From the office of Del. J.B. Jennings:
Delegate J.B. Jennings (R-7th Legislative District) proudly and fully supports the two (2) House Floor Amendments for House Joint Resolution 5 (HJR 5).
On Thursday, February 11, 2010, Delegate William Frank (R-42nd Legislative District) attempted to introduce two (2) amendments to HJR 5; however, both were defeated in a procedural move. The first amendment would have abolished the General Assembly’s defined benefit pension plan and replaced it with a 401K style contribution plan. The second amendment, offered as an alternative to the first amendment, would have reduced the pension plan for elected officials to place them on par with other state workers.
This morning, Delegate Frank requested the House of Delegates to move to recommit HJR 5 to the House Appropriations Committee to consider his amendments. Delegate Jennings voted in favor on Delegate Frank’s motion to recommit. Despite unanimous support by the Republican Minority, the motion failed.
Delegate Jennings stated, “As Maryland’s families are continuing to tighten their belts and their pocketbooks, the legislative leadership simply failed to lead. Putting partisan politics before good and responsible policy, the leaders of Maryland’s Democratic Majority rejected a common-sense approach to good government.”
House Joint Resolution rejects the recommendations of the General Assembly Compensation Commission regarding (1) changes in the salary received by members and presiding officers of the General Assembly; (2) the allowance for in-district travel and reimbursement for out-of-state travel; and (3) benefits available under the Legislative Pension Plan. Instead, the provisions related to compensation for members of the General Assembly and the presiding officers and to reimbursement of expenses related to official out-of-state travel remain as provided in the Resolution of the General Assembly Compensation Commission dated January 6, 2006. Provisions related to the allowance for in-district travel and optional retirement allowances shall be as provided in the Resolution of the General Assembly Compensation Commission dated January 11, 2002.
Do as we say, not as we do…
Funny, no mention of salary reductions; just a change from defined pensions plans to a 401-k ‘style’ plan. Not a good idea!
Salary reductions… they make roughly 43k a year to do TONS of work for us! That is not to mention that they have already taken furlough days. For crying out loud they deserve increases, not the other way around. In addition, 401k/403b plans are mighty fickle, not to mention that mandating these types of plans (as so many TEA partiers want to do to social security) is the very definition of giving government money straight to the bankers on Wall-street that have caused the financial mess we are in! Traditional pensions have many HUGE advantages for workers, and we should be trying to maintain such institutions that so many fought so hard for so long to achieve in the first place!
PD now you are supporting the pay of the state assembley? Couple points, they run for office knowing the pay is crap, but believe me they still all run because the perks and side money and deals from outside interests makes it all worth while. Not sure that any furlough days came out of the pay for our elected officials, they are not state workers, they are elected officials. Defined pension plans have forced numerous large companies to buckle under the debt load that these plans create. Just look at the city of Aberdeen struggling to fully fund its pension plan.
Hotel Tax…
Del. Jennings does not tell voters that the motions were for future Delegates and would not impact his own pension benefit.