I can see it now. Slow-motion images of American soldiers being blown to bits by an exploding "Sunni Side Up" pizza delivery van and creole jazz musicians waking up in a soggy cardboard box. Over it, the earnest voice of Bill Pullman, expertly portraying John Roberts, reads the Chief Justice's words, "...if judges' salaries are too low, [we] effectively serve for a term dictated by [our] financial position...." It's the best scene in the first act of "Bring It On 3: the Decline and Fall of the American Empire," and it's totally Oscar-worthy. Except that it'll be made in India.

What I'm talking about, of course, is Roberts' 2005 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary. For the first time in the history of the report it focused exclusively on a single topic -- "We want a raise." Roberts explains that, because of the dire financial straights in which our federal judges find themselves, our judiciary is at risk of losing independence.

In case you're wondering, the pay for federal judges ranges from $165K/year on the low end all the way up to Roberts' $212K/year. And for reference, the two-year (2004, 2005) average median income for households in Washington DC was just under $45K.

When you have the opportunity to make history every day, to insure that justice is done, and to generally make our country a better place, maybe a salary that's quaduple the median should be enough.

Analogcabin @ 8:07 AM
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