In 2009, the state Legislature voted to reduce the salary of members from July 1, 2009, through June 20, 2011, in response to Hawaii’s increased economic uncertainty and a projected $1.1 billion budget shortfall.
In 2012, the Legislature voted again to extend the reductions until June 30, 2013, as our state’s economic forecast remained stalled and unstable.
I appreciated the efforts of those elected officials who voted to extend the salary reductions and demonstrate sensitivity to their constituents’ struggles during the tumultuous fiscal crisis that Hawaii, and the world, found itself in.
This session, the Legislature finds itself in a similar situation. While the state’s economic outlook and tax revenue have improved, we continue to face tough decisions about how to fund critical programs and services, and invest in Hawaii’s future without raising taxes and fees on our local families and businesses. The cost of living in paradise continues to rise, along with the prices for homes, health care, electricity, gasoline and consumer goods. Hawaii is not in dire straits, but it’s not smooth sailing either.
Under a state salary commission recommendation, lawmakers would receive previously scheduled raises in July and January, then 2 percent annual increases from January 2015 to January 2018.
Accepting a pay raise, especially one so large, with no discussion or debate, while many Hawaii residents and businesses are just getting by, is exactly the kind of action that leads people lose faith in their elected officials.
I believe state legislators should take a vote on whether or not to accept the Salary on Commission’s recommendations to raise legislative salaries. Moreover, we should change current laws so that we must take a vote to accept or reject salary recommendations from the commission in the future. While the legislative deadline to introduce new measures has passed this session, we have an opportunity to revisit the process and ensure better public input next session.
Local legislators have rejected salary increases throughout the years; the Honolulu City Council seems poised to do the same this year. In the past, local elected officials have individually chosen to give back, whether it be returning their raise to the general fund or establishing scholarships or other means to give back to their community in some way.
Hawaii-grown leaders like President Barack Obama and Congresswomen Tulsi Gabbard and Colleen Hanabusa have recently pledged to return a portion of their salaries to the federal government or to Hawaii charities. I hope many more elected officials both locally and nationally will follow these examples.
We have an opportunity to lead by example in the state Legislature and hold ourselves accountable to the people we represent. Let’s have an open discussion about these recommendations to increase our salary and take a vote. While many of us work hard to serve our community and our constituents, we shouldn’t forget the hard-working people who pay our salaries.
