Judge orders state to give pay hike to judges

AP via SFGate ^ | 6/11/8 | SAMUEL MAULL, Associated Press Writer

[Almondjoy]

That is absoultely retarded... I am even angrier now that I heard that. So you have to be rich to be competent? What’s the treashold for competent? Why don’t you lawyers decide... you’ve made everything else so perfect. I’m surprised you haven’t re-written the bible too to tell us “little people” how we should live.

[jude24]

I am even angrier now that I heard that.

There are decaf blends. Try those. It doesn't help discussions to always be angry and belligerent.

So you have to be rich to be competent?

No - but, simple marketplace theory dictates that you have to compensate people fairly well to receive the best talent.

Consider: NY judges are paid $136k, a number that has been static for about 10 yrs. That's not a horrible salary, but that's what first year associates at firms in NYC get. What do you think it does to the profession when the average attorney arguing the case gets paid more than the judge who decides it?

Also consider: NY is a very high cost of living state. To put some rough numbers on the situation, a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army, if assigned to recruiting duty in NYC (assuming he lives in Brooklyn, not Manhattan), would receive his base pay of $3,000/mo. PLUS the housing allowance of $2572/mo. for a total salary of about $70k. For comparison, that same 1st Lieutenant assigned to Ft. Hood, TX receives a housing allowance of $1000/mo. That should give you a rough indication of the cost of living in New York.

. I’m surprised you haven’t re-written the bible too to tell us “little people” how we should live.

Where do you get the elitism idea? I'm just arguing that a competent judge who knows and applies the law fairly deserves a decent salary commensurate with his education and experience. This is not a new idea; it is one of the oldest American innovations designed to insure that anyone - and not just the independently wealthy - could afford to work in public service.

[Almondjoy]

You miss the point entirely. It is not up to the judge to decide what wage rate he gets paid. If he thought so much that his salary was not high enough he should of quit in protest.

I’m sure if there was a lack of talent in recruiting judges then the State would take action in making sure that courts remain full. Since that isn’t the case then the judge has absoultely no authority in addressing this issue.