Still Fuming Over Those Pay Raises

Most of our elected officals are hoping that we will all forget how they robbed us in the middle of the night by the time re-elction rolls around. PowerBlog! pledges not to let that happen.

We have been digging into the compensation packages a bit deeper. Let's consider the"extra" stuff lawmakers get outside of stright pay. Here are some of the Benefits and other perks available to Pennsylvania legislators:

Health care: State pays entire premiums for more than 3,200 legislators, staffers and their families. Plan covers medical, prescription-drug, dental and vision expenses, with certain deductibles and copayments, and includes life and long-term disability insurance. The annual cost of insuring legislators, who unlike staffers also receive long-term care insurance, is $13,500 for each of the 203 representatives and $14,280 for each of the 50 senators.

Pensions: The latest pay raises also will increase future legislative pensions, just four years after lawmakers approved a 50-percent boost in their pensions. A rank-and-file legislator who retires in 2008 with 20 years' service now will receive as much as roughly $50,000 a year - 62 percent of his or her salary. Lawmakers contribute to the pension plan, with most paying between 6.25 and 7.5 percent of their salaries. Taxpayers also chip in; they contributed about $2,000 per lawmaker last year.

Capitol offices: Legislators get offices in the Capitol complex and staffs in their Harrisburg and districts offices that are paid out of caucus accounts controlled by Republican and Democratic leaders

Expenses: House members are reimbursed for as much as $19,800 a year for rent, utilities and other costs of running local offices in their home districts around the state. They also can recover an additional $20,000 a year in those and other costs, such as professional services and insurance on their leased vehicles, through a separate expense allowance and they get a postage allowance of $4,000 a year. Senators have an annual expense account of $25,000 a year and a postage allowance of $26,500 a year. Members who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol receive $128 a day for meals, lodging and incidental expenses whenever they are in Harrisburg on legislative business.

Vehicles: Lawmakers are reimbursed for car lease payments and other vehicle expenses. Representatives receive as much as $7,800 a year, while senators get a $7,200 allowance.

Party leaders: In addition to extra salary, party leaders in both houses get enhanced expense allowances, ranging from $7,000 a year for floor leaders to $2,000 for the lowest-ranking leaders. Committee chairmen. The chairmen of Senate committees get an additional $15,000 for committee-related expense, while their House counterparts get $2,000 to $4,000.

Sources: Senate clerk's office, House Bipartisan Management Committee, Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System

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