Generous Fourth Floor Pay Hikes Handed Out

While NM State Employees Struggle to Get By on Peanuts

 The Candle and Joe Monahan each write this morning about huge pay raises doled out to the Governor's personal staff members on the Fourth Floor--this at a moment when discussions are under way to cut back on the 4% pay raise promised by the Governor to state employees, many of whom earn less than $15.00 per hour.  According to the Candle one of the Governor's "policy advisors," Diego Arencon, has received $45,000 in pay raises--more than most teachers earn in a year.  Ironically, Arencon had been head of the Albuquerque Firefighters Union, and was tasked by the Governor to serve as a liaison with the labor community.  Talk about a credibility gap, Diego:  can you document for us just how effective you were for the laboring classes while picking up an extra $4000 per month for yourself?  That's a challenge:  if you have the goods, Diego, put pen on paper.