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According to the comparative salary table for the heads of U.S. states published for 2015 following a survey by the Council for State Governments, at $195,000 a year, Clark would rank first for salary among all the state governors in the U.S.

B.C.’s premier earns $45,000 U.S. a year more than did the governor of Texas, population 27.6 million, state GDP $1.4 trillion, second-largest economy in the U.S., and about the size of Canada’s.

Clarks’ pay exceeds that of the California state governor. He earned $173,987 a year for presiding over a population of 39 million, state GDP $1.9 trillion, biggest economy in the U.S. — about the same size as France or Britain.

The governor of New York, third-largest economy in the U.S. at $1.4 trillion, took home $16,000 a year less than B.C.’s premier.

By the way, New York just raised its minimum wage to $15 U.S.-an-hour, or about $18.78-an-hour Canadian, something our government thinks is just way too rich. B.C.’s minimum goes up by 40 cents an hour this September to $10.85, brags our premier, who earns about $31 more in one hour than the recipients of her largesse earn in a whole day.

Just sayin’.

Clark also earns more than the governor of Florida, $130,273-a-year, who runs the fourth-largest state economy in the U.S.

What about our closest neighbours?

The governor of Washington earned $166,891 in 2015, about $28,000 less than Clark, although at $446-billion-a-year in GDP that state’s economy is about twice the size of B.C.’s. The governor of Oregon earned $98,600 to run an economy just about the same size as B.C.’s. The governor of Alaska earned $145,000.

So there it is, British Columbians pay their premier, whether through the legislature or by donating to the party that tops up her income, a salary equivalent to that earned by the leaders of the world’s largest economies.

Well, you know the saying about democracies — you choose the government you deserve and you deserve the government you choose. It’s your clown show. Have fun.

shume@islandnet.com