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Democrats on a Senate budgeting committee criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration Thursday for what they said are excessive salaries being paid to Rauner staffers.
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The criticism came as the Senate Appropriations Committee reviewed Rauner’s budget request for next year, which the administration said would cut spending by 10 percent.
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Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge, singled out the $198,000 salary being paid to Trey Childress, Rauner’s deputy governor. Kotowski said it was substantially more than was previously paid.”That’s an obscene amount of money,” Kotowski said.An Associated Press review of Rauner’s staff salaries found that nine of the top 10 jobs in the administration were paying more under Rauner than under former Gov. Pat Quinn. It found that Childress’ salary was 24 percent higher than the deputy governor under Quinn. It also found that Rauner is paying his chief of staff, Mike Zolnierowicz, 38 percent more than Quinn paid his chief of staff. Zolnierowicz earns $180,000 a year.
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“Everybody received a bump compared to what Gov. Quinn was paying,” added Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park.
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