Kudos to The Record’s Charlie Stile today for reminding us that the real answer to all these too close to call ethical issues with the state legislature is that members should be treated as full time employees who answer to the public.

Stile raises an excellent point. Assembly members and senators only make $49,000 annually; far bellow the state’s median household income of $61,672.  Simply put they need a pay raise to not seek money elsewhere. It is sheer folly to believe that these men and women can commit the time that they do to serving the public for only $49,000. They have families and bills to pay, just like the rest of us.  It isn’t popular to suggest that elected officials deserve a pay hike, but it is the truth. 

Hey, we all aren’t Jon Corzine or Frank Lautenberg.

The reality is that in order to do their jobs well members of the state legislature have work full-time hours. And as Charlie pointed out, paying them for it is a sure fire way to force them to give up their other “jobs”. 

A jury (or a plea) will decide whether or not former state Senator Joseph Coniglio is convicted on corruption charges, but what is certain right now is that the lure of such cushy part-time jobs are often too difficult for these members to pass up. Stile is right, pay them a full-time salary and ban outside employment the way Congress does.