Forget a “meaningful” life, Madore wonders how one survives on $50k a year

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Clark County Commissioner David Madore has said he doesn’t understand how someone can live a “meaningful” life on $50,000 a year.

Well, now he’s dropped the “meaningful” and says people can’t “make ends meet” on $53,000 a year.

On one of his Facebook pages, Madore mentioned the county charter proposed by freeholders:

Former county HR manager Steve Foster responded …

In response to a question about what five county councilors would make, Madore responded:

Madore went on in that post to discuss more charter changes. Then Jon Perry remarked about Madore’s attitude toward the salary.

(As to the comment about city councilors not working as hard as commissioners, that was a reference to a previous Madore FB post in which he said councilors are part-time policy makers who aren’t empowered to help people in “tangible” ways. We blogged about it here, and included Madore’s own words.)

Last summer, during a discussion of legislative salaries, Madore had this exchange with then-Commissioner Steve Stuart:

Madore: “It must really impact people, I mean, you can’t live off that salary. It pulls them away from whatever, other, income they would be making to go up there.”

Stuart: “Fifty grand is the median income in this county. You get that right?”

Madore: “Well, I’m talking about the House, what are they, like 40-some-thousand?”

Stuart: “By the time you get your per diem and stuff you get about 50 grand a year.”

Madore: “Kinda hard to live off that for Clark County and be in some kind of a meaningful position where you’re contributing to the people around you.”

At the time, Scott Bailey, regional labor economist for the Washington state Employment Security Department, said if you don’t count seasonal workers, the median annual income in the county is $51,502 for men and $40,023 per year for women.