Pennsylvania legislative payroll is bigger than ever

[RamboLiberal]

During a time when most Pennsylvanians were forced to live on leaner budgets, the General Assembly's payroll soared 22 percent to $119.5 million, and the number of legislative employees paid at least $100,000 nearly doubled, a Tribune-Review analysis found.

Staffers making triple-figure salaries went from 36 in 2005 to 69 this year, records show. Edward J. Nolan, executive director of the House Appropriations Committee, is the highest-paid staffer at $191,854 a year. That is more money than Gov. Tom Corbett's salary of $177,888 and more than $18,000 above the next highest-paid employee.

"It is what it is," Nolan said.

The Legislature's payroll growth since 2005 was almost double the rate of inflation. It happened while a recession slammed Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation in 2008, and last year the state's unemployment rate hit a 26-year high of 8.8 percent in January, February and April.



Read more: Pennsylvania legislative payroll is bigger than ever - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_731584.html#ixzz1JAtZagh3

[femmocrat]

1. Well, well. No "shared sacrifice" from the legislators!

Yet they are slashing funds from schools. Drives me crazy.