It started because we wanted to find out which state employees were making six-figure salaries and how many of them there are. We got the list, and nearly 5,000 are on it. Big number.
But then the public official who provided the list drew fire from a legislator with apparently way too much time on his hands. Sen.James “Ed” DeGrange asked for an ethical investigation of State Comptroller Peter Franchot?s decision to release the list.
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Which brings you and the rest of us to the obvious question: What exactly is Sen. DeGrange doing in government?
He obviously doesn?t get it.
That means he should get out ? now. If he does not, we should throw him out next time we get a chance in an election.
Why? Because he doesn?t understand that we who pay the taxes own the place where he works, and pay for the heat and water and health insurance and so on. And we have a right to all public records attendant to all the doings attached to being governed.
DeGrange should know this. We don?t work for him; he works for the taxpayers.
In calling for a State Ethics Commission probe of Comptroller Franchot for obeying Maryland?s Public Information Act in releasing the list of the highly paid bureaucrats, DeGrange is saying we don?t have a right to know how much we?re paying them. Hmm.
Franchot released open public records about 4,678 state salaries above $100,000 in response to a lawful public information request.
The Anne Arundel County Democrat is budget subcommittee chairman. He and Franchot are in some kind of catfight about the comptroller?s three deputies making $151,000 a year each.
Later, Sen. DeGrange said he didn?t realize Franchot was responding to a legally protected public document request.
Whatever.
But, none of that has anything to do with the law. The law says no one needs a reason to get public records. The state doesn?t even get to ask who you are, much less why you want records.
We the People are the ones forced to pay these six-figure salaries. We have an absolute right to know who our employees are and how much we pay them.
Anybody working for the state who disagrees with thatcan step aside and let a worthy citizen (who gets it) take the job.
