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 3:09 pm:
Wow, the knives are out on Mendoza.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 4:10 pm:
===Wow, the knives are out on Mendoza===
She’s the one that brought the knives to the party and started flinging them at people to get media attention.
She could have privately approached either or both people involved in this and privately made the request and then issued one press release/statement and still used it as a basis to pitch the bill which again, I think is a good bill and should be state law but isn’t yet.
- La Croix lover. - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 4:11 pm:
@tjia- your definition of false equivalency is pretty generous. Mine doesn’t include being guilty of the thing you’re railing about. No one asked her to take this head on. She saw an easy mark, and went for it, and can clean it up by copping to it or donating her salary to charity. What’s the holdup?
- Dave Dahl - Friday, Feb 26, 21 @ 4:44 pm:
Goof v Good …
“I wasn’t very nice to (newsmaker); you see, I quoted them accurately.” - Me, occasionally