Pat Quinn is fourth-highest paid governor in the country

At a time when the state of Illinois has more than $100 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, more than $6 billion in unpaid bills and is coming off of its 13th credit downgrade since 2009, it might shock Illinoisans to hear that Gov. Quinn is one of the highest-paid governors in the country. Gov. Pat Quinn’s salary is $177,412. According...

At a time when the state of Illinois has more than $100 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, more than $6 billion in unpaid bills and is coming off of its 13th credit downgrade since 2009, it might shock Illinoisans to hear that Gov. Quinn is one of the highest-paid governors in the country.

Gov. Pat Quinn’s salary is $177,412.

According to research from the Council of State Governments, or CSG, that puts him behind only New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. Corbett’s salary is the highest in the nation at $187,256, but because he refuses to take cost-of-living adjustments his take-home pay will actually be lower – about $175,000.

The average salary for a U.S. governor is $133,348, according to CSG. Twenty-one governors earn more than that average – but many make less.

CSG reported:

Maine Gov. Paul LePage, with an annual salary of $70,000, earns the lowest salary, followed by Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, who earns $86,890 per year.

… governors in three states – Alabama, Florida and Tennessee – do not accept a paycheck or return their salaries to the state, while Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder returns all but $1 of his salary to the state. Several governors have taken voluntary salary reductions in recent years.

But Illinois hasn’t tightened the governor’s pay, despite the state’s massive fiscal crisis.

Illinois has the worst-funded pensions in the country. And it wasn’t long ago that the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the state with securities fraud; another embarrassment to add to the list, along with Illinois having the worst credit rating in the nation.

Apparently the governor’s pay isn’t set up to reflect his job performance.