Pressure is on state lawmakers to reduce spending

"Share The Pain" was the overwhelming theme of Governor Corbett's first budget address to the General Assembly. During his speech Corbett encourage state lawmakers to sort out the "must-haves" from the "nice-to- haves".

While much of the focus has been spent highlighting Corbett's proposed 50% cuts to higher education and the outrage that has followed, one glaring item in the budget has been barely touched. The overall operating budget of one of the most expensive state legislatures in the country.

At this point I don't think it is fair to blame Corbett. The Governor actually doesn't have the constitutional authority to reduce the General Assembly's operating budget, but the current slate of legislative leaders do have the authority to do so.

The question is do they have the certain leadership qualities needed to sort out the "nice-to-haves" within their own budgets as Corbett suggested?

If history is the ultimate predictor of the future, then the answer to the question I pose above would be a resounding NO! Remember this is a group lawmakers of whom many voted for a huge pension increase with Act 9 in May of 2001.

The formula passed in May 2001’s Act 9 with Governor Tom Ridge’s increase to state employees…allows full retirement at 35 year’s of service or with 30 years of service at age 62….in which the system typically attaches benefits at 87.5% of an employee’s salary, or about three times the average private pension. In addition, because retiree’s no longer pay 7.45% in social security taxes or 6% in pension fund contributions and may be eligible for Social Security payments, those retiring under the new benefit as incorporated in Act 9 can actually draw more income than they did while being employed and working.

And I'm sure voters haven't forgotten the July 2005 illegal pay raise that many current state lawmakers attempted to pass in the middle of the night without full disclosure to the public. Some still to this day believe that they deserved the raise and don't get paid enough.

With these past discretions in mind, the people of this commonwealth are demanding honest, sincere, positive signs that our elected officials are willing to absorb some of the pain that the rest of us are expected to absorb.

Teachers in some Pennsylvania school districts have agreed to a pay freeze to leave more money available for the schools to do things that might otherwise have to be cut due to the budget, etc. Penn State faculty and staff have also already agreed to do the same.

It be would nice if the House and Senate and other high-ranking state officials would do something nice like that.

Taxpayers pay $19,633 per lawmaker for their health insurance. State employees currently pay 3 percent of wages toward their health insurance, which Corbett contrasted to 6 percent in the private sector. Senators pay 1 percent. House members pay nothing but might begin paying 1 percent in July.

State lawmakers still get their automatic COLA and they don't have to itemize for per diems.

Why won't legislators listen to their constituents and reduce the extreme salaries, perks and benefits they voted for themselves?

It is time for state lawmakers to stop the outrages spending in their caucuses, to return their slush funds, stop the WAMS, stop the bonuses, and start contributing more to the "shared pained" which they more than anything else is mostly responsible for.

Where is the outrage? Where are the pink pigs? When Governor Corbet said, "We much change the culture in this place", I don't think he meant every department but the state legislature itself.