Stanley won't take furlough

By Katie Curley Katzman
Staff writer

November 28, 2009 03:48 am

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BOSTON — House leaders are ordering their staff members to take five furlough days as a way to mitigate further budget cuts, and many North Shore lawmakers, though not all, are voluntarily giving up a week's pay as a show of support.

Rep. Mike Costello, D-Newburyport, will take the five furlough days, while Harriett Stanley, D-West Newbury, will not.

Representatives make a base pay of $61,440. Committee chairmen earn an additional $7,500, and leadership positions pay even more.

Stanley, chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, says rather than take the five furlough days, she has decided to divide a week of her pay between her staff, which will make up for two to three of the furlough days they will take unpaid.

"All my staff members are under 30, and some are buying homes etc.," Stanley said. "I sat down and decided I'm going to donate a week's pay to my staff to cover at least two to three days of their furloughs."

Stanley said she may be able to cover the rest of their furlough days through campaign funds.

"I decided not to take the furlough day for the same reason I don't give back the pay raises," Stanley said. "Those raises then go back to other areas of the state. They don't stay at home (in my district). By being taxed on what I make, I know where the money is going, then I can donate the rest to charities in my district."

The furloughs don't apply to the 160 House members because their salaries are set by constitutional amendment. They can only be reduced voluntarily.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Minority Leader Bradley Jones of North Reading say the furloughs for the 540 staffers will save the state $620,000.

They also highlighted other recent cuts, including discontinuing reimbursement of Massachusetts Bar fees and staff business cards, capping franking privileges (mailing without postage) and reducing cleaning costs.

Stanley said her decision to split her pay between her five staff members is a way to let them know she is only as good as her staff members.

Costello, chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said he will take the five elective furlough days in an effort to help close millions of dollars in budget gaps.

"Clearly, we are all concerned about further cuts," Costello said, noting 9C cuts have threatened mental health, disability services and public safety among other areas. "We need to find another $160 million in cuts."

Costello said he received a memorandum from the administration asking all staff to take five furlough days between now and July 1.

"House legislators were asked to take a furlough, though it's not mandated because we are elected officials," Costello said. "I've agreed to take five days in addition to donating last year's pay raise. We are all doing our part."

Costello said he is hoping that in order to come up with the $160 million still needed to close the gap, non-executive agencies, such as the court system, will consider furloughs as well.

"It's needed to avoid further cuts," he said. "The long and short of it is there is a limited amount of resources."

Lawmakers across the North Shore are now feeling the pinch, something many Bay State residents are already grappling with.

"I think it's appropriate for us to share the burden," Rep. John Keenan of Salem said.

"This will be like the third time I've taken a furlough," said Rep. Joyce Spiliotis of Peabody, who used to work in the state court system. "I don't think it's fair to require the staff to take them and not to take one yourself."