Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Question of the day

Posted in:

Illinois

* Rep. Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) has proposed creating a new, online searchable database with just about every possible bit of state government information imaginable, including state employee salaries…

“There just aren’t any secrets in government,” Tryon said. “This is our opportunity to be second to none.”

But Joanna Webb-Gauvin, legislative director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, says AFSCME members have concerns about putting that information in a searchable database.

She says there’s no real public policy reason for rank-and-file state government workers to have their salaries disclosed, and doing so raises security and privacy questions. Instead, she says, lawmakers could put up salary ranges for job titles so the information is out there without tying it to specific individuals.

“They feel it’s a violation of their personal privacy,” Webb-Gauvin said. “They’re feeling sort of like their laundry is being aired in a searchable database.”

Other legislations questioned whether employees could benefit from seeing which employee make what, such as in cases of pay discrimination.

* The Question: Do you think state employee salaries should be included in a comprehensive, searchable online government database? Please explain fully. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:39 am

Comments

they already are: http://www.suntimes.com/data/1075021,salarydata.article
they just have not been updated in a while. but city and county have.

Comment by tuesdays are ok Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:47 am
I do not think rank and file workers should have their salaries open to the world. What is the purpose, ultimately? Nosey neighbors/relatives get their jollies? Those who earn above a certain level already are open to scrutiny (not sure if it’s on-line or not) so that includes appointee’s and elected officials. I agree that titles and ranges are game, but not $pecifics for person$.

Comment by You Go Boy Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:48 am
No.

I would support putting a payscale “range” up for position titles, but other than Directors, and higher management there is not a need.

If the state demanded that private companies be required to post this data, there would be quite an uproar.

Not to mention pay discrepency suits. This would only open the state to litigation on claims that someone doing a similar job is getting paid more/less.

I don’t see the net gain for the general public, other than for voyeurs peeking at what their neighbors income is. Totally useless and an invasion of privacy.

Comment by How Ironic Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:48 am
I think the AFSCME representative is right. No reason to have names and salaries for specific employees who aren’t elected, appointed, etc. A salary range for a type of employee would serve the same purpose. Or even “State Employee #1224″ instead, so that you can see the exact salaries without the person’s name.

Comment by carbon deforestation Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:49 am
it really depends on whether this is already public information. if you can get a paper copy of their salaries then sure. but if you are talking about making this information public *and* posting it online, i’d be more circumspect…

Comment by bored now Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:50 am
If it’s available through the FOIA, why shouldn’t it be available without filing a FOIA request?

I also think any Democrats who have ever used the “gender gap” in pay as an issue are complete hypocrites if they act to keep pay of gov’t employees secret.

If you believe there really is a “gender gap” in pay then you should want the pay of all employees public info, so the employees who are being discriminated against can take action.

Of course, the “gender gap” may not be near as large as claimed. I suspect that if every gov’t employee’s salary is published, the records will show that the claim that women make on average $0.71 on the dollar a man makes for the same job is bogus.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:55 am
Yes and I really don’t have an issue with it at all. It’s the people’s money and they should have access on how it is being spent.

In fact, I know that salaries of Congressional staffers are made public quarterly and published for all to see.

Comment by Gob Bluth Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:56 am
I am a state employee (Union) and I originally worked Iowa. All the salaries were public information and they were posted in numerous places (don’t ya love computers :^). At first, there was a little uproar, but it settled down pretty quickly, as they say “it goes with the job.”

Public information is … Public information. If you work for the state, then your salary is public information. If you have a problem with that, then you can either “get over it quickly … or stay mad for a long time.”

Personally, for me, its no big deal.

Comment by Rufus Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:59 am
Rich, perhaps you could ask people to indicate if they are gov’t employees when answering this question?

I suspect the gov’t employees (generally) come down on the side of privacy on this question and the non-gov’t employees (generally) come down on the side of transparency.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:00 pm
Their salaries are paid by my tax dollars so they should be publicly posted.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:01 pm
being a state employee, the only thing that bothers me about it is that they should put years of service next to it, so they could look at my pay and say “boy after 19 years that is all he makes” instead of just seeing a number and thinking it is a good paying job.

Comment by myguess Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:02 pm
I worked on Capitol Hill when Legistorm first published Congressional salary information on the web. It caused a ton of jealousy and ill feelings (though it may have helped junior staffers in their salary negotiations). I understand and appreciate the sunshine arguments — though I really think the public “interest” most served by these lists is sheer voyeurism — but, IMO, the marginal benefit of publishing each state worker’s salary, as opposed to publishing a salary range, is small and simply not worth it.

Comment by 60657 Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:06 pm
I think all public records should be included in a comprehensive searchable online government database. Public bodies in Illinois try to circumvent access to public records they don’t want disclosed by making it more difficult to access them. For example, the Illinois Supreme Court has such a policy that makes a distinction between the paper and electronic Circuit Court Records, explicitly for the purpose of protecting the information from “indiscriminate disclosure.” Other bodies do things such as refusing to mail or fax records–forcing individuals to sometimes travel long distances in order to access public records.

I would really like to see the State create a central searchable online database into which all school districts and units of local government are required to put their ordinances, public notices, meeting agendas and minutes, and other records. It’s inexcusable not to be able to quickly access ordinances, for example, when there is a presumption in law that ignorance of the law is no excuse!

Comment by Squideshi Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:08 pm
As a district office employee of an IL legislator, I would have no qualms about my salary being posted online. Why shouldn’t taxpayers be able to know where their money is going? Besides, it is no secret that each legislator gets a specific allotment for district purposes, which must cover all office rent, staff salaries, mailings/tele-townhalls, and special events like Senior Fairs. The way they choose to divvy up that money is up to them and I see no reason it should be a secret.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:08 pm
I am a state employee, in a non-union position. I do not like the idea that someone could google my name and come up with my salary. What other personal information might be posted along with salary?

I do like the idea of seeing the salary range for a given position.

Comment by mahoney Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:10 pm
Squid! Where’ve you been for the past three months?

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:20 pm
Yea, because there salaries are our tax dollars, and I would like to see what they are getting paid. I can see what our teachers are getting paid so why can’t I see what our state employees are getting.

Comment by Weeders Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:22 pm
This again goes to the general feeling that public employees do not enjoy the same rights as private sector employees. Rank and file government employees are not policy makers they are merely regul;ar folks who happen to want a career in the public sector. When gas prices were sky high and we all were affected by the price were the salaries of all the employees of the oil companies made public? Taxes are payments made for services. They are no different than payments made to a car company for a car. Cars have become exceedingly costly. Do we make all of the specific automakers reveal their salary? No. I doubt that the people who are for specific public employees salaries to be made public would agree to have the same rules applied to them.
I do agree that ELECTED officials should have their compensation made public, and I mean ALL of it. When every elected official has to reveal on one composite and publicly accessible database; every dime they earn, they are given, and specifically where the money comes from, without any redactions allowed for sensitive information reasons, that will be a step in the right direction. But not the non-decision making rank and file. What purpose does this serve? If my neighbor thinks I make too much money what is their recourse? (Being a state employee I know they will never think I make too little.) Are they going to then sit in on negotiations to limit any raises? Are they going to demote me or ask that I be laid off? So other than fodder for the gossipers what purpose would this serve?Budgets for specific Departments are available to the public, salary ranges for job titles are available also. I see this aas an attempt once again by a legislator to shift the focus of where the problems truly lie in state government away from the GA and onto the backs of the rank and file employees, who have trudged on doing wht they are supposed to do in spite of having no leadership from ANY ONE for the last six years at least. For all of those that think this is such a cushy deal, I say, get off your seat, go take the test and come work along side of me for a year or two.

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:24 pm
I am a state employee (union) and could care less if they are posted. However, anon says if its “his taxpayers money”… What if it is not taxpayer money? Example some regulated entities pay into dedicated funds for the agencies regulating them. The salaries and benefits do not come out of the general fund.

Comment by wizard Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:27 pm
And, the salary info can also be found here…

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/sp
ecial/infozone.nsf/story/E111549B6D704B0F
862573C6006FCD3A?OpenDocument

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:31 pm
Rich Miller wrote, “Squid! Where’ve you been for the past three months?”

I’ve been teaching a few classes on an Adjunct basis, and it has been eating up a lot of time.

Comment by Squideshi Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:32 pm
When these lists periodically hit the public (like the Sun-Times piece linked above), I get thoroughly ridiculed by all of my friends for being so stupid as to leave the good private industry job I had for the insultingly meager pay of a (state) public servant.

I would prefer a listing of ranges, just ot spare me the embarassment of people I know knowing how little I make.

Comment by doc Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:38 pm
I have had my salary posted in various govt positions. It sounds awful to those who haven’t had it before but the excitement passes quickly. If we really want good government, it has to start with us. The problems occur when we expect better from others but not ourselves. I’ve got nothing to hide.

Comment by babs Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:38 pm
OF COURSE state employee salaries should be included online!

Personnel and benefits is our largest area of expenditure. No online database claiming to represent progress in government accountability would be complete without it.

There is no expectation of privacy here. The salaries are public records. They are already available on paper via FOIA. If anyone is uncomfortable with that, there’s always the private sector.

We already have way too many exceptions in our open records law. We don’t want to go down the road of an additional raft of exceptions that apply to online disclosure.

Comment by BannedForLife Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:39 pm
For the most part salaries are public - tuesday is correct. So just putting them in a data base that is easier to search is no big deal. Gov. F-Rod saw to it that nearly every employee was unionized anyway. All you need is a copy of the pay scale and jopb title figure out what folks make.

If you want to make a dent in corruption, revise the IG laws. Let them accept annonmyous complaints. Make the results of the investigation public. Heck I filed a complaint with the Gov’s IG and while the investigator was apologetic he told me not to inquire about the results because he couldn’t tell me anyway. Didn’t exactly inspire confidence. I’m probably breaking some rule by saying I even filed the complaint.

Comment by Leave a light on George Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:40 pm
As long as it includes the Legislature (including per diem, and committee assignments) Oh, and what about how much they make on the Side?

Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:41 pm
I am a state employee and don’t really care. We all know what each other make, because, at least for union jobs, we can pull out our contract book and look up title, and years in service and get pretty close. I would think Titles and number of those titles for each agency would be sufficient.

Comment by 618er Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:43 pm
Absolutely. The public is ready for transparency in government and they are the ones (in most cases) footing the bill. Would also show off Rod’s $90,000 per year “interns”. I’m with doc as far as the ridicule factor. I might get a private sector job offer!

Comment by Merit Comp Slave Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:43 pm
stlouistoday.com has updated Il and Mo state employees salaries online-it’s a bit hard to find on their site but they’re there

Comment by red dog Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:45 pm
I’ll second what Myguess said, otherwise we get a lot of Cassandra-type “they’re all useless overpaid sloths” comments. I make about 20 percent less for the same work than if I was doing it in the private sector. Some nabob skimming lists without that popular word “context” would not necessarily equate my salary with my worth. In a time of tight budgets, you’re putting me in someone’s gunsights for no reason.

Supervisory personnel, salary published in the clear, certainly. Rank and file people, by request, or using a non-social security ID number. Got to be careful with database security, there have been problems in the past.

But if you really want to know what I make as a state worker, I have few problems with that. I work for you.

Comment by State worker "L" (A thru K are taken) Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:45 pm
I, too, and a state employee. As mentioned above, salaries have been available for some time. Really, this is no big deal. If there are some concerns then publish the ranges for a position. I have seen no big backlash about this.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:45 pm
This already exists - the Sun Times does it for State employees as well as City of Chicago and Cook County employees.

Comment by SMorgenstern Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:46 pm
Clarification: I should also have revealed that I am a member of AFSCME.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:47 pm
The information is available through FOIA and so should be in a searchable databse. technicaly you could FOIA the info every month and put it in a searchable databse; so why put an artificial barrier to information in place?

The Unions argument about privacy is a bit specious. The largest chunk of payroll is the union rank and file, not directors and appointed positions. State employees actual salaries derve the same level of scrutiny by taxpayers as anyone else recieving state funds. Every penny of State money should be identifiable. Having 3 billions a year disappear in a generic payroll line item is not transparency. We should make it hard to hide state spending, not create shelters. Every private business working with the State is required to disclose and make available how much money they are paid.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:47 pm
Gee, why not make tax returns public so I can make sure my neighbors are paying their fair share? As a “taxpayer,” I should have that right. It has nothing to do with nosiness. Honest.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:49 pm
Tax paying citizens should have access to see the salaries of federal, state and local employees, including school teachers and school administrators.

Comment by sneaker Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:51 pm
I look up people’s salaries all the time, using the site in the first post.

I also check the teacher’s salaries in my school district.

It is all on line. Look yourself up.

Heck, the newspapers used to run my husband’s salary all of the time and he certainly wasn’t a state official.

Comment by Sangamon Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:52 pm
Salaries have been online at bettergov.org for more than two years. We also have many other county and city government agencies. We think it should all be public.

Comment by BGA Dave Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:53 pm
Can someone intelligently answer three questions for me.
1.) Why is it important to know all rank and file specific employee salaries when we can’t get all elected officials to properly disclose every donation no matter how small, and every bit of income they earn and it’s source. Why is it that when any sunlight is shown on public spending it is usually refelcted off of a mirror the GA is holding and onto the public employee?
2.) What exact benefit does knowing a specific employee’s exact salary serve.
3.)Why do we begrudge the money we spend on taxes for services we all use, and blame the servers for making too much; yet we unhesitantly plunk down exorbitant amounts for new cars,the fuel that powers them, bigger houses, the latest electronics, etc. without questioning whether the people that made them for us are being paid too much.

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 12:58 pm
I am in the private sector.

As long as the taxpayers are funding something, I think the information should be public. As a resident of a town where 90+% of the police officers are in the six figure range and teachers routinely earn in that range as well, I would like to put to rest the underpaid public sector yarns.

I would also like to have the database include all the companies who have government contracts, their budgeted compensation as well as cost overruns on a community by community basis. There is a whole industry of consultants who make their livelihood by bidding low and slathering on the overruns.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:00 pm
No, but neither should campaign donations under $1000 be public — it’s an incredible chilling effect and contra the spirit of the secret ballot.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:01 pm
BGA Dave - Didn’t notice BGA budget, contributors list, or employee salary list on your site. Maybe I missed it. Where is it located?

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:09 pm
While I realize the inherent interest in peoples salaries, I have grown weary of the overtrodden “we pay your salaries” line of crap.

I’ve worked in both private, and public sector life. Currently I work in the public sector. None of you who are commenting pay any more of my salary now, then you did when I was a private employee.

Sure, you all pay taxes. And that money does in part go to pay salaries. But in same way that I “pay” the managers salary at Best Buy, or McDonals, or any other business. I would not presume that my .0001% of contribution would allow me to march into the office, and demand a list of payroll for the entire corporation simply because I bought a TV, a cheeseburger, or a set of tires.

If you are a Director, or Apointee, then that is no different than a public corporation that discloses this information for it’s CEO’s and board.

But to need ground level info on your neighbors? For what? To say that you think XXX inspector makes “too much money”. This is simply being nosy just to be nosey.

A scale for classes of employee’s is fine. But to single out people is a waste of time. Everyone’s time.

Comment by How Ironic Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:17 pm
Yes, it’s the taxpayers’ money. We should know how it’s spent. The less secrets in government, the better for the people.

By the way, Missouri already does this (Missouri Accountability Portal), and about 20 other states.

Comment by Cheswick Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:19 pm
@ Cheswick,

If we follow that logic, any private company in the US that gets government money via contracts/grants/payments for any service or good/loans/bailouts/taxbreaks/tax incentives/help should also have to comply.

Then us “gov” workers can decide if your employer is overpaying you.

Comment by How Ironic Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:23 pm
Many of us were trained to regard money as a taboo subject (equal to or more so than sex or religion). In most circumstances it would be considered very bad manners to ask a stranger or a casual acquaintance how much money they make. So I can understand rank and file state workers who are not elected officials, or who are not involved in public policy making, being a bit squeamish about their neighbors, etc. finding out how much they make.

That being said, however, we will have to start thinking differently. If the taxpayers pay your salary then it IS their business and they have a right to know it. I do not hesitate to tell someone how much I make since I know it’s technically public information anyway.

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:28 pm
I’m a former gov’t employee. I’m a Yes.

The general public should be able to easily access information that helps them determine: How is my government spending public dollars? Are taxes being spent efficiently? Are the services that are being provided cost-effective?

That said, I think a published listing of employees by pay grade/pay range would be less distracting than exact $ and would better inform the public of the number and distribution of front-line and administrative staff, non-management, management and executive employees. Published information regarding union, non-union and executive-level benefits for each government agency would also add to the conversation.

Comment by KeepSmiling Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:35 pm
Secret S - as a consumer do you not also pay, say the local grocers salary? Would you walk in there tomorrow and ask him what he makes?
I am a private person and with Ironic I am tired of the taxpayers pay your salary line as though I should be beholden to them. No one has answered my question of how does knowing my specific salary benefit anyone in a meaningful way. So if it does not what is the purpose or the good it does by making it public? I also pay my salary since I also pay taxes. I am in no way in favoer of more taxes simply because I am employed in the public sector. If my pay should be made public then so should everyone elses whether in the public or private sector. May be that would help me decide which car maker puts more of the cost into the actual product than into wages. That would be something I would like to know

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:41 pm
As a state employee, the loss of privacy would bother me. If it comes to pass I’ll deal, but I guess it’s the old fashoned part of me that thinks discussing salaries is improper plus the worries of idenity theft isues.

I think it would be more useful to post each agency’s budget on its web site - in detail. Include everything. GRF funding, what comes from funds, grants (state vs. federal including flow through $), the works. Then show where all of it goes (overhead, grants, contracts, computers, office supplies, travel, etc.). Salaries can be broken down by position type, but working titles should be included too (since who outside state gov really knows what an SPSA or PSA is). Maybe even the number of years of service (in 5 yr. increments) so the public can get an idea of the level of experience they’re paying for. With all of that, I don’t see that names would be necessary.

Comment by Velma D. Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:46 pm
” … a published listing of employees by pay grade/pay range would be less distracting … ”

not useful

accountability means the total of the individual salaries in a dept. foots with the line item in the budget, otherwise money is falling thru the cracks

Comment by BannedForLife Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:50 pm
How about just a listing of employees making above “x” per year - let’s say above the average (or median, thake your pick) salary.

The little guys retain some privacy and teh big fish get the sunshine.

Comment by doc Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:53 pm
I have no problem making certain employment information - hiring date, agency affiliation, title, exempt status, union affiliation - public. Certain personnel information should be off limits - specifically salaries, social security information, etc. The State must maintain some semblance of employee protection when weighing the public interest again employee rights.

If you submit a FOIA request, this information is already readily available.

Full disclosure - I might just be a state employee and I may practice a little bit of law.

Comment by Black Ivy Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 1:59 pm
Banned- The amounts are not going to match exactly anyway because benefits, (which can vary) seasonal workers who probably would not be included, amounts paid to certain volunteers, contractual employees, temporary disability payments which would come from the retirement system and not the agency budget, would not be shown as line item amounts for those specific employees yet they would show up elswhere as payroll costs. Except for the temp disability which might show up next to the specific employee but would not come out of the payroll budget. So you are not going to get an exact accounting of every penny.

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:01 pm
Why is she wanting to create a data base that is already available? Did she research this at all?

And it is kind of funny, the number of people that don’t know that their salary is public record.

Comment by Real Estate Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:06 pm
Pay has already been up for like forever. Search away. Oh, and note to any one thinking that big whopping raise in January made any of us rich, forget it. After taxes and increases in dues, retirement, healthcare premiums ect bring home was like $16 a pay day–not even enough to cover the new $150 prescription deductible I have to pay. And it’s a matter of day/weeks before that big ol’ $16 is gonna go right back out to pay for whatever tax increase the state dreams up. Life of the lowly little public sector peons ain’t all that most people think it is, but what the hey, check us out.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:07 pm
As a state employee, I admit I am not excited about everyone being able to learn how much I do or don’t make. But as a taxpayer, I think it should be public information. Public teacher salaries are out there for everyone to see, so why shouldn’t other public servant salaries be equally available? I think if employee salaries had been easily accessed public information six years ago and everyone could have seen just how much Rod and Emil and all of their newly hired friends and family started earning as NEW state employees versus what long-time career state employees were earning, well, I suspect things might have gone differently at the last election.

Comment by cynically anonymous Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:09 pm
Depends. I am a public employee and salaries are and should be public information. But there have to be some sort of protections for these employees. As a victim of identy theft, I’m very leary about having personal information out there, unprotected, on the web for every unscrupulous Tom, Dick, and Harry or vengeful neighbor to see and use.

Comment by Crafty Girl Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:28 pm
As a former Govt employee whose salary was previously publicly disclosed from day one, I’m just fine with it being posted. Full disclosure.

Irish, you’re logic is flawed. Government is supported by taxes, which are mandatory and enforced by law. Nobody forces me to go to a certain grocer, buy a car, or make any other financial transaction. Big difference.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:31 pm
I’m a state employee, and I say create the database and keep it up-to-date.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:41 pm
Gene “Irish, you’re logic is flawed. Government is supported by taxes, which are mandatory and enforced by law. Nobody forces me to go to a certain grocer, buy a car, or make any other financial transaction. Big difference. ”

Not really much difference. Are not your federal dollars bailing out financial and automakers now? Is not a part of the private sector given tax breaks that would otherwise go into the kitty? I would assume that a company getting a tax break is using part of their savings in the would be tax to pay their employees.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:49 pm
Irish,

Love the attitude. As far as BGA salaries are concerned, we file with the IRS every year and you’re free to pull the info up online from numerous sources. It’s public as it should be. And officers and board members are unpaid. Only our staff is paid, unfortunately far worse than public employees I assure you. They do it because they believe in the mission.

As to why, it’s quite simple. Examining specific public salaries often reveals startling inequities between people with clout and those without. Whether you agree or not, the taxpayers have a right to know this information and BGA will continue to gather, update and publish it. As many have pointed out, this is routine in many other states. It should be routine here. Hopefully it will be soon.

Comment by BGA Dave Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 2:56 pm
I am in favor of this idea.

Adam at forthegoodofillinois.org has been advocating for salary transparency and government accountability. With regard to College of Dupage, I believe, a news article on this topic generated several hundred comments — some favored complete accessibility, some favored salary information for a position, not a person, and some were totally against it. An interesting discussion, much like this one.

Comment by IMBack Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 3:04 pm
I don’t think the salaries should be posted. I do, however, think benefits are more important in the overall scheme. State employees pay very little into their retirement and medical coverage. If I were someone who got angry about state compensation, I would look to benefit spending before actual salary allotments.

One thing people must always keep in mind is that higher-level employee and political hires will always make the money. Any why not? They often times run agencies, put in the long hours and do the little things that keep an office going. So those who scream and holler about upper-level management compensation will never win the battle.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 3:09 pm
Yes. You can request the information now under FOIA and in many cases are part of agency’s budget documents submitted to GA. Taxpayer money funds so it should be available. I’m a former state employee and people looked up my salary. Taxpayers have a right to know the detail.

Comment by Hoping For Rational Thought Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 3:16 pm
wait till the have their own secion on Roser’s website

Comment by frustrated GOP Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 3:24 pm
Princess, interesting point, but I would argue that government shouldn’t be funding these bailout schemes in the first place.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 3:33 pm
My only concern as a state employee is privacy in this situation. It would be another piece of info that could be used by someone for identity theft.
I like the idea of having the amount of years along with the salary, but again, more id theft info.

As previously mentioned, salary ranges for the jobs would be good. Here are some, already available to the public, http://work.illinois.gov/search.asp , use the search tools listed to directly look up a title or you can see all alphabetically.

Comment by Concerned Voter Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 4:07 pm
Yes.
Its the public’s money. I have no choice whether to pay my taxes or not, so I want to see were it goes. I am totally shocked that people are OK with trusting the governement on how it spends its money including salaries. If someone is worth the money there should be no problems releasing this information. But in Illinois there are many people being paid for doing who knows what. And unless the newspaper investigates, us taxpapers don’t have time to take off work and file a FOIA for every pay at the dozens of local and state governement entities.

Sorry I’m such a crazy idealist. Let’s just forgo our democratic republic and go for a statist govt. or maybe something fun like an oligarchy.

Comment by Dudeman Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 4:34 pm
When everyone can find anyone’s salary on the Internet - then everyone should be able to find a public servant’s salary.

If the sauce is good enough for the goose, then it is also good enough for the gander.

Everyone’s salary online!

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 4:41 pm
All employees of all banks getting government bailouts.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 4:58 pm
We better be careful with this idea. If the general public was to get a load of how much the boys in the ” big orange” trucks at IDOT make there may be a lot of folks fainting and banging their heads on the floor. The health care system is allready strained !

Comment by bluedog demo Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 6:01 pm
I wonder if Joanna Webb-Gauvin was worried about the privacy of AFSCME members or her hubby Scott (one of Blags supporters who got given a job at IEMA)

Comment by State Gal Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 6:06 pm
Fascinating. In the interests of full public disclosure this should also include statements of all revenue and expenditures for any individual who is registered to lobby state government officials.

Comment by Central_IL_farm_boy Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 6:31 pm
Are you kidding me? It’s taxpayer money! The taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going and what they are getting for it! Part of how the last administration got away with so much is by completely shutting down the transparency government is should have.

Comment by Anon only because I have to be Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 6:39 pm
Don’t we already have this? It’s called the State Journal-Register. Just kidding.

I think the information should be accessible and should cover all State employees, incluidng all the State employees at the State universities, including the auxiliary enterprises that receive a taxpayer subsidy. (Athletics, Alumni, Foundations, etc.)

The database should ideally show, in addition to name, agency, title, annual salary, the most recent year’s overtime payments as well as years in position and total State service.

When the S-T released their database, old AA was stunned at the amount of overtime that people in DoC, DHS, and other places were apparently earning.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 6:59 pm
As a proud AFSCME worker for almost 20 years, I am not ashamed of the salary I EARN! The salaries are already out there…just ask. http://www.ioc.state.il.us/SalaryRequest/index.cfm
How much information is too much? What’s next? social security, credit report, health status, favorite color? Ease up people!!

Comment by Gallery Walker Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 7:32 pm
I’m a state employee and have no problem having my salary public. Every time I change positions Bernie from the SJR puts in his column anyway. If you want to take the taxpayers money, let em know how much you are taking.

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 8:24 pm
Out of curiosity, I tried looking my agency and my salary up on the Sun-Times site, but didn’t find it.

I tried twice, looking for “all” positions in my office (which isn’t very big) — and got no results for that agency, only a bunch of listings of people in completely different agencies who all made over $150,000 (nobody in our agency makes anywhere near that). Does that site list only people who make six figures, or what?

The St. Louis P-D link doesn’t work. I was going to try the Comptroller site but felt a little funny about filing a FOIA request for MY OWN salary. ($35,000, in case you were wondering. Hey, it’s public information anyway, right?)

Comment by Bookworm Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 8:32 pm
I’m a state employee and I don’t care if it’s online. For a number of reasons. Most people I know are not that computer savvy or that interested. I looked up the salaries for my coworkers and administrators at the Sun-Times. It was fun but the info is 2 years old. And, the last reason, everything is online. My name, DOB, home address and phone number are at zabasearch.com. My work address and phone number can be obtained by googling my name (I post under a nom de plume, my real name is uncommon). You can view photos of where I live via the google map. What privacy? There is none.

Comment by Marianne North Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 8:39 pm
whoa, slow down there Gallery Walker, don’t give them ideas. Next it will be where we shop to spend ‘their money’. Make/model of vehicle? Value of home? And they best not hear one of us stopped at the mall instead of the dollar store.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 8:41 pm
bookworm, try typing in the address above for the St Louis info–or otherwise, go to the paper, place mouse on the red ‘photo’ and then click special info. Off to the right then is where you can go into the Illinois database. Long way to get there, but you’ll get there and can bookmark it.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 9:04 pm
Thanks Princess, I tried it and sure enough, there I was

“I’m trying to find myself… have you seen me lately?”

Comment by Bookworm Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 9:28 pm
Anon at 12:31 tried to add the StL link but you have to copy and paste. I’ll try to post it in shortened form:

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Salary Lookup

Comment by Fed Up State Employee Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 10:00 pm
Sorry, that didn’t work. Just go to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Illinois page.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/illinois-news

Scroll down a bit to the “exclusive on STLtoday.com” section. Click the arrow on the right side to scroll the banner to the right and you will see the graphic “HOW MUCH DO ILLINOIS STATE EMPLOYEES MAKE” — works much better than the S-T database.

Comment by Fed Up State Employee Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 10:04 pm
I have always thought that a state employee should be notified when someone FOIAs their salary, unless the employee was of a certain category, or made more than a certain amount. There is no need for the public to know the salary of all the paper pushers, custodians, prison workers, etc. etc. When I was a state worker I found out that my mother had FOIA’d my salary, because she brought it up when she told me to apply for a “real” job. That is not the purpose of FOIA. By notifying an employee when you FOIA their salary it will stop people from looking up their neighbor, family members, and co-workers, but won’t stop legitimate researchers.

Comment by It's Just Me Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 11:46 pm
Wake Up! This is an attempt to distract our attention - for two reasons. First, salary information, and much more, is available through Dan Hynes’ website
http://www.ioc.state.il.us/SalaryRequest/index.cfm

Second, if the General Assembly is true to form, there will be a bill like HB 4765 last session. The distraction? All these attempts amend the Civil Administrative Code - which only covers agencies under the Governor. Not the Constitutionals, not the Judiciary, not the Legislators, not the State Universities. And there is an excellent constitutional argument that something in the Civil Administrative Code has no authority over those groups mentioned above.

Typical Illinois “reform” - subject the rank and file to it, and exempt the bigwigs. Arthur Andersen was right - ANYONE getting state funds / subsidies should be included. And the place more of that information is located right now? Dan Hynes’ website. Build upon that, don’t recreate an incomplete wheel.

Comment by Wake Up! Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 7:45 am
Perhaps this type of data could be transparent yet respective the individuals privacy. Ultimately salaries are public record anyhow. I would be more interested to see legislation enacted surmounting to a running talley of cost to the taxpayer for meals, travel, entertainment, and all of the other extraneous indulgences that a cost conscientious private citizen would avoid if coming out of their personal funds.

Comment by Camelchop Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 11:25 am
I don’t see a problem with showing the salaries. I am a Township Supervisor and my salary is public. I also retired from a school district where my salary was also public information. This is the price you pay when you are a government employee.

Comment by bjlawyer Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 11:55 am
No, on a indvidual basis. Like the trades yes. A truck driver makes so much,laborer,equiptment operator etc. All elected state employees should have their salary published annually. The jobs should go only to the best quailified applicants. State jobs are compared to private sector considered almost like being on vacation. State Employees have very few deadlines to meet other than snow plowing patching roads sometime.They tie up the highways durning the days costing untold thousands of dollars in wasted time and gasoline.No one wants to buck the union though. There needs to be a lot of changes made. A lot of state run departments should be privatized and soon.Pensions should be reduced to equal SS.Why should the average citizen pay taxes to support someone retiring at say 55 whith a state pension when he only can collect SS at 66 and has never had a benifit package even close to what the state employees get ? And his tax dollars pay for this state employee to retire with 70 tp 80% of this salary. Thats why the auto industry whet belly up and part of the reason the state is 9 Billion in Dept. Last thing is I would like to see the list of how many state employees are reprimanded annually and how many are suspended and let go. I would like to see how many days on average they take off with pay say compared to a non union truck driver take off with out pay.

Comment by paycheck Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 12:57 pm
I don’t think their salaries should be included but I do think that if people in higher tax brackets were held to the SAME standards as we LITTLE folk are, we wouldn’t be in this FINE MESS! It should be a law that if you are a public servant in any way, you should have to be current with your INCOME and PROPERTY TAXES. If people who owe the government lets say more than two years in back taxes their names should be posted somewhere for the public to see so that when election time comes around, we’ll know just how dishonest the candidates really are.

Comment by Morning Star Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 3:01 pm
1. No 2. Of course not. 3. Well, okay, but ONLY the most highly paid of state and city employees–like the governor, mayor, and other top officials. 4. Civil service employees are employees such as secretaries, clerks, admin assts. and so on–maintainance and housekeeping employees who work in state and public buildings including as well–all of these employees do not have enough power, but they do have excellent unions to provide justice and respect for civil service workers and workers in other supportive and/or contingent jobs. The point is that only the upper-crust of civil service and related salary positions can be justifiably made public. I do want to know where my taxes are going and what is being done with them and to have a say in how I think such spending is productive and/or counterproductive for our great state.

Comment by CIVIL Service Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 3:44 pm
I believe Elected officers and appointed administrative people should have salaries and benefits available to public,but not ‘’rank and file'’ employees..what possible reason could there be to publish hourly personnel salary?
This idea of a searchable online database has merit,but you proponents forget the most obvoious factor…it would be a government assembled contrivance which would cost a bundle and WE AIN’T GOT NO MONEY,HONEY !!!!!

Comment by Joey Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 6:58 pm
If our tax dollars pay for it, whether it be a job or item, it should be made easily assessable for viewing.

Especially politicians salaries.

Comment by laurie777 Wednesday, Feb 25, 09 @ 11:57 pm
I think if your working for the state,city or county gov’t you should have your salaries posted as many of these people are elected by and work for the people of our great state of IL. We should know who these people are and what they do/make.

if only everyone else in national gov’t would adopt this.

mz

Comment by Marty Z Thursday, Feb 26, 09 @ 8:28 am
If taxpayers have a right to this info, what about those who don’t pay taxes or cheat on their taxes? How do we block them?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Feb 26, 09 @ 1:11 pm
First, it’s about time the citizens of Illinois start to understand what we are paying our civil servants (and their unions). Along with their position salaries, they ought to post the actual salary for each and every governmental position - sans personal info. We can then begin to understand what the work rule restrictions and over time pay requirements are costing us. Coupled this with their lucrative retirement benefits and we can get a true measure how these jobs stack up against comparable private sector jobs.

Secondly, and more importantly, the patronage of every state/local employee should be listed on the web site. Who they know and who they are related to. I know of numerous, qualified individuals that have tried to get various state/local government jobs that have ended up going to someone with a “connection”.

Comment by Mr. Tax Burden Thursday, Feb 26, 09 @ 2:35 pm