Oregon's Jim Crow

So you thought that died out in the South a long time ago, nope, it's alive and well in Oregon. It's called Legislative Compensation. So you didn't know that there is an Economic Qualification to serve in the Oregon Legislature? How many Oregonians do you know that can afford to quit working and go to Salem for $1400 per month? Retired or wealthy or both. That would work out to be a rather unrepresentative group of people.

The folks who are there frequently have to hire family members as staff to supplement that meager stipend, nepotism is the result. Nepotism is the practice of hiring of family or friends regardless of whether or not they are qualified. This isn't to say that all family staffs are inept, but the inevitable consequence of forcing this on legislators is that some will be. Considering that I have to live with the laws and policies passed by these legislators I'd really prefer that their hiring was done on the basis of qualifications rather than on economic need.

The idea that we're going to get good representation for $16,000 per year average salary is ludicrous, it turns representing Oregonians into a hobby, the kind of hobby that attracts people like Karen Minnis. Sure we have some really able and dedicated legislators, from both Parties, but it doesn't take many hobbiests who get seniority to get to where we're at now. Most people who work for a living discover that working together is required, has anybody noticed a lack of that in the Oregon House? Not being the Majority Party would, in any case, limit the Democrats legislative clout, but a situation where a member can exercise dictatorial powers to ride her hobby horse, whatever the consequences to Oregonians, can only arise when sufficient nitwits can afford such a hobby as opposed to a serious job.

So what can DPO do about this? I'd say that for the legislators to make a real push for compensation that allows the general public to afford serving would be political poison. My idea is that DPO could sponsor an Initiative addressing this issue. A properly framed argument could succeed, which would benefit Oregonians in general and the consequences for DPO might be significant. Any initiative that shows electoral promise generates media attention and successful ones create a perception of power. see Bill Sizemore. It is the case that the DPO has more members and more capital than Bill, with sufficient interest by DPO members it would be unnecessary to pay signature gatherers, which could be noted, and there are other Oregon organizations whose capital might be attracted to such a venture. Another consideration is that realistic compensation would make it much easier for DPO to solicit candidates who share DPO's vision to run. The pool of potential candidates is so restricted that a Party that is not run for the benefit of the wealthy has a problem getting strong candidates and it takes a strong candidate.

Annual sessions would be a good adjunct to such a project if it could be addressed in the same initiative. I've previously proposed that a salary number could be attached to a standard like US Dept of Health and Human Services' calculation of Oregon Median Income Family of Four, about $64000 per year and pro-rated for length of sessions. That's my proposal and argument in its favor, I don't have the legal resources to research it and I don't know what the level of DPO interest is. So, pile on DPO, let's discuss it and see where it leads us. The comment key is available.