While Thompson has an opportunity to earn more money once he moves to Washington, his living expenses will increase once he gets there. Not only will Thompson lose the free use of the Executive Residence in Maple Bluff, but his wife, Sue Ann, has said they will buy a Madison-area house because she will not move to Washington. So, as a commuting spouse, Thompson will have to buy or lease a second residence in Washington. Thompson was in Washington and unavailable for comment Wednesday. But Thompson aide Kevin Keane said the governor deserves his state pension, whatever it totals.
Civil servants are in the same position.
There's people in state government drawing bigger pensions than that. Has turned down raises At one point in his 14-year career as governor, Thompson did not accept the pay raise that had been authorized for the job, Keane said. Keane also said Wisconsin's pay for governor is the lowest in the Midwest, and among the lowest nationwide. Thompson has been busy working on the 2001-'03 state budget, and with his transition to secretary of HHS, he has put off making any decisions about when he would start drawing his state pension. Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Jan. 4, 2001.