Ink Bomb

Once Again, the Speaker of the State House Can't Get Out of His Own Way

JOHN PERZEL, speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is going to receive deserved flak for his whining, reported today, that state legislators shouldn't earn less than tattoo artists. (It reminds one, of course, of Babe Ruth's classic response when someone observed that he had been paid more than the President: "I had a better year than he did.") I'm not sure that calling your constituents overpaid is the best campaign strategy, but the speaker has a history of this sort of thing, complaining last year about "immigrant" cow milkers in Lancaster County supposedly earning $55,000.

The background: Appearing on a Harrisburg TV talk show,

Perzel defended last year's ill-fated pay-raise legislation, saying that some lawmakers have debt issues and noting that there's at least one Philadelphia tattoo artist who makes more than a state lawmaker's $72,187 salary.

"We have roughly 30-some members who can't apply for a credit card because their credit's so bad," Perzel said. "And I know a lot of people out there watching this show have the same exact problem."

He added: "When I see that a tattoo artist in the city of Philadelphia makes more than a legislator, I think there's a problem. I thought the members of the General Assembly were worth one-half of what a member of Congress makes."

Okay, first, the number of Philly tattoo artists making this kind of scratch can certainly be counted on one hand, and perhaps not even that many; similarly, the number of Lancaster cow milkers earning 55,000 bucks can be counted with no hands. Second, with anti-incumbent anger, fueled entirely by the pay-raise debacle, making this November's elections a time of angst for current legislators, you'd think Perzel would shut his trap about all of this. Why remind voters of what made them so furious? And third, for God's sake, legislators' salaries aren't exactly chump change in a state that's been hit hard by a loss of industry and the consolidation of agriculture. If a person making nearly 75 large is having credit issues, I don't want him anywhere near the commonwealth's finances, whether it's voting up or down on the annual budget or buying a cinnamon roll in the Statehouse commissary.

In one sense Perzel should be applauded for finally making these thoughts public. Unlike the back-room, wee-hours wheeling and dealing that got the now-overturned raise shamefully passed last summer, perhaps now we can have a serious, open, frank discussion about what our elected officials should be earning. You know, the kind of thing Perzel, his fellow legislators, Governor Rendell, and the state Supreme Court should have done last year. Though I'm kind of thinking the dairy farm workers deserve more.

Comments

[Tom G]

Most of us are paid, roughly speaking, what we are worth, based on performance. These guys on the other hand, have the only job where they get to decide, on a whim, what their pay should be. Must be nice.