An early gift to PA taxpayers

Here's some good news in an otherwise dreary news cycle: The Pennsylvania Legislature will not be collecting its annual COLA for 2010.

From a story by Mario F. Cattabiani in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

For the first time since 1995, the 253 members of the state House and Senate will not see any more in their monthly paychecks starting in December. Base legislative pay, like the economy, will remain stagnant at $78,315.

Salaries will stay the same for Gov. Rendell, other top state officials and judges, as well.

That's because a key inflationary rate that determines annual cost-of-living adjustments for many in power in Harrisburg was kept in check over the past 12 months.

By the way, the Legislature, already among the highest paid in the nation, is on a three-week Thanksgiving vacation, which will be followed by a four-week Christmas vacation. Nice work if you can get it.

Read Cattabiani's full story at the newspaper's Web site.