Assembly candidate Morinello denounces proposed pay increase for legislators, pledges any raise to charity

Angelo Morinello, candidate for the State Assembly's 145th District, announced today that he will neither support nor accept any pay increase if elected.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's appointed commission is considering raising the salary of legislators by as much as 47 percent next year, as well as the salaries of some state agency commissioners.

"How can we even fathom a pay increase for the State Legislature after the embarrassing and systemic corruption that has been exposed in recent years?" Morinello said. "Public service is about protecting and giving a voice to the people you represent, not using the tax dollars of hard-working families to pad your own pockets. We should be talking about giving a raise to the struggling middle-class and not to the corrupt New York City politicians, who use the Legislature to funnel power and influence downstate, while Western New York is left to fight for scraps. I will not support the proposed 47 percent pay increase, and, upon election to the Assembly, will donate the money to charity if this outrageous policy is enacted."