Democrats attack Perdue over staff salaries

Posted 7:11PM on Wednesday 22nd January 2003 ( 22 years ago )

ATLANTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue has quietly increased the size and cost of his office while forcing other state agencies to absorb deep budget cuts and proposing tax increase for the general public, legislative Democrats charged Wednesday. The new Republican governor's chief financial officer, Hank Huckaby, is being paid well over $200,000 and Perdue's chief of staff, Eric Tanenblatt, is making a salary that is $20,000 a year more than the amount paid for that job under former Gov. Roy Barnes, they said. ``It's something that ought to be looked at,'' said Rep. Tom Buck, D-Columbus, chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee. ``Everybody's budget ought to be on the table.'' ``Obviously, they're looking to pick a fight about salaries and I don't think there's one there,'' said Erin O'Brien, Perdue's communications director. She said Perdue is paying higher salaries for some jobs than previous administrations but she insisted that the overall cost of the office has been reduced. Democrats raised the issue in a flyer they circulated at the Capitol. ``At a time when Georgians from all across the state are asked to sacrifice and pay more taxes ... salaries for bureaucrats in the office of the governor have risen dramatically and new, lucrative positions have been created,'' the flyer said. According to figures provided by Perdue's office, Huckaby is making $226,000 a year. He is on loan from the University of Georgia and his salary is paid by the university, O'Brien said. His chief of staff, Eric Tanenblatt, makes $120,000, about $20,000 more than Barnes' chief of staff, Bobby Kahn. O'Brien said that and other salaries were based on comparative studies of similar positions in private business and other governments. O'Brien makes $95,000, a little less than the $97,637 salary of Barnes' press secretary, Joselyn Baker. But Perdue has a separate press secretary, Kimberly King, who makes $65,000. Perdue's new inspector general, James Sehorn, makes $105,000, as does Jim Lientz, his new chief operating officer. Both positions are new to government. Democrats charged that the budgets Perdue proposed to the Legislature last week would increase the cost of the office by $7.1 million. O'Brien said most of the money is designed to replenish the governor's emergency fund for money spent or committed by Barnes for natural disasters.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/1/185330