美国国家公共电台 NPR Low Pay In State Legislatures Means Some Can't Afford The Job

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: 

Many state legislatures around this country have a serious human resources problem. Salaries for being a state legislator are relatively¹ low. And as Johnny Kauffman of member station WABE reports, not everybody can afford to do the job.

JOHNNY KAUFFMAN, BYLINE²: On top of raising two kids, LaDawn Jones runs a law practice. She's busy, but loved serving in the Georgia legislature. She had to leave, though, after one term because it just didn't pay enough.

LADAWN JONES: I absolutely believe that we need to increase the wage for legislators to keep up with the times.

KAUFFMAN: Lawmakers in Georgia make $17,000 a year. It's considered a part-time job, but it took much more of her time than that. When the legislature was in session³, Jones couldn't work at her law firm and had to hire extra help. That cost her.

JONES: If I really sat down and did the math, I'm certain that the amount that I paid out was equal or more than what I received.

KAUFFMAN: A few big states like Pennsylvania or California have full-time⁴ lawmakers who earn $80,000 or even $100,000 a year. But in most states, legislators are paid like it's part-time. That can keep people from getting into state politics, says Neil Malhotra of Stanford University.

NEIL MALHOTRA: There's very, very few working-class people in legislatures. And this might have something to do with why a lot of legislation⁵ does not seem very friendly towards working-class people.

KAUFFMAN: And it's not just working-class people who are left out, Malhotra says. Anyone with a regular job has a hard time taking several months a year off to work in a state capital. Mike Dudgeon just retired⁶ from the legislature because the requirements of his job at a videogame company were too great.

MIKE DUDGEON: Some people suggested that I sort of do the phone-it-in thing and just keep my seat in the legislature and just do the bare minimum⁷, just go down and vote and kind of do that. But that's - I just can't do that. It's not my personality. I'm going to do anything, I'm going to do it well.

KAUFFMAN: Many lawmakers own businesses or they work in law, medicine or agriculture, professions where they can control their schedules. People with experience in fields like technology or finance⁸ have a harder time serving. Malhotra says when it comes to those issues, lobbyists are the only experts at the statehouse. And that gives them an edge in the legislative⁹ process.

MALHOTRA: You don't really write these bills. The lobbyists kind of write the bills for you.

KAUFFMAN: In Georgia, there's no sign lawmakers will get a raise anytime soon. David Shafer is a leader in the Georgia Senate¹⁰.

DAVID SHAFER: I'm not in favor of increasing legislative pay. I don't know that anyone serves in the General Assembly¹¹ because of the pay, and I don't know that we would attract a better legislator if the pay were higher.

KAUFFMAN: Georgia lawmakers are set to pass a more than $20 billion budget this year and grapple with a failing hospital system. Jones would love to be a part of those debates.

JONES: I could not dare ask my family to continue to make such a big sacrifice without that help.

KAUFFMAN: So instead of focusing on statewide issues from the capital, Jones plans to focus her political energy on her community. For NPR News, I'm Johnny Kauffman in Atlanta.

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1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 session   

n.会议，开庭期，市盘，学期；adj.短期的

参考例句：

• This matter will go over until the next session.这件事将留待下次会议讨论。
• Congress is now in session.国会现在正在开会。

4 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

5 legislation   

n.立法，法律的制定；法规，法律

参考例句：

• They began to draft legislation.他们开始起草法规。
• The liberals band together against the new legislation.自由党员联合一致反对新的立法。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

8 finance   

n.财务管理，财政，金融，财源，资金

参考例句：

• She is an expert in finance.她是一名财政专家。
• A finance house made a bid to buy up the entire company.一家信贷公司出价买下了整个公司。

9 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

10 senate   

n.参议院，上院

参考例句：

• They feel deeply the honour of belonging to the Senate.他们为作为参议院的成员而深感荣幸。
• His unsuccessful senate run was his last hurrah.这次失败的参议员竞选是他最后的尝试。

11 assembly   

n.集会(不可数)；会议(可数)，装配(不可数)

参考例句：

• He took his seat in an unobserved corner of the assembly room.他在会议室一个不为人注意的犄角坐下来。
• It was very quiet in the assembly hall.会场里静悄悄的。