Cost Of Living Pay Raises Begin For Pa. Officials
HARRISBURG (CBS) - The state capitol continues to roil over an automatic cost-of-living pay raise that elected officials and judges are getting as of today.
There was no inflation-related pay hike for elected officials and judges last year. But it was announced last week that this year, those folks are in line for a pay increase of almost two percent, and the reverberations are still being felt this week.
Yesterday, auditor general Jack Wagner called for a moratorium:
"You have every senior in Pennsylvania that collects Social Security -- they don't get an increase, and they turn around, they look at Harrisburg, and they look at the judicial system, and they see a 1.7 percent cost of living adjustment. That's wrong. It's wrong at this time."
Wagner says a moratorium would save $3 million dollars the first year but admits that its greatest value would be the symbolism. He'll return his increase. Governor-elect Tom Corbett says he'll donate his to charity but stopped short of saying he'd seek a moratorium.
Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio
