Legislative leader posts names and salaries of employees

From Sunshine Review

March 18, 2009

[edit] Legislative leader posts names and salaries of employees

After a challenge from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's "Show Michigan the Money" transparency project, Michigan House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, R - Bellaire, is celebrating Sunshine Week by posting the names and salaries of the 11 public employees who work in his office on his state Website. The total annual payroll for his office is almost $438,000. No politician in state government has yet been so transparent about a public payroll of this size.

Rep. Elsenheimer follows the example established in February by two members of his caucus: Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Kentwood.

"Every taxpayer should be able to quickly discover who is working for them and how much they are paid," noted Ken Braun, director of the Show Michigan the Money Project in a news release. "Rep. Elsenheimer has demonstrated leadership by example and we have a right to expect the same from all the state's political leadership."

The Show Michigan the Money project is now seeking names and salaries from all of Michigan's state government leaders, most particularly Gov. Granholm, the supervisor of the entire state workforce.