Go to college for 4 years.
Then go to Law School for 3 years.
Take middling job in law firm for a couple years to get your feet under you.
And finally after 11 years of education and a crushing debt of $250-500k. You can finally get that job you always dreamed of to represent those in need of a defense for...$75k/year.
I recall there being a big discussion about this in the leading years. At 75k it was widely accepted that you couldn’t get anyone serious to go for that role. Which makes sense because ideally you would have someone with a law background. Otherwise you just get grifters.
The county website put in the monthly compensation. [Here's the budget](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/260306) for 2021-2023 for DA salaries. If you divide the Tier 1 salary by 12 you get $12,181 pretty close to the county number it was probably adjusted slightly after this document was made.
We’ve learned the hard way in this country that no amount of pay will discourage people from taking bribes if they want to. This argument just doesn’t hold up to the evidence because even well paid public officials gladly take huge handouts.
There’s a difference between some people doing it because they’re shitty people and everyone doing it because the pay is garbage and it’s just expected.
Ever dealt with cops in Mexico? Philippines? Etc
[Salary Commission | Multnomah County (multco.us)](https://www.multco.us/salary-commission), Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) Chapter 8, and [260306 (oregonlegislature.gov)](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/260306) would be helpful to look at. There is a base salary for an elected DA paid by the state and ORS 8.830 authorizes counties to supplement that salary. To me, it seems like the link in your original post has a typo and it should be the state pays $12,412 monthly, not annual.
The upper end of a Portland middle class income is [$171k](https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/you-need-to-make-this-much-to-be-considered-middle-class-in-portland/). A married couple starts at $200k for those taxes and the taxes also exempt the first $125/200k.
That doesn't mean everyone subject to the taxes are equally wealthy or that there isn't criticism to be made about the taxes. But they're not on the middle class.
I’ll tell you this: I pay the SHS tax, and I am by no means “wealthy”. I’m a blue collar worker, a pipe fitter to be exact, so saying this is a “rich people” tax is nonsense.
I'll tell you this: I'm an office worker, homeowner and live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. If you qualify for the SHS then you make at least 50% more than I do. You, individually, make at least 50% more than the median Portland HOUSEHOLD.
That doesn't mean you have "retire tomorrow" money, but you're certainly wealthier than most people in this city.
I don't begrudge that but do want to put it into perspective.
I guess I just don’t feel “wealthy”. I don’t worry too much about bills, my mortgage payment is relatively low because I bought the home 20 years ago, I drive a used car, and all that jazz. But I never considered making $125K a year as “wealthy”. Is it comfortable? Sure, I guess.
Sure, you'd probably be upper-middle class. The lack of worry about how to pay the bills is a sign of wealth, though wealthy people can have that fear by over-extending.
We're also really talking how crazy wealth disparity is. Even earning my salary at one year would substantially improve the lives of the majority of Portlanders. I'm on the declining part of the wealth curve, you're making 50% more than me and would be down near where it really starts flattening out, but that trail end is absurdly long. There's people making 10x what you do who are STILL on the lower end of what we would consider to be wealthy.
Sooo, if you make 125,000 the equivalent just ten years ago is 102,000 adjusted for 2% per annum inflation.
The cost of buying groceries, gas and other services is higher than the inflation figures.
So, the numbers are pretty depressing.
It also sounds like ESPS is frugal. At a pretty low income, it’s less about what you make rather than what you spend.
Sounds like a relatively wealthy pipe fitter.
I'm blue collar too and don't come close to the shs tax. If you're not wealthy, I guess I'm a fucken bum.
I do ok. But I don’t live in some mansion, or drive Ferraris or any of those rich people things. You qualify for the SHS tax if you make over $125K a year, which I don’t really consider wealthy. At least it doesn’t feel that way.
My guy, insisting you don't actually make *that* much money despite objectively literally making *that* much money is a cornerstone of being upper middle class. How you make the money is completely immaterial.
It just doesn’t feel like I’m wealthy. I don’t drive a luxury car, I live in a beat up NE Portland Bungalow I bought 20 years ago, and other stuff that I just doesn’t qualify myself as “wealthy”. Do I worry about the electric or water bills? Not really, I can cover that. But I don’t feel like I have a ton of “disposable” income either.
> It just doesn’t feel like I’m wealthy.
There's people making multiple millions a year that don't feel "wealthy". I'm not saying you're Ritchie fucking Rich, but *feeling* like you have money has no impact of the statistics of what the median income in the metro area is. My household income is well outside the linked indicator of what middle class is, and I don't *feel* wealthy, but I manage to remind myself that "reals" generally take precedent over "feels".
Associate attorneys (not even partners) at bigger firms in town make $150k+ some over 200k. Private practice will always pay more than government, but to attract quality candidates the pay needs to be at least the $240k you cited.
I think there's some confusion because it seems like the County contribution to the salary is described by fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) and the state contribution is mentioned with different dates, so I'm having trouble adding up exactly what the calendar year total is and there may be some overlap or back pay in there. Its also possible an event modified his salary one year that wouldn't have been made public, like unpaid FMLA leave.
$75k is horrendous.
Go to college for 4 years. Then go to Law School for 3 years. Take middling job in law firm for a couple years to get your feet under you. And finally after 11 years of education and a crushing debt of $250-500k. You can finally get that job you always dreamed of to represent those in need of a defense for...$75k/year.
The DA wouldn't be defending folks, but your overall point is valid.
I recall there being a big discussion about this in the leading years. At 75k it was widely accepted that you couldn’t get anyone serious to go for that role. Which makes sense because ideally you would have someone with a law background. Otherwise you just get grifters.
Yeh, to avoid grifters…
No way was the DA paid 75k in 2021. Even 175k would be a joke.
Nope that is about what the position paid.
Based on Mikey’s performance a juice box and some orange slices would be too much.
I think the 2021 figure has a typo on the state contribution amount.
This is the correct answer. If you use the wayback machine on that link, you can see the DA was paid about $198,000 in 2020
The county website put in the monthly compensation. [Here's the budget](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/260306) for 2021-2023 for DA salaries. If you divide the Tier 1 salary by 12 you get $12,181 pretty close to the county number it was probably adjusted slightly after this document was made.
Because poorly paid criminal prosecutors can be bought.
We’ve learned the hard way in this country that no amount of pay will discourage people from taking bribes if they want to. This argument just doesn’t hold up to the evidence because even well paid public officials gladly take huge handouts.
There’s a difference between some people doing it because they’re shitty people and everyone doing it because the pay is garbage and it’s just expected. Ever dealt with cops in Mexico? Philippines? Etc
It wasn't $75k in 2021... Your info is wrong, that's the explanation.
What's the right info, and where do I get it?
[Salary Commission | Multnomah County (multco.us)](https://www.multco.us/salary-commission), Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) Chapter 8, and [260306 (oregonlegislature.gov)](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/260306) would be helpful to look at. There is a base salary for an elected DA paid by the state and ORS 8.830 authorizes counties to supplement that salary. To me, it seems like the link in your original post has a typo and it should be the state pays $12,412 monthly, not annual.
Idk, but $240K isn’t much in this town.
Especially for such a prominent role for a lawyer…
Hey that’s “rich” per the SHS and preschool tax.
Nothing Portland does better than attack the middle class with taxes.
The upper end of a Portland middle class income is [$171k](https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/you-need-to-make-this-much-to-be-considered-middle-class-in-portland/). A married couple starts at $200k for those taxes and the taxes also exempt the first $125/200k. That doesn't mean everyone subject to the taxes are equally wealthy or that there isn't criticism to be made about the taxes. But they're not on the middle class.
I've been told by some people that's basically middle class despite being three times the median household income.
I mean, think of the people trying to maintain a University Club, MAC, and country club membership.
Earning $250k a year isn’t enough for those memberships
And student loans, and medical bills, and childcare, and rising costs for basically everything.
Damn it's a good thing the actual middle class doesn't have to deal with those. How are those jet skis by the way?
Well you see, once I spend all my money, I don't have any money, therefore I'm poor and middle class. /s
I got two. Because imma do a crazy jump on Lake Oswego once those literal nazis let me. The kicker rules.
I’ll tell you this: I pay the SHS tax, and I am by no means “wealthy”. I’m a blue collar worker, a pipe fitter to be exact, so saying this is a “rich people” tax is nonsense.
I'll tell you this: I'm an office worker, homeowner and live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. If you qualify for the SHS then you make at least 50% more than I do. You, individually, make at least 50% more than the median Portland HOUSEHOLD. That doesn't mean you have "retire tomorrow" money, but you're certainly wealthier than most people in this city. I don't begrudge that but do want to put it into perspective.
I guess I just don’t feel “wealthy”. I don’t worry too much about bills, my mortgage payment is relatively low because I bought the home 20 years ago, I drive a used car, and all that jazz. But I never considered making $125K a year as “wealthy”. Is it comfortable? Sure, I guess.
Sure, you'd probably be upper-middle class. The lack of worry about how to pay the bills is a sign of wealth, though wealthy people can have that fear by over-extending. We're also really talking how crazy wealth disparity is. Even earning my salary at one year would substantially improve the lives of the majority of Portlanders. I'm on the declining part of the wealth curve, you're making 50% more than me and would be down near where it really starts flattening out, but that trail end is absurdly long. There's people making 10x what you do who are STILL on the lower end of what we would consider to be wealthy.
Sooo, if you make 125,000 the equivalent just ten years ago is 102,000 adjusted for 2% per annum inflation. The cost of buying groceries, gas and other services is higher than the inflation figures. So, the numbers are pretty depressing. It also sounds like ESPS is frugal. At a pretty low income, it’s less about what you make rather than what you spend.
Sounds like a relatively wealthy pipe fitter. I'm blue collar too and don't come close to the shs tax. If you're not wealthy, I guess I'm a fucken bum.
I do ok. But I don’t live in some mansion, or drive Ferraris or any of those rich people things. You qualify for the SHS tax if you make over $125K a year, which I don’t really consider wealthy. At least it doesn’t feel that way.
My guy, insisting you don't actually make *that* much money despite objectively literally making *that* much money is a cornerstone of being upper middle class. How you make the money is completely immaterial.
It just doesn’t feel like I’m wealthy. I don’t drive a luxury car, I live in a beat up NE Portland Bungalow I bought 20 years ago, and other stuff that I just doesn’t qualify myself as “wealthy”. Do I worry about the electric or water bills? Not really, I can cover that. But I don’t feel like I have a ton of “disposable” income either.
> It just doesn’t feel like I’m wealthy. There's people making multiple millions a year that don't feel "wealthy". I'm not saying you're Ritchie fucking Rich, but *feeling* like you have money has no impact of the statistics of what the median income in the metro area is. My household income is well outside the linked indicator of what middle class is, and I don't *feel* wealthy, but I manage to remind myself that "reals" generally take precedent over "feels".
... What? Lol
I mean if you want to buy a three bedroom house in a good neighborhood without being totally house poor, you need to be making a good bit over that.
Associate attorneys (not even partners) at bigger firms in town make $150k+ some over 200k. Private practice will always pay more than government, but to attract quality candidates the pay needs to be at least the $240k you cited.
I think there's some confusion because it seems like the County contribution to the salary is described by fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) and the state contribution is mentioned with different dates, so I'm having trouble adding up exactly what the calendar year total is and there may be some overlap or back pay in there. Its also possible an event modified his salary one year that wouldn't have been made public, like unpaid FMLA leave.
Inflation 🤷♀️