Five Ways Matt Mead’s Staff Should Spend Their New Pay Raises [Commentary]

This spring, thousands of Wyoming coal miners are wondering where their next paycheck will come from. Meanwhile, Governor Matt Mead is making it rain, awarding his staff with 11% in average pay raises over the past two years.

Here's five ways the Governor's cronies should spend their new windfall.

1. Chief of Staff Kari Gray, whose salary has increased from $126,000 to $175,000 since 2014, needs a new car. Sure, that SUV was practical two years ago, but now it's time to upgrade. Treat yourself to a Range Rover or Mercedes.

2. Deputy Chief Tony Young works hard. After receiving an 18% pay raise over the last two years, he can now afford to finally purchase that vacation home he's always dreamed of. Buy that time share in Jackson, Tony. You deserve it.

3. Chip in and get the boss a new "veto" pen. After implementing a statewide hiring freeze last year, Mead vetoed a bill that would have suspended pay raises for his staff. Clearly, the Governor will need a new pen to veto a similar bill next year.

4. Make a generous donation to the University of Wyoming Athletics Department. Sure, times are tough, but it takes money to field a competitive football team. If Mead's 23 staffers each chipped in a small portion of their recent pay raises, Coach Craig Bohl might be able to lure another recruit to Laramie.

5 (Tie). Buy a historic building in downtown Cheyenne and let it sit vacant. What better way to celebrate your good fortune than by giving back to the community? The best part is, after you purchase that abandoned building, you won't need to renovate it. Just let it slowly decay until the structure is finally condemned. Then you can tear it down and turn it into a parking lot.

5 (Tie). Save that money for a rainy day. At the rate they're going, those guys might be out of work in a couple of years.