Friday, January 13, 2012

House hires Policy Director & cuts Pro-Tem's pay. (Video)

The House Management Committee voted unanimously yesterday to hire a House Clerk, Policy Director for the Speaker, and on a temporary basis a former clerk to assist in the transition.

The committee voted to pay Andrew Ketchings an annual salary of $112,500. Speaker Pro-Tem said the salary would be approximately $30,000 less than the salary of his predecessor, Don Richardson. Speaker Philip Gunn said the compensation was based upon his salary at the Department of Banking and Finance. The committee set the Speaker Pro-Tem's salary at $15,000 per year. The previous Pro-Tem, Representative J.P. Compretta was paid $90,000 per year.

The committee also voted to hire former clerk Ed Perry to assist Mr. Ketchings in the transition at a rate of $2,300 per week for a period up to two months. Speaker Gunn said the sixty day period was a maximum and Mr. Perry's duty could be less than the sixty days. The maximum compensation would be nearly $20,000. The Speaker pointed out the savings from the new comp plan for the clerk was for four years. If the projections are accurate, the House would save $110,000 over four years even with Mr. Perry's employment. The

The committee then voted unanimously to hire Nathan Wells as policy director at an annual salary of $110,000. Representative Bennett said it would "take the partisanship out of the clerk's job". Speaker Gunn said the previous clerk had a dual capacity as he would "assign bills" and then "advise the Speaker" and thus was seen as being "tied in to the Speaker." Speaker Gunn said Mr. Ketchings needed to be a clerk for "everybody...He needs to run the clerk's office and that is part of the justification for reducing the clerk's salary." Mr. Wells duties will include advising the Speaker, formulating policy, and acting as a liaison to Representatives. It was also pointed out by several committee members the Lieutenant Governor and Governor both have policy directors. No Democrats spoke against the employment of Mr. Wells. It was also pointed out the House was paying a consultant in past terms to perform these duties at a rate of $60 per hour.

Relevant points in clip: 7:39: Discussion of clerk's salary. 9:00: Discussion of hiring of Mr. Perry. 17:00: Discussion of hiring of policy director. Its a pretty good discussion and will give you a better idea than what has been reported by the media of why Mr. Wells was hired.



Editorial comment: Over at Democrat mouthpiece Cottonmouth blog, Mr. Cottonmouth curiously omits the fact the Democrats voted for this hire and the House was paying a consultant $60 per hour. he also says Speaker Gunn hired Mr. Wells although it was the Republicans AND Democrats who hired him.The House was also paying the Pro-Tem $90,000 a year for the last term as well. Don't see Cottonmouth saying anything about that. Anyone surprised? Such is par for the course over there.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

This flies in the face of the whole "smaller" government more "efficient" government mantra of the republican talking heads. 110K so the speaker can have a yes man to take his clothes to the cleaners. And the justification is "because the lt gov already has a lackey". Shameful waste of taxpayer monies.

Kingfish said...

The key is what were they paying the "consultant". The little secret of state government is to get hired as a consultant. That is where the money is racked up. If the house was already paying for this and this just makes it more formal and sets the pay, then that is one thing.

So lets summarize the changes yesterday.

Reduction of clerk pay: -$30,000
Increase policy director: $110,000
Reduction of ProTem: $75,000.
Addition of extra clerk for up to 8 weeks: $20,000. COULD BE LESS IF HE WORKS LESS THAN 20 weeks.

So the reduction in clerk pay and pro tem pay is close to that of the new Policy Director.

Now if you take out the consultant pay, and yes, I'm about to file a FOIA for that, then you have savings.
Increase in

Anonymous said...

The Eichelmouth is all-in for the endangered white yellerdogs.

Kingfish said...

Its not even good spin. Ladd actually does a better job.

Hookah said...

Why don't the consultants run for office?

Anonymous said...

This is a good move that will make the House more efficient and the clerk's office less political.

Anonymous said...

Why not cut the costs that have been mentioned and then simply NOT hire the lackey for the speaker? Now that would actually be a move to cut costs and make government more efficient. Isn't that what these guys have been promising? Isn't that what they are demanding of other state agencies?

Anonymous said...

I try to read Cottonmouth, but he is just as bad if not worse than the JFP.

bill said...

I wish I knew more about the details of how the Speaker's office really works and how the House operates. Until I understand the nuts and bolts behind these moves it will be hard for me to either criticize them or endorse them. Apparently some of the posters above know all about it. Why not share with the rest of us so we'll understand as well? Bill Billingsley

Anonymous said...

Kingfish, I think Cottonmouth assumed that anyone with a 4th grade education would know that the Management Committee was bipartisan. Maybe he gives us too much credit.

Kingfish said...

Headline said Gunn hires..

Gunn didn't hire anyone. The R's and D's did.

Shadowfax said...

I'm sure everybody here already knows how ignorant I am. To add to that, I have no friggin' idea what or who Cottonmouth is, but, then again I haven't been reading the archives here. What is it and where is he?

On another front, I've hired hundreds of people and am at a loss to understand why (if a clerk or assistant is needed) they simply cannot fund a position at the level of paralegal. People are running all over town with those credentials. They also know how to make coffee, order flowers and pick up laundry.

Next we will hear that Tater has a plane with extra wide seats.

Anonymous said...

You're kidding yourself and misleading your readers if you don't acknowledge that this hire was under the direction of the new Speaker. Yes, the committee voted for it, and I believe did so irresponsibly, but this was most definitely under Gunn's marching orders.

Kingfish said...

Oh really? You mean every one of those Democrats are Republican robots? Democrats like Cottonmouth can't have it both ways, blast the Republicans for hiring the guy while they voted for it too.

Anonymous said...

Ed Perry is a retired representative from the Oxford area. A democrat. Good guy and he was good at what he does. Was the clerk for several years after retiring from the House of Reps.

Anonymous said...

This is outrageous taxpayers footing the bill for some $110K yes man, go-fer to tell Gunn whatever he wants to hear, which is what this so called 30 yr old kid assistant is going to do. It seems like the Republican's spending is just as out of control as the Democrats in MS. Had this been a young black male it would have been a march on the capital for example that staffer of Roger Wicker and he was only getting paid 50K and taxpayers were demanding he gets fired well we are demanding this kid Nathan Wells salary be reduced to something reasonable that fits the nature of the position (assistant).

Anonymous said...

I can tell ^ ^ ^ who motor mouth is, but, who is cottonmouth?

Anonymous said...

I'm with Bill.

I'd like a bit more explanation as to the duties and qualifications that justify $110000.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for reporting this fairly - and for backing it up. I think that most of you should maybe spend a day seeing what this "yes man" does before you assume it's simply dry cleaning and coffee - and check Mr. Wells' credentials before you jump to any conclusions.

You also must keep in mind that the House, as a whole, elected Rep. Gunn as Speaker, proving that they put their support behind him. Even if the hire was spearheaded by Gunn, it was voted on (unanimously I might add) by the committee.


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