State Dems resolve to condemn raises, seek repeal

State Dems resolve to condemn raises, seek repeal

Although not binding, approval illustrates concern about uproar.

By John L. Micek

Call Harrisburg Bureau

September 25, 2005

PITTSBURGH | Pennsylvania Democrats on Saturday approved a resolution condemning this summer's legislative pay raises and called for its repeal.

The state Democratic Party's vote at a downtown hotel here comes amid increasing public disenchantment with the 253-member state Legislature, now the second-best paid in the country, and just two days before what organizers are billing as a massive anti-raise protest in Harrisburg.

Chuck Pascal, the 41-year-old Armstrong County lawyer who led the push for the anti-raise resolution, which is nonbinding, told party members that ''it is important that we do not hide from this issue,'' at a time when many state residents are struggling to make ends meet.

Because they failed to garner a quorum for Saturday's Democratic State Committee session, state party bosses could have batted aside Pascal's resolution. But they said the issue was too important to ignore.

''The vast majority of the party wants to see it addressed,'' said state Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney of Bethlehem.

Last week, party activists in Armstrong County adopted language harshly criticizing not only the raise, but also the so-called ''unvouchered expense'' payments that approximately 132 lawmakers have used to claim their raises months ahead of schedule.

The resolution that state Democrats adopted Saturday was based on that Armstrong County language, but it does not criticize the expense payments. Pascal said such criticism was implicit.

Democratic loyalists who gathered at a downtown hotel here for the party's seasonal conclave said they were frustrated not only by the raises, but also by the pre-dawn vote on July 7 that led to their approval.

''There's been a lot of angst over the raises and the way that it happened,'' said Vaughn Spencer, a Democratic activist from Berks County. ''Right now, the way it was done, this middle-of-the-night stuff, people are tired of that.''

Tom Herman, also from Berks County, said the lawmakers' decision to accept raises was ''an insult to Pennsylvanians.''

The state party's vote came a day after a new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll showed that nearly eight in 10 Pennsylvanians would like to see the raise repealed. Although he's among those targeted by the resolution, Rooney, also a state representative, said he was a fair target. But when asked whether the resolution had prompted him to reconsider his decision to vote for the raise and accept the early money, he said, ''No.''

The 16 to 34 percent raises boosted legislative base pay from $69,647 to $81,050. along with an automatic cost-of-living increase. Most lawmakers will make far more than that, however. Parts of the executive branch and the statewide judiciary also received pay boosts.

Earlier this month, Pennsylvania Republicans were able to defuse a similar family feud over the raise, adopting compromise language that expressed ''great concern'' over the raises.

Nearly four dozen legislators from both parties have signed their names to legislation that would repeal all, or part, of the raises.

Legislative leaders from both parties have so far shown little inclination toward repealing the raises. Gov. Ed Rendell has said he would sign a bill rescinding the voucher payments if it reaches his desk.

john.micek@mcall.com

Source: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5demssep25,0,3022739.story?coll=all-n ews-hed

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