What’s a legislature for, you ask? Why, to unquestioningly do the bidding of the state’s Democratic Governor, of course..
In the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette this morning, reporter Mike Wickline notes that Tim Gauger, chief legal counsel in the office of Gov. Mike Beebe, is on track to receive a sweet $20,000 raise. He’ll go from $95,508 to $119,667, the story says, once the Legislative Council approves the raise today.
Wickline goes on to report that
None of the 20 or so lawmakers at Thursday’s personnel subcommittee meeting asked why Gov. Mike Beebe requested the increase.
Not a single legislator bothered to even ask why this raise was justified? Hmmm. Thought experiment: If Gov. Mike Huckabee had requested such a raise for one of his employees, do you think legislators would have requested an explanation? Of course they would have, and they’d have been justified in so doing.
A Beebe spokesman later explained that Gauger had a competing job offer, and the salary boost is to ensure that the governor’s office retains his services.
Fair enough. I’m willing to accept that Gauger is a fine attorney, a dedicated public servant, a loving family man and makes a mean cup of coffee. But it’s not too much to expect our legislators to do their jobs and provide a little oversight, even in this Restoration Era. Is it?
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