Politics is all about perception. Leadership is also all about perception. These are tough economic times, and they’re hard for everyone. I’m working a full time 40-hour a week job, and I work 20-plus hours a week at a part time job selling books (I’m still trying to get additional hours).

So, a Facebook friend linked to this article in The Baltimore Sun:

The raises were approved without discussion at a Nov. 26 meeting of the city Board of Estimates. Dixon, Pratt and Rawlings-Blake sit on the five-person panel, and each abstained from voting on her own salary.

In meeting documents, the increases were called “salary adjustments” for pay grades 88E, 87E, 83E and 81E. The paperwork did not provide job titles for those grades or note that they corresponded to elected officials.

Dixon’s salary is rising from $148,000 to $151,700, while Pratt’s and Rawlings-Blake’s go to $100,450 from $98,000. City Council Vice President Edward Reisinger will make $64,575, up from $63,000, and the other 13 members of the council will make $58,425, a raise from $57,000.

Critics blasted the timing of the raises and the fact that elected leaders did not debate the possibility of skipping or postponing previously scheduled 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustments at a time of budget cutbacks triggered by falling tax receipts.

“It is not appropriate when we are in a recession,” said City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who said she was not aware she had received a raise until a reporter called.

“It is inappropriate for us to get a cost-of-living wage increase when other people are losing their jobs and we are freezing hires,” she said.

Bob Sledgeski, the head of the firefighters union, also criticized the action, saying: “Symbolically it sends a really poor message.”

These are, admittedly, not large raises. But the fact that they are getting raises at all — not because of merit, but because of position — and especially given the economic times, has just got to be completely disheartening to all the police, emergency medical personnel, and firefighters and other civil servants in that extremely charming but woefully corrupt city.