TALLAHASSEE, Fla,None — As state leaders plan to cut services across the state, WFTV found out they are paying more than ever for their own staff.
STAFF SALARIES: Florida House | Florida Senate
Mike Haridopolos of Merritt Island took down his office doors to symbolize open government in the new Florida Senate. Winter Park's Dean Cannon leads the new Florida House. They rose to power by pledging to cut much more than doors.
"To question the size and scope of government at every level," Cannon said in a speech last November.
"We will spend less," Haridopolos said in a speech given the same day as Cannon's.
But to help them do it they hired 61 assistants, each making more than a $100,000 a year. Salaries in the speaker's office rose one and a half percent.
Cannon's top aide, Matthew Bahl, makes $146,000 a year; that's more than three-and-a-half times the speaker's salary. Haridopolos' top aide, Stephen MacNamara, makes more than $175,000, or more than four times the Senate president's salary.
Former Eustis Sen. Carey Baker is now a Senate consultant making $175 an hour, up to $7,500 a month.
"I don't pretend these are small salaries, they're not. But we're trying to run a $70 billion organization and we need to find the right people for it," Haridopolos said.
Yet, at a time when the new governor is promising cuts and people are struggling to keep the jobs they have, there are more than a few critics who say some of the sky-high salaries at the Capitol don't make sense.
"Those salaries could be going into teachers, could be going into health care workers," said Rich Templin of the AFL-CIO.
"There are some critics who say you shouldn't be handing out so many six-figure salaries. What do you say about that?" WFTV's Eric Rasmussen asked Cannon.
"Well, I say those critics obviously don't know the experience and qualifications of the people who are getting those salaries, because they're worth much more," Cannon said.
Cannon says that also goes for Katie Betta, who has public relations experience, but no previous experience in the Legislature, and now makes $100,000 as Cannon's spokeswoman.
"I think she's one of the best in the business," Cannon said.
Both Cannon and Haridopolos say they've cut spending overall, including a $1.3 million reduction in the Senate President's office alone, and will cut $3 billion more. Critics say that's not the point.
"Really, the model here is to starve the people who really do the work and to pay inflated salaries to people at the top," Damien Filer of Progress Florida said.
WFTV could not reach the House speaker and Senate president's top aides. Their predecessors earned similar salaries, but their bosses have pledged a leaner state government.