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| - President-Elect Barack Obama told us last week, as did the news media that last month we suffered the worst monthly job loss in 34 years, and almost 2 million Americans lost their jobs since December 2007. He also forewarned that it is only going to get worse before it begins to get better. These realities, I’m only too certain, will be explained in great detail in this afternoon’s post-agenda. In response to these troubling revelations, Governor Rendell slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s budget, cancelled pay raise for some 13,000 state employees, and the Democratic and Republican leadership in both the state House and the state Senate chose to return their 2.8% pay raise. The legislature is also currently considering repealing their automatic pay raises. The sponsor of the anti-COLA bill said the following: "Our constituents are losing their jobs and everyone is struggling to pay their bills,"… "Thousands will not see their salaries or wages increased in the coming year, so why should we?" Mr. Chairman, Mr. President, fellow members of Council, I am not asking for such a drastic reduction as state Representative Barbara McIlvane-Smith, The Commonwealth recognizes that as government employees they earn their money on the backs of every tax-paying citizen in this State. The Governor, the leadership of the State Legislature, and many of its’ members, whether they like it or not, recognize they work for and are paid by the people. They get paid an honest wage for an honest days’ work, and that wage comes from the blood, sweat, tears, hopes and fears of the people in the form of their tax dollars. I would imagine that they also recognize they are doing their respective jobs by choice, not by force, not by requirement of some law or statute. They are free to either seek employment elsewhere or augment their income with additional employment if they so choose. In good times, one’s ability to provide for a decent quality of life is unchallenged. However, times like the Great Depression, and severe economic recessions like the one we face right now, threaten the very notion of job security and as a result, the ability to take care of one’s basic needs becomes extremely challenging. All of this comes on the heels of last week’s news that our pension fund, already “distressed”, lost $124 million dollars this year. On Thursday of last week, I submitted an amendment to the 2009 Budget, eliminating cost-of-living adjustments for members of City Council. And if anyone thinks that $12,690 is chump change, I would like to remind you that $12,690 is more than half of the median household of my Council District and almost half of the median household income for the entire City. There are heads of household who make $12,690/yr. and are expected to keep a roof over their heads, provide for themselves and their families health insurance, provide food for themselves and family, get back and forth to work, pay for child care, and oh, did I mention, pay their taxes, so that we can get our paychecks. So I invite you to ask them if $12,690 is chump change. As elected officials, the people whom we govern expect us to provide them with sound public policy, quality City services and public safety while living within our means just like they do. The people who pay our salaries, unlike us, they can’t simply vote to give themselves a pay raise. That is left to the discretion of the people who own the businesses where they work, whether such enterprises are public or private. Employee pay raises, the procurement of supplies and services and employee benefits are governed by the following management philosophy: One never takes out of one’s business more than that business can afford. As the holders of the City’s purse strings, it is clear that the Council can not afford at this time, given present economic conditions and those forecasted for 2009, to give itself a pay raise. Instead, we must be leaders, and secure our City’s financial well-being, one penny at a time. I strongly urge Council to pass my amendment to eliminate City Council’s 2009 pay raise and send the signal that to ensure safe playgrounds and clean and safe neighborhoods, every possible option is on the table. As leaders, we must have the moral authority to make the tough decisions. The only way the public can have confidence that the sacrifices we ask of them are the proper thing and not the political thing is for them to see us sacrifice with them. Mr. Chairman, Mr. President, members of Council, I ask for passage of this amendment.
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