Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Pennsylvania: Raises for state officials vs. "keep some libraries open".

I'll happily make that call!

Meet Tom Corbett....
...oh, enough already!

Link to John Baer's 'Elections' column in the December 1 Philadelphia Dailiy News, "A stop, uncertain start to Corbett transition".

Excerpt: And asked about automatic cost-of-living adjustments taking effect today for lawmakers and scheduled Jan. 1 for judges and other top state officials, Corbett said, "It's very difficult to be expecting COLAs at this period."

Maybe so, but they're coming: 1,500 state officials get a 1.7 percent bump.

Corbett said he'll give his raise (the Guv's salary goes from $174,914 to $177,888) to charity but declined to suggest other specific action.

"I certainly want to have a discussion with the Legislature," he said. Pressed for details, he added, "I'm going to limit it to that."

Meanwhile, state Auditor General Jack Wagner said Corbett and lawmakers should impose a moratorium on the raises, which cost taxpayers $3 million.

Wagner said that with the state facing huge deficits and with too many citizens suffering the effects of recession, the raises should be stopped: "This is a leadership issue. . . . Symbolically, it's huge."

And he said $3 million could fund a meals-on-wheels program or keep some libraries open
. [Emphasis added.]

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