Some Kansas Republican employees getting special pay bonuses

By Scott Rothschild
Lawrence Journal World
May 5, 2009

Topeka — Republican leaders who have pushed for cuts in state employee pay have been generous paying their own staffs, according to state payroll records.
For example, Brent Haden, chief of staff to House Speaker Mike O’Neal, received a one-time payment of $20,000 during his first week of employment in January, according to the records. The payment is listed as a pay rate adjustment. Haden makes $90,000 per year.
Last week, House Republican leaders proposed state employee furloughs, but then backed off that and instead pushed for a 5 percent pay cut for all state employees. That was later abandoned under a firestorm of criticism.
But state employees still may face further damage to their wallets as lawmakers work to fix a $328 million deficit. A Senate plan would require that $26 million be cut from state personnel costs.
Peter Freund, chief of staff to House Majority Leader Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, makes $73,000 per year. He has received one-time payments, listed as pay rate adjustments, of $2,600, $7,000 and $2,308 in 2006, 2007 and last December, respectively. In September 2007 he left state employment briefly and his final paycheck was for $16,081, which may include vacation leave, according to state records.
Ryan Gilliland, chief of staff to House Speaker Pro Tem Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, received a one-time pay rate adjustment of $5,000 in December. He makes $48,000 a year.
Wade Hapgood, media and communications director for the House Republican Caucus staff, makes $50,466 per year. He received a one-time pay rate adjustment of $2,548 in December.
The pay information for the highest-ranking House GOP leadership staff was obtained through a Kansas Open Records request by the Lawrence Journal-World.
When asked to respond to the information, Haden said the House GOP leadership would have no comment.

Christopher's Comment....

Do you believe this??? Talk about a two-faced bunch of fools! Just like the Bush administration and their no-bid contracts, the culture of greed and corruption continues right here in Kansas. The conservative are doing everything they can to destroy state government and especially our public education system, but to their friends they dole out big pay checks. Talk about unethical behavior! What a hypocrite.

Let Speaker O'Neal hear from you... his office phone number is: 785-296-2302