What with the massive cuts to both K-12 and higher education in Hickenlooper’s budget, we thought we might throw our two cents at one possible place to save.
Lt. Gov Garcia has been nominated to serve as both Lt. Gov and the head of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). The Lt. Gov position, which voters elected him for, pays $68,000 a year, but Garcia wants to take the higher salary of $145,000 for his position as head of CCHE.
Since the Hickenlooper administration is asking educators across the state to take massive cuts to their budget, including potential pay cuts for teachers, then it should lead by example and have Garcia take the lower $68,000 salary.
We’ve heard that Lt. Gov Garcia is already chairing meetings of the CCHE, while HB 1155, the bill authorizing the higher salary, sits in House Appropriations. Since he’s already apparently heading CCHE at his Lt. Gov. salary, continuing to do so would produce some savings and show some leadership.
Just our two cents.
he’d come out an offer to take the smaller salary. That would be a great move for him: makes him look really self-sacrificing and simultaneously serious about saving the state money.
This is a step in the right direction.
HB 1155 is actually a cost savings to the taxpayers of Colorado. Instead of paying both the Lt. Gov salary of 68k and the DHE salary of 145k taxpayers will only be paying 145k. As the non-partisan Leg Council indicates this saves the state of Colorad $78k+ a year. Get it right CPP.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/cli…
The post says pay him the lesser salary of the two jobs, saving far more than $78k a year. Garcia can just take on additional responsibilities as head of CCHE while Lt. Gov.
You know, kinda like most workers who are lucky to have jobs are doing. When companies lay off workers, the work still has to get done. Do you think the people picking up the slack are getting paid extra?
It’s Garcia’s budget as well and he is telling the teachers who don’t get cut across the state to pick up more students and not get paid more.
As Chris Christie said in his incredible speech yesterday at AEI: people understand we need to cut spending, but they just want to feel like everyone is taking their fair share of the pain.
Maybe Garcia should lead the way by showing some leadership and take his fair share of economic pain. Besides — $68k is way more than the average Colorado teacher makes.
For anyone who hasn’t seen Christie’s speech yesterday, do not miss it.
Check it out here: http://www.aei.org/video/101395
Maybe instead of complaining about the Lt. Gov maybe we should compliment him and the Governor on their cost saving method.
Like we’d ever see leadership and self-sacrifice from the Hick Administration like that.