After 90% Pay Cut Still Over Paid?

Yesterday, Monday, the City Council of the tiny blue-collar town, Bell, California, voted to cut their pay 90% and still they are being over-paid?

Four of the five council members were snatching in nearly 100,000 duckets a year for a part-time gig. The pay party came to an end after the LA Times blew the whistle on the city officials with six-figure salaries: The salaries were up until then a closely guarded secret. The then, and now booted, senior town public servants were hauling in the duckets. The chief administrative officer was grabbing 787,637 duckets a year, the assistant city manager, 376,288 duckets a year, the police chief, 457,000. Town citizens demanded, very strongly, using very forceful language, that the council members cut their salaries or boot themselves down the road.

According to the Associated Press, one council member, "Lorenzo Velez, makes about $8,000 a year, in line with the part-time pay for council members of similar-sized cities. He urged his colleagues to reduce their salaries to that level." Under a whole lot of pressure from very concerned citizens council members took Mr. Velez's advice.

My take on this -- If the public doesn't keep a careful watch, elected and unelected officials, in many cases, will come to believe that the public funds belong to them, personally, to spend as they choose, on themselves, if they choose, and on what ever they desire.