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Local officials weigh in on auto raise

By Amy Revak 6 min read

A declaration by Gov.-elect Tom Corbett that he will return the automatic 1.7 percent pay increase lawmakers will receive next year was recently echoed by some of the southwestern Pennsylvania delegation. “I’m definitely not keeping the raise,” said state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mt. Pleasant, whose district includes portions of Fayette and Westmorland counties. He said the only decision for him is whether to donate the money to a charity or to the state’s general fund.

The 2010 base salary for a legislator is $78,314. A 1.7 percent increase is about $1,331.

Reese added that the practice of giving lawmakers automatic raises is worth re-examining, pointing out that Social Security recipients have had their checks frozen for two years, and maybe lawmakers should consider a salary freeze also.

“I think it’s worth looking at,” Reese said. “We have to lead by example.”

Reese added that although the automatic cost-of-living raise is 1.7 percent, it isn’t appropriate in the current rough economic times.

“There are a lot of people just holding on to their jobs,” Reese said.

State Sen. Rich Kasunic, D-Dunbar, said this year he gave his pay increase back to the general fund, but said next year he may donate it to a worthy charity.

Kasunic is involved with the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and said he would likely look at donating to one of those organizations.

Kasunic said by putting it in the state coffers, it wouldn’t help fight cancer or heart disease. He said giving it to charity would hopefully make a difference to someone.

State Rep. Timothy Mahoney, D-South Union Township, said he would donate his raise to a nonprofit organization, just as he has since taking office in 2007.

Mahoney also has offered a scholarship fund of $1,200 that he established to reward a student annually.

Mahoney said he would be a part of the movement to repeal the automatic raise, and will co-sponsor it when the Legislature is back in session next year.

State Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, said the Legislature hasn’t had a “pay raise” since 1995, although as the cost of living has risen in the past 15 years, lawmakers have had a “commensurate percentage point or two added to our base salary.”

DeWeese pointed out that in years such as 2009, when the economy was “utterly flat,” members of the Legislature didn’t receive any pay increase.

“A decade and a half ago when we instituted the cost-of-living adjustment, we said there would be no more pay raise vote,” DeWeese said. “The pay raise fiasco of 2005 solidified that perspective.”

Although lawmakers voted themselves a hefty pay raise in 2005, it was rescinded.

DeWeese said the automatic pay increase has become a part of the fabric of the state compensation system, and he said there would be legislation introduced in January dealing with it.

DeWeese said he hasn’t made up his mind exactly what he is going to do with the extra money. When the 2005 pay raises were rescinded, DeWeese donated a portion of that money to each of the school districts that he represents.

The 1.7 percent raise, DeWeese said, amounts to between $80 and $90 a pay period.

With the state Legislature looking at ways to cut costs, another proposal is to change the “per diem” methodology from a per-day rate to a payment based on actual expenses.

According to the Anthony Frank Barbush, chief clerk/open records officer for the state House of Representatives, a per diem, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, is a “payment to cover meals, lodging and incidental expenses while traveling away from home on business.”

“The chief clerk will pay members a per-diem allowance at the maximum allowable federal rate for House session days, days following the last session day of the week, official committee meetings, overnight stays, or days on which a legislator attends a meeting of the board or commission of which the legislator is a member of designee and said board or commission was created by statute or executive order,” according to the statute.

Members who live 50 miles or less from Harrisburg are not eligible to receive a full per-diem allowance. They can either receive actual expenses or the IRS subsistence rate.

Current House rules allow Pennsylvania state representatives who live more than 50 miles from Harrisburg to be reimbursed at the rate of $163 a day when in Harrisburg on legislative business. The rate is based on the federally established per-diem rate of $111 for lodging and $52 for meals and incidental expenses while in Harrisburg.

Regarding the per-diem issue, Kasunic said he isn’t opposed to lawmakers getting actual expenses, but said what could possibly happen is that people could start staying at luxury hotels and eating at better restaurants if the state is paying actual expenses.

“Most people stay in the middle-of-the-road hotels and eat at moderately priced restaurants anyway, so as long as it would stay in perspective so members wouldn’t take advantage, I would support it,” Kasunic said.

He said the Senate Democrats recently discussed compiling a “package of bills to address reform and perks” from the number of members, per diems, expenses and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), which will be introduced early in the next session.

Kasunic said they are having weekly conferences and are forming and developing legislation that will be introduced early next year.

DeWeese said he never has abused the per-diem system.

DeWeese said he has used turnpike receipts and, more recent, EZ Pass printouts to verify his presence in Harrisburg.

He said he would conform to all rules and regulations regarding per diems that are estbalished in the future.

DeWeese said the system, if verified, “has made more manageable a methodology for those who live in Erie, New Castle or Waynesburg to be less included to have a hotel room and more inclined to have a one-bedroom apartment.”

Regarding the per diem issue, Mahoney said he personally spends more than what he is allotted anyway.

Reese said the per-diem system should be cleaned up and people shouldn’t be paid for expenses that they don’t have. For non-voting days and committee meetings, Reese said there shouldn’t be an opportunity for lawmakers to collect that money.

State Rep. Deberah Kula, D-North Union Township, and state Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California, did not return calls seeking comment.

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