Pay Freezes: A Modest Proposal

From Democracy Rising PA

It is encouraging to see that school professionals and their unions are willing to consider freezing their salaries in response to state and local budget problems. If only our state leaders would do the same.

Gov. Tom Corbett asked others for freezes, but he's paying his staff an average of 11% more than Gov. Rendell paid his staff. The legislature still sits on a surplus of $188.5 million. The judiciary still indulges in expensive perks. And lawmakers, the governor, cabinet officers, and judges get an automatic pay raise every December 1.

Gov. Corbett’s budget did not propose meaningful cuts for any of our aristocracy. So here’s a humble suggestion: Make the freeze for public employees contingent on the legislature repealing the automatic pay raise for the highest-paid people in state government and on the legislature returning all $188.5 million to the Treasury to use for better things than sitting in leaders’ slush funds.

Here’s how KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano reported on the issue: Lawmakers not asked to sacrifice in Corbett’s budget.

If the state’s leaders don’t lead by example, their arrogance, hypocrisy and selfishness will be on full display for next year’s elections.