The pay on Planet Pat

I’m still trying to wrap my head around Gov. Pat McCrory’s rationalization in giving his Cabinet raises from $121,807 to $135,000 because he’s “trying to make it at least where they can afford to live while running multibillion-dollar departments” (Jan. 11 news story).

Does it really cost more to live when you’re doing those jobs as opposed to, say, commuting between three part-time jobs or even to be unemployed and beating the pavement to try to get a job at all? In what world does McCrory live that $125,000 is necessary to live?

The Republicans can’t wait to cut unemployment benefits and would never even consider raising the minimum wage from its current $7.25 an hour, which works out to $15,600 per year at 40 hours a week with no vacation! And everyone knows that you would need at least two 40-hour minimum-wage jobs before you could hope to keep any family afloat.

Robert Miller, Raleigh