STATE PAY COMMISSION LACKS ANY FORM OF ACCOUNTABILITY

As so often happens with so-called reforms in politics, a just-proposed increase in salaries for Missouri legislators, judges and the lieutenant governor has some serious problems.

The state's voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1994, by a 57 percent majority, creating a 22-member commission to review the salaries of legislators, elected state officials and judges. The amendment also provides that the commission's recommendations automatically go into effect -- unless both houses of the General Assembly vote to reject the proposed increases.

Unfortunately, this system is fraught with kinks. For example, there may be some justification for increasing judges' salaries, but even Rep. Larry Thomason, a Democrat from Kennett and sponsor of the amendment, thinks it is likely the state Senate and House members will vote against any increase in their own pay. But many members of the General Assembly agree that another recommendation of the pay commission -- raising the daily allowance for travel, housing and meals while the Legislature is in session -- is long overdue.

So what can be done? Very little, it seems. Because of the do-good amendment that caught the fancy of a majority of voters two years ago, the pay plan is an all-or-nothing proposition. Thus, if the General Assembly votes against the proposal, leaving judges without an increase and legislators without more expense money, it will be the fault, in part, of the voters who tend to jump at anything that smacks of reform without thinking through the consequences of their actions.

And some of the blame for this convoluted amendment must be borne by Thomason and like-minded legislators who sought to curry favor with voters by pushing a poorly constructed constitutional amendment.

As several legislators have already said, one of the biggest problems with the pay commission is the fact that it attempts to remove all accountability for pay raises from elected officials -- officials who must explain their actions to constituents. One of the grossest shortcomings of the pay commission is that its 22 members aren't accountable to anyone.