We win, pay raise repealed

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -A repeal of unpopular government pay raises became law Wednesday as the Senate passed, then Gov. Ed Rendell signed a measure that lawmakers hope will wipe away four months of intense public criticism and protect their jobs.
Tired of fielding complaints about their salaries, some lawmakers saw the repeal as crucial to repairing their reputations and putting the issue behind them as the 2006 legislative elections loom. Just a week ago, Pennsylvania voters demonstrated their anger at state government by ousting a Supreme Court justice.
The House approved the legislation on Monday. The final hurdle - the Senate's 50-0 vote and Rendell's signature -came 132 days after the Legislature, in the dead of night and without public notice or debate, raised the salaries of more than 1,300 public officials, including themselves and state judges, and sparked a storm of criticism.

These stupid bastards finally got the message after months of outrage by everyone I know that is interested in politics and many that are not. Since July, when they passed the bill in the middle of the night, it has been the talk of the town. I ran into conversations about it at the gas station, the local pub and especially the barber shop. Most of us get a 2 or 3 percent increase if we're lucky and these guys up their own pay by $10,000 or more. The defeat of Supreme Court Justice Nigro put the fear of god(the electorate) into them. It's not over, anyone so out of touch that they think that they could get away with this should find other work. Sure the defense will be "I voted to repeal." Why did you vote for it in the first place? I will not vote for any incumbent legislator next year.

Everyone across the spectrum was opposed to this. This is not a win for conservatives or liberals, Democrat or Republican or any other sub-species of the political landscape.

It's a win for the people of Pennsylvania!