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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Navajo Lawmakers Earn Above $50,000
By Felicia Fonseca
Associated Press
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — More than half of the Navajo Nation's council delegates doubled their base salaries in 2007 through payments for meeting attendance and sponsoring legislation.
An Associated Press review of the lawmakers' pay shows that 58 out of the 88 delegates made $50,000 or more last year.
Some Navajos say that money could be better spent on the elderly and scholarships, but delegates contend they often dip into their own pockets to help constituents and to pay for travel related to their work.
"When families are in need of financial assistance, they come to us," said Delegate Leonard Chee, who made around $65,000 last year. "We donate money, food, sheep, anything we can. It's expected of someone in a leadership position."
Delegates earn a base salary of $25,000 and receive a per diem to attend meetings, which include regular council sessions, special sessions, agency caucuses and chapter meetings. They also are compensated for sponsoring legislation, but not for every measure.
The council speaker, who is elected by delegates every two years, earns a base salary of $55,000 — equal to that of the tribal president. The tribe's vice president receives an annual salary of $45,000. All three, along with the Navajo Supreme Court chief justice, get tribal housing.
The Navajo Nation is the country's largest Indian reservation with 27,000 square miles spanning parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. About half of the work force is unemployed, but tribal member Leon Long said delegates are "doing real well."
"I don't really think that's fair because a lot of them aren't really producing," said Long, of Rock Springs.
Thirty-nine delegates made between $50,000 and $60,000 last year; 14 made between $60,001 and $70,000; and four made between $70,001 and $80,000. Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan topped the list at $87,411.03. Beside Morgan, the delegates' with the top two salaries were Woody Lee at $76,169.58 and Young Jeff Tom with $77,749.56.
Tom declined to comment about his salary Monday.
Dale Mason, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico's Gallup branch, said he doesn't believe $50,000 is way out of line but is a substantial income for the reservation.
"If I'm a Navajo elder, I could say it's way out of line," he said. "On the other hand, you could say that means they're doing a lot of work for me. I guess it depends on your level of cynicism."
"For being a citizens' legislature, which is what I would consider the Navajo Council, you're getting into some good money there, especially for part-timers," he said.
New Mexico legislators, whose sessions alternate between 30 and 60 days, are not paid a base salary but receive $144 per diem for each day they are in session. Lawmakers in Arizona earn an annual base salary of $24,000 and a daily per diem for the five months they are in session.
The Navajo council meets quarterly for one-week sessions and has 12 standing committees that convene twice a month. Tribal lawmakers are paid anywhere from $60 to $300 for meetings they attend.
Harry Roan of Oak Ridge said he believes the compensation is fair.
"Some of them are like workaholics," he said. "They like to do their jobs."
Susie Nez of Window Rock felt otherwise.
"Oh, gracious lord, have mercy. I don't think that's fair, especially if you think about the elders and school children," the 76-year-old said.
But delegates, some of whom represent three or four chapters, say their work is not done when they leave a council session or other meetings.
"There's no such thing as 5 o'clock, no such thing as holidays," said Katherine Benally, who earned the least of the delegates at just under $40,000. "If they (constituents) see me at home, they come over."
Copyright ©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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