Texas Watchdog is launching today a searchable database of state employees who made $100,000 or more in 2007.

The analysis includes the employees' salaries, bonuses, longevity pay, overtime and other payouts. It does not include employees of the state's higher education systems, whose records are somewhat separate from the rest of the state's.

Why? It's important that state workers' pay records be public information, so that the public can see for themselves how their tax dollars are being spent -- and can have a robust discussion about whether these workers are being paid too much or not enough.

In this time of economic recession, with many Americans losing their jobs and many states tightening their belts, people are likely to want to know how every nickel of their tax dollar is being spent.

Some interesting things we learned:

+ Gov. Rick Perry may be the state's chief executive isn't even close to the top of the list. He is ranked number 999, with his pay of $124,008.72.

+ The number of state workers making in excess of $100,000 comes to more than 1,700 people – about one percent of the 172,000 people who work for the state.

+ Five state workers made it into the six-figure club by racking up overtime pay. In some cases overtime alone added up to tens of thousands of dollars to their base pay.

State employees may be relieved to know that Texas Watchdog does not have their home addresses, home phone numbers, or Social Security numbers. We did not ask for this sensitive information.


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