Lawmakers' sweet deals sour in the public's mouth

Published: March 5, 2010

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It's one thing for a millionaire to use his money to seek public office. It's quite another for someone to become a millionaire while in public office.

But Pennsylvania's government is so fundamentally warped, so skewed to the personal interests of politicians rather than the public interests of the governed, that long-term legislators can accrue millions of dollars in pension benefits.

Impending retirements of several longtime state legislators point to how state politicians have constructed a benefit system for themselves that is far beyond the reach of almost all other Pennsylvanians.

The primary example is that of state Sen. Robert Mellow of Lackawanna County, who recently announced that he would not seek an 11th four-year term. A recent story by Robert Swift, The Times-Shamrock Harrisburg bureau chief, revealed that Mr. Mellow will be eligible for an annual pension benefit as high as $313,000 per year, nearly three times his annual salary of $110,250.

Another senator from Northeast Pennsylvania, Raphael Musto of Luzerne County, will be eligible for about $70,000 a year after he retires in December, more than 90 percent of his base salary of $77,000.

House Speaker Keith McCall, who will not seek reelection after 28 years in the Legislature, will be eligible for $100,000 a year, nearly 93 percent of his base $108,000 salary.

Lawmakers also have given themselves lifetime health care benefits, including long-term care insurance, at public expense.

Because lawmakers have a defined-benefit rather than a defined-contriubtion pension plan, they will receive the maximum payments even though the pension plan has declined in value due to the recession. That is in sharp contrast to the condition of most working Pennsylvanians, whose defined-contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, have yet to fully recovery from the 2008 market declines.

The impending retirements of long-time lawmakers, coupled with the perceived vulnerability of a few incumbents who are seeking reelection, has produced an unusual large crop of potential candidates in the May primary. Many of them have focused on another outlandish perk that lawmakers have given themselves - daily expense payments of $163 for which they are not required to file receipts, and which some lawmakers clearly use as income.

Those candidates should expand their view to the entire, vast web of benefits that lawmakers have lavished upon themselves, and vow to effect reforms.

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4 posted comments

How can we force a constitutional convention to start some of the changes we need to make? Who can make this happen and how can we support them. I agree with 'fed up', Pickett and Baker are dead weight.
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their party, but not their supporter,  03/05/10 3:10
We elect them, and we can remove them from office. That is why we vote. Use courage, and not the party line, when deciding. If we voted out every incumbent, over then next several years, a real message would be sent. Job security, their job security, it what most politicians crave. Take that away from them. If you have never written to your reps before, now is the time. Also, be sure to vote. Voting is our voice.
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SueA,  03/05/10 10:39
This kind of thing is what needs to change in the Federal and State governments. Even if that means getting rid of all who are presently "serving" their states. I personally was offended when Pa folks out there in Harrisburg gave themselves raises and the rest of us have to keep "tightening our belts". The lifers in the military don't come near what these folks in the government vote in for themselves. Many military folks have to get a job to even make it once they get out. I am personally disgusted by these government people. Our government is a mess and they keep on living high off the hog. When will it stop?!?! I guess not until the public does something, even that means just voting them out.. and as shown by tv recently, they squabble like grade school kids just to get their way. We do not have a none partisan government. These folks don't go to their state capitals or Washington with the idea or ideal of what's good for the people, they seem to go to line their own pockets so they can continue a lifestyle they "think" they are owed. Somehow it has got to stop. Somehow.
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LG Decler,  03/05/10 9:48
Editor

I don't like you and I detest your nutty, uber-liberal views.

But if you're looking for me to disagree with you on this editorial, you need to look elsewhere. You are spot on! We need to clean house, and we need to start with the two do-nothing "lifetime" representatives who are hanging around our necks right here in Bradford County. Both of 'em need to go!! We never even hear from these two except at election time. This must stop. They are horrid leaders. They are not even good followers!!

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Fed Up With Pickett and Baker,  03/05/10 9:18