Judicial Compensation in New York: A National Perspective, Report

14 JUDICIAL COMPENSATION IN NEW YORK: A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
“We can tell you a number of things about the effect the salary freeze
has had on us as a family. We’ve both recently taken out pension loans
for the purpose of paying down debt. Since expenses have risen so high
and our salary has not, credit debt alone has become crushing. We are
still paying off several college loans for our older children, and our
youngest will be going to college in a few years — how do we do it
when our other debt is mounting due to the cost of living? We do not
attend many Bar Association functions we are invited to due to the
expense. We have five children, four of whom are grown-up, but three of
whom still require financial support from us one way or another.
The raise, therefore, is absolutely imperative for us. We may have to sell
our house soon if we don’t get a raise.”
•••
“The most galling thing about all of this is that I could end these
[financial] problems by simply resigning my judgeship and re-entering
the private sector. Barring some change in our compensation, I intend to
do this next year.... I doubt very much whether many attorneys
with the same or superior qualifications to mine will be available to
take my place.”
•••
“I bring home less today than I did eight years ago due to the increased
amount taken out for FICA and insurance premiums. In the past three
years, we, [my family] have had many positive events, college and law
school graduations, and now two upcoming weddings. Although all of
these are good things, they come with expenses that parents have to incur.
How does a judge plan a wedding on Long Island knowing that his
salary has been eroded by inflation to the tune of 25%? He borrows.
Thousands of dollars. He hopes that the promised raise from 2004,
2005, 2006 and this year, together with the retro pay, will somehow
become a reality so that he can start to pay off these bills.”
•••
“The biggest impact for me has been my inability to continue
contributing to deferred compensation. The normal increases in property
taxes, utilities, maintenance fees etc. made it impossible to do so.”
•••