Editor,

The old adage "Grease my hand and I will grease your hand" is alive and doing well in the West Virginia Legislature.

With the advent of the latest obscene, illogical, and unfair pay raises for the West Virginia Judicial Branch of Government, the lame reasoning is given by Senator (D) Mike Green who said "I was assured that we would be fiscally sound to justify doing that."

The following W.Va. Judicial pay raises were: Circuit Judges $126,000-($10,000 increase), Family Court Judges $94,000- ($12,000 increase), Magistrates $57,000($7,500 increase), Supreme Court Judists $136,000-($15,000 increase) and the Adjustment General $126,000-($33,000 increase).

The possible scenario for this W.Va. Judicial pay increases would be a great insurance policy for those W.Va. Legislators who would vote for it. If these Legislators (their offspring, kinsfolk, friends, and certain business interests) would happen to appear before the above judicial Officials, they could tell the Judges that they voted for the Judges' pay raises especially if they had done unlawful activities. Possibly, then the W.Va. Legislators would ask for a favorable treatment and judgment from the W.Va. Judges.

After voting for the Judges' pay raises, the W.Va. Legislators could possible become aspiring, future W.Va. Judges with attractive salaries and benefits which would be a win win for them.

Apparently, the poor, the widowed, the fixed income, the elderly, the handicap, and the jobless WV residents will receive nothing. Then the above could sing, "Woe is me for we got the shaft again".

Lee N. Hart

Beckley