Big Raises for Capitol Staff

Salaries in the Capitol are creeping up, way up. The Bee reports today that for the first time an employee of the Legislature is making more than $200K a year. He's Danny Eaton, the chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles). Nunez also gave a healthy raise to his communications guru, Steve Maviglio, to $165,000. Downstairs, Schwarzenegger chief of staff Susan Kennedy makes $131,000, but last year Schwarzenegger boosted her salary with $10,000-a-month bonuses from the campaign committee. Overall, the Legislature has more than 200 employees earning salaries exceeding $100,000 annually, the newspaper reported. They aren't the only ones making a good living from public "service." Robert Sillen, the healthcare receiver for California's prisons, makes $500,000 a year.