Jackson Jambalaya

Just with a quick skim read it appears that the Mental Health agencies lead the pack by far. Yet we are hearing about the reduction in services?

Go look at MDA.

These people are making some serious money. Wow. What a joke. Larry Brown makes $140k while Delbert Hoseman makes $90K? No wonder Larry is all up in the casino. Got money to burn!

I'd be interested in knowing:

1) What percentage of each agency's management the $75K-ers represent, and a ratio of thse people to agency size. 10 people making that kind of money in an agency of 500 is one thing -- 10 making it in an agency of 100 is another.

2) What positions require professional certification of some sort, as opposed to that all encompassing "relevant experience." I don't think anyone begrudges the MDs making a decent salary, look at what they had to do to get there (I actually kind of wish they made more - not sure I want public health in the hands of the people who are "forced to settle). But some of these job just seem to require "relevant experience" or to be rewards for years in the state government trenches. People shouldn't be making $75K+ just because they outlasted others.

3) Which, IF ANY, of these positions are protected. None should be.

4) What "perks" might be available to these people, mainly agency heads -- is the state paying association dues? What kind of travel is the state paying for? Does these figures include vehicles, housing, stipends, etc.?

There's a TON of fascinating analysis to do with this stuff, if anyone has the time.

Gotta love it all coming out at the start of the session, too.

91 plus attorneys on staffs @ $75k = $6.825MM of the salaries. Sure there are more without the title "attorney". That was just a search for the term.

40 plus nurses on staffs @$75k = $3MM worth of salaries.

The Director of the Library Commission makes $18,000 a year more than the Secretary of State? WTF?

A TON of people make more than most of the statewide elected officials. Hosemann, S. Pickering, T. Reeves, L. Spell, M. Chaney are all at $90,000. Chaney actually has an employee -- someone who reports directly to him -- making $9000 a year more than him. The AG and the SC Justices are all around $108K (except the chief justice) and Transportation and Public Service Commissioners are all at $78K.

The SW elected official salaries are set by statute -- no raise can go through without a TON of attention paid, and very few elected officials are going to publicly push hard for a higher salary.

Everything else is set by the Personnel Board or by an agency's administrative Board. Those salary increases can be made VERY quietly.

"The Director of the Library Commission makes $18,000 a year more than the Secretary of State? WTF?"

Librarians actually have to know something. Politicians just have to know someone.

I would like to see Butch Brown gone as much as anyone but I don't know that $140K for overseeing a $1B budget is over paid.

Or I'll just say this, there are some folks making a lot more money per dollar of responsibility than Butch.

Also worth noting... this is just SPB agencies and SPB is only over approx 1/3 of all State employees. I did notice some Education salaries, but for the most part you are seeing >$75K for about 1/3 of State employees.

Librarians actually have to know something. Politicians just have to know someone.

Good one.....

Roger Wickers daughter making 77k right out of college..

No wonder MPB needs money..

Malcom White makes $85,000 as Exec. Director of the Arts Commission???

I thought she was older than right out of college. I believe she is in her 30s. I think that is his oldest daughter.

There is someone on the MDA list KF who dodged prosecution in the Worldcom accounting scandal. HE knows who HE is. Maybe HE should ask Barbour for a preemptive pardon since HE is a Barbour administration appointee.

The sad thing is, the employees in these agencies that do the real work, are vastly underpaid.

dhnichols, you speak truth.

But be careful where you speak it -- one of the most popular pastimes in Mississippi is to slam state employees as being lazy, stupid, corrupt, and generally wastes of genetic material. Those who speak in defense of them often then get labeled as stinkin' liberals.

I find it interesting that the Governor's staff isn't included in this list. Someone told me that the State Personnel Board does not have authority over those salaries. I would be curious to see how those salaries (of essentially political appointees) compare to the upper level salaries in state agencies.

I was employed by the State 20 years ago. The thing most people don't understand is that when state employees get a 5% pay raise, it doesn't mean every employee gets a 5% pay raise. The department gets "X" amount of dollars. In other words, 5% for each employee might equal $200,000 for that department. The director takes what he wants, the asst director takes what he wants, etc. By the time it trickles down to the lower earning employees...well, they just have to take whatever the directors decide they want to give them. That's why all of the department heads make all the money.

Sounds fair to me. Kinda like the private sector. He who has the gold makes the rule.

11:29. I have no proof of this but I have often heard that the Governor's staff all make MUCH more money than the Governor himself makes. His salary is set by statute -- their's doesn't even fall under SPB.

I'm bothered mostly by the number of employees rather than the salaries.

In most cases , the salaries are low compared to the private sector in their areas of expertise.

But, these agencies appear awfully top heavy especially given our population.

US Census Bureau has a site of all state employees and payrolls.

It's interesting to compare Mississippi with other states.

It looks like it's health and hospital employees where there's the most noticeable difference.