SmallGovTimes.com

By: Lyn Nofziger | Published on 06/20/03    

Federal judges are different from members of congress in one significant way: They can?t vote themselves raises. Or they would.

But one thing they can do is get the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, William Rehnquist, to lobby congress for raises on his and their behalf. And that?s what he?s done, saying that increasing judges? salaries is ?the most pressing issue facing the federal judiciary today.? Well, hardly.

Regardless, the good chief justice is not talking about any little dinky five or six percent raise. Not our Bill. What he wants is a whopping a 16.5 percent raise for him and all his fellow black-robed bench sitters.

I confess, I know the chief justice, knew him when he was an assistant attorney general in Dick Nixon?s justice department. Nice fellow, good conservative, fine justice, but in this instance dead wrong. Worse, it looks--true or not-- as if what he?s really trying to do is feather further his own already well-feathered nest.

Because the fact is, federal judges already have good salaries. There is no need for them to live in luxury?s lap at the expense of the taxpayers As a matter of fact, one would think (if one didn?t already know better) that, understanding--if they do--that what they really are is servants of the people who have been honored with their high falutin appointments, that they would embarrassed to run around with their hands out. Not so, I guess.

Lest your inclination is to support the raises they want on the mistaken assumption that better pay gives you better judges, perhaps you should take a look at their current annual salaries and compare them to what you earn. Justice Rehnquist is paid $198, 600. Not bad, although he'd like us to dig further into our pockets and up that to $231,400. Who can blame him? We?d all like that kind of a raise.

Here?s what the rest of the black-robed federal bench warmers get from you and me: Associate justices--$190,100; circuit judges-- $164,000; district court judges--$154,700.

The good judges and justices--all of them--should be reminded that the purpose of public service is not to get rich. Further, that judges are not forced to serve and they can quit any time they wish.

Fortunately, an outfit called the National Taxpayers Union has put together a coalition, ranging from Free Congress head Paul Weyrich on the right to Ralph Nader on the left, that is calling on congress to oppose the proposed raises.

The coalition points out that district court judges? salary increases over the years are running $22,000 ahead of inflation in current dollars. Further, circuit court judges already make twice what the average attorney earns. Which ought to be good enough.

After all, as the coalition concludes, ?Federal judges are supposed to demonstrate moral as well as legal authority? (this is to laugh) and ?should set an example of prudent self-restraint at a time of growing sacrifices by the working families who pay their salaries.?

Now who, besides a greedy judge, could argue with that?

Original URL:
http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/03jun20.judge.raises/index.html