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Connections

Coming Up On Connections: Monday, October 17th

NAMI, Rochester chapter

First hour: Should New York State lawmakers get a pay raise?

Second hour: Mental health advocate Chamique Holdsclaw

Should New York State lawmakers be granted a pay raise? The question is not as simple as it may seem. State lawmakers have not received a salary increase since 1999, and now an Albany commission is considering a proposal to raise their pay by up to 47%. If the salary increase were approved, the base pay of $79,500 a year for legislators would increase to about $113,000 a year, if the rising consumer price index over the past 17 years is factored in. The idea for the increase has been met with harsh criticism, especially after the wave of corruption charges against dozens of senators and Assembly members. But, government reform groups are in favor of the pay raise, as long as it is accompanied by reforms -- including banning or severely restricting outside income (which factored into the corruption convictions of two former legislative leaders), and eliminating extra stipends for committee chairs and leadership posts. We’ll break down the details with our guests:

  • Assemblyman Mark Johns, Assembly District 135
  • Sam Fedele, former coordinator of Move to Amend-Rochester
  • Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York
  • Blair Horner, legislative director at NYPIRG

Then in our second hour, Chamique Holdsclaw is a six-time WNBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist, but her life now is dedicated to her achievements off the court. Holdsclaw struggled with depression as a child, in part, she says, due to her difficult home life. Her mother was an alcoholic, so she and her younger brother were raised by her grandmother in a housing project in Queens. Holdsclaw took her anger and frustration to the basketball court, where she realized she had a gift. She won three NCAA championships with the University of Tennessee, and was the first draft pick for the WNBA in 1999. Yet, while she dominated on the court, her personal life was unraveling. In 2006, she attempted to take her own life, and in 2012, she was arrested for firing a pistol into a vehicle while her ex-girlfriend was inside. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Holdsclaw now travels the country as a mental health advocate, speaking about ending the stigma of mental illness. She's a guest of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Rochester chapter, but first, she joins us on Connections. Our guests:

  • Chamique Holdsclaw, mental health advocate, WNBA All-Star, and Olympic gold medalist
  • Pat Sine, executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Rochester chapter
  • Kristina Mossgraber, events coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Rochester chapter
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.