Feb 17, 2009 6:15 am US/Eastern
Recession? Paterson Hands Out $250,000 In Raises
17 Top Aides Get Bumps; CBS 2 Has Learned 55 Other State Employees Have Received Raises Since Freeze
Political Pundit: "What Is Governor Thinking?"
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Gov. David Paterson has some answering to do to New Yorkers after it was learned he handed 17 top aides pay raises, despite a hiring freeze and telling New Yorkers to "share some of these cuts."
Chris Hondros/Getty Images
While trying to earn a reputation as a penny pincher, Gov. David Paterson has okayed hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff pay raises.
"The well has run dry," Paterson said back on Nov. 12. "All areas of government are going to have to suffer some of these cuts.
Then back on Feb. 3, Paterson reiterated the dire situation facing the state.
"Every New Yorker is going to be asked to share some of these cuts," Paterson said.
For Paterson, the saying "do what I say not what I do" has new meaning. While preaching fiscal austerity -- and instituting a hiring freeze -- he has managed to find the bucks to give 17 top aides raises totaling more than $250,000.
"What is he thinking? I mean he wants give-backs from all kinds of workers. He's talking about raising taxes. It just doesn't look good," Baruch College's Douglas Muzzio said.
For example, he gave a confidential assistant a $40,000 raise, an assistant secretary a $42,000 raise, his chief of staff an $18,000 raise, and an assistant appointments officer a $17,000 raise.
"Come on. It's money. It's costing the public and, again, even if the amounts aren't huge the symbolism is really, really poor," Muzzio added.
Documents obtained by CBS 2 HD show that 55 other employees from agencies under the governor's control have also received raises since the hiring freeze was implemented in August. This as the governor is demanding that 130,000 state workers give up a 3 percent raise already in their contracts.
"We're in a recession and it may wind up being a depression," said Albert Baronbes of the Upper West Side. "I don't know why he's doing that. It's ridiculous."
"If he's looking for cutbacks from everyone else he should have his staff make cutbacks too," added New Yorker Lydia Hoffman.
"When it comes to tightening the budget, tightening the budget never applies to politicians," said Richard Rosenberg, also of the Upper West Side.
This comes on the heels of disclosures that the governor had the state shell out nearly $20,000 for hotel rooms so he and three aides could attend the Barack Obama presidential inauguration.
A spokesman for the governor said the raises were given to people who received promotions.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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