While the average taxpayer in Pennsylvania is hurting financially, the state�s elected officials enjoy the benefit of an automatic 2.8 percent raise. How disgraceful is that?
Better yet � how disgraceful is it for any official to accept it?
Congratulations to Rep. Michele Brooks of Jamestown for joining with some of the other state government leaders including Gov. Ed Rendell, in agreeing to return their cost-of-living raises to the state treasury.
But what about our other local representatives, Mark Longietti, Farrell, and Dick Stevenson, Grove City? What about Sen. Bob Robbins of Greenville?
Robbins hadn�t returned calls to The Herald as of Thursday. Longietti and Stevenson, when contacted by The Herald, both said they had no immediate plans to return the cost-of-living increase.
It wasn�t too long ago when Robbins was part of the �midnight madness� when the state General Assembly met in the wee hours of the morning to pass huge pay increases. They were later rescinded when a statewide uproar ensued, but the judges were somehow locked in for big raises.
Longietti said he was willing to sacrifice the raise, but he said he wanted to look into the stipends and large staffs that legislative leaders get, where he thinks more savings can be made.
We agree that needs looked into and changed. But he should also be willing to give back the raise during these tough financial times when the state is facing a huge deficit by the end of the fiscal year.
Many people in Mercer County are losing their jobs and companies are instituting hiring freezes. Others who are still employed are being hit with wage freezes or in some instances having their salaries decreased. On top of that, many businesses are requiring bigger contributions to cover the rising costs of health care.
So for elected officials to accept a raise when people are losing their homes, it reflects poorly on their character.
The entire legislature needs to follow Longietti�s idea of finding places to cut expenses and even personnel if need be.
On top of that, state leaders need to repeal the legislation that automatically grants pay increases for cost-of-living every year. There are no guarantees like that in most private sector jobs and there shouldn�t be for our public employees.
But the first matter of business is for every elected official to return his pay raise. If they don�t, they risk the wrath of the voters in the next election. That�s when elected officials who accept the raise could very easily join the expanding ranks of the unemployed.
