Volker adjusts to life in minority
State Senate veteran loses prime space
ALBANY — Since 1975, State Sen. Dale M. Volker had savored being in the political majority.
But the Depew Republican found out Tuesday just how things will change now that the Democrats have taken control of the 62-member chamber.
For starters, the Democrats gave him 24 hours’ notice to vacate his suite of offices on the fourth floor of the Capitol.
“We were told to leave by tomorrow morning,” said Volker, one of only a handful of lawmakers who actually had offices in the historic building instead of across the street in a crowded Rockefeller-era facility that houses most legislators and staffers.
Where’s he moving? “I don’t know,” he said.
Ouch. For lawmakers, offices — their size, location and proximity to legislative leaders — are a badge of honor.
In Volker’s case, his old quarters allowed him to house eight staffers in three offices just a floor above the Senate chamber.
But now the Democrats, who have been living in smaller offices and with smaller staffs and smaller budgets, are in charge, and life is quickly changing for Republicans — and hitting them in the pocketbook, as well.
Volker’s pay is being cut $14,000 because, in the majority, he had received a stipend of $25,000, on top of his base pay of $79,500, as assistant majority leader for conference operations.
A Democrat now fills that post, so Volker will get a far smaller stipend — $11,000 — as the ranking Republican on the Senate Codes Committee.
Volker’s staff, which was packing up his office Tuesday morning, will take a more direct hit. Democrats have not yet said how much money will be available to Republicans for staff salaries, but Monday, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith, a Queens Democrat, said lawmakers will all have at least a base funding for salaries of $350,000, though Democrats are expected to have much greater levels.
For Volker, that means a cut from the $750,000 he had received to staff his Capitol office and two district offices back home. “It will mean I have to get rid of a number of people and I will have to cut salaries,” he said.
If Volker was thinking of complaining, he probably was aware that he had little to gain now that he is in the minority and must rely on the Democrats for everything from where his desk will be located to how much money he gets for mailings and copy paper.
To the victor go the spoils?
“That’s exactly right,” Volker said.
“I knew it was going to cost me money, and it was going to be difficult, and it was going to cost my staff. But what are you going to do? This is a democracy,” he said.
“It’s a huge difference,” Volker said of the one week since the Democrats formally took over the Senate with the slim 32-30 majority they won in last fall’s elections.
Gone are the long lines of lobbyists at Republican fundraisers. GOP news conferences draw fewer reporters. Republicans have no control over when bills will be brought to the floor.
Some will lose drivers paid for by taxpayers.
And the clout they had enjoyed — being able to get extra spending for projects back home or single-handedly killing some bill behind closed doors — suddenly is gone.
“People don’t ask me as much as they used to, and I don’t get as many phone calls, but people still think I’ve got the clout,” Volker said with what sounded like a sigh.
While Republicans grumbled, Tuesday was salary bonus day for the Democrats with the announcement of leadership posts — most of which have few real responsibilities — and the stipends, or “lulus” as they are known, that accompany the lofty sounding titles.
Sen. William T. Stachowski, a Lake View Democrat who lost out on his bid to become Senate Finance Chairman, will get a somewhat fatter paycheck with the Democrats in charge.
Last week, he was given the chairmanship of the Senate Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee, which carries a $12,500 stipend. But Tuesday, he got another title: assistant majority leader for house operations, which pays a $25,000 stipend. And state law, passed by legislators themselves, allows them to take the higher of the two amounts. Stachowski previously received $20,500 as the ranking minority member of the Senate finance panel.
Smith appointed Sen. Antoine M. Thompson, a Buffalo Democrat, as deputy majority leader. That pays an extra $20,500 a year.
Smith himself will receive the biggest payday boost — a lulu of $41,500 annually.
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