Not again

More than just about any issue coming out of Harrisburg in the last few years, pay raises make people angry.  Now, five years after a midnight vote to raise their own salaries, assembly members are due a new increase.

Officials said Monday that Pennsylvania’s legislators, judges and top state officials are about to get automatic pay raises of 1.7 percent starting Dec. 1.

The annual salaries for rank-and-file legislators will increase from $78,315 to $79,623. Salaries for legislative floor leaders will rise from $113,468 to $115,364.

Increases for other top officials, including the governor, state department heads, the statewide row officers and judges will increase on Jan. 1.

Gov.-elect Tom Corbett will be paid $177,888, up from the $174,914 that is currently authorized for the governor.  The raises are based on changes in the federal government’s Consumer Price Index for the mid-Atlantic states.

So should officials get this raise at a time when so many Pennsylvanians are still out of work?  Let us know what you think by feeding the Feed.