PA Lawmakers Give Themselves 16% Raise - Cite Difficulties In Legislating State's Main Exports: Chocolate, Cow Shit

I swear... I leave town and the place goes to shit.

Here's a little something that I found interesting:

"A fairer and more relevant comparison, however, is what taxpayers in other state pay their state lawmakers. By giving rank-and-file members a 16 percent pay hike (some legislative leaders will receive as much as a 34 percent bump), the Pennsylvania General Assembly made itself the second-best paid legislature after California, the largest state, and just ahead of New York, the third largest state. (Salaries: California, $99,000; Pennsylvania, $81,050; New York, $79,500.)

But, given that Pennsylvania's General Assembly has more members (253) than either, and the second-highest number of staffers (2,947), it's annual payroll ($20.5 million) is millions higher than either California or New York.

And, Pennsylvania lawmakers represent far fewer constituents than their colleagues in California and New York (61,000 compared to 299,115 and 90,694). Meanwhile, lawmakers in the second-largest state, Texas, are paid a measly $7,200 and represent 124,254 citizens."

C'mon now. I grew up there. It's a pretty state.... But $20.5 million pretty?

And if that wasn't bad enough, the Lt. Gov., Ms. Catherine "I'm-Too-Sexy-For-One-Last-Name-So-I'll-Take-Two-Thank-You-Very-Much" Baker Knoll turns out to be a real bitch.... As usual, Michelle Malkin is all over it.