If state lawmakers really believe that they and the governor deserve pay raises we want to hear their explanations.

Under state law, raises recommended by the state Compensation Review Board take effect unless both the Senate and House reject them. We want to see an on-the-record vote in both chambers.

We want to hear them explain how the state can afford such raises its current financial condition.

We want to hear them explain how they are entitled to raises above what most of their constituents have received recently - 11.7 percent for lawmakers, 12.8 percent for the governor and other constitutional officers.

We want to hear them explain how they have earned raises by not passing a budget on time, not passing a capital plan in years and, in many cases, yielding their decision-making power to party leaders.

If someone in the private sector had this kind of performance record, the question wouldn't be whether they would get a raise; the question would be whether they would keep their job.

But this is the Legislature, not the private sector. And technically these raises aren't based on merit or job performance. Every lawmaker - good, bad or indifferent - gets the same base salary.

And what a base salary it is.

If the Compensation Review Board's recommendations are allowed to take effect, the base salary of state senators and representatives would increase from $65,353 to nearly $73,000.

It was just last year that the base increased from $57,619 to the $65,353.

But that's not all. State legislators also receive $125 for each day they attend a legislative session. And there are additional stipends for those in leadership positions and those serving as committee chairs and minority spokesmen.

In the end, 52 of 59 senators and 100 of 118 representatives get a minimum stipend of nearly $10,000 on top of their base salaries.

Meanwhile, the governor makes $170,917 - which would increase to $192,773; pay for attorney general and secretary of state would go increase from $130,702 to $170,415; and pay for the lieutenant governor, comptroller and treasurer would increase from $130,702 to $147,415.

The National Conference of State Legislature has a state-by-state comparison of salaries and per diem pay for lawmakers, which unfortunately hasn't been updated since March 2007.

Nonetheless, the figures are stunning.

At that time, the base pay for Illinois lawmakers was $57,619 per year and only lawmakers in California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts had higher salaries than those in Illinois. And Ohio paid no per diem expenses.

Taxpayers should demand a specific vote on the raises. And lawmakers shouldn't add other measures to provide political cover - such as last year's bill that included money for some schools, veterans' families, hospitals and a juvenile detention facility.

Don't just count the money. Stand up and be counted.