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More than 200 legislators, including two from Lancaster County, are being reimbursed by taxpayers for meals on the days they've been in Harrisburg since July 1 — even though most have no role in the high-level budget talks.
Others are staying in hotels near the Capitol, and taxpayers are footing the bill for that as well.
The tab?
More than $33,000 each day they're in Harrisburg, most spent waiting for Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders to reach some sort of compromise on a spending plan that, by law, should have been in place a week ago. Meanwhile, without a budget in place, tens of thousands of state workers will receive their last paychecks nine days from now.
Paying per diems to lawmakers — either a flat rate of $45 for meals and other expenses or $158 for meals and lodging — during the stalemate bothers those who don't (and even those who do) claim them.
"The per-diem system is a relic of an earlier time which should be replaced with a submitted expense system. I would readily support such a change," said Republican Rep. Gordon Denlinger of Narvon. Denlinger routinely claims $45 a session day for meals, he said, "to offset the expenses that come with holding office."
State Rep. Mike Sturla, a Democrat from Lancaster city, also claims the $45 per diem for meals and other expenses but said he doesn't keep "exact track of what it gets spent on."
State Rep. Katie True does not take per diems, despite being called up to Harrisburg during the impasse almost every day. Rank-and-file lawmakers are not involved in the budget negotiations but are voting on other legislation and are on call, waiting for the budget deal.
"People say we go on vacation for the summer. We don't. We're at the call of the chair. I can't go to Bermuda," True laughed. "Wherever I am I have to get back to Harrisburg in six hours. This budget not getting passed is costing me a lot in gas because I drive up and drive right back to the district."
True, a Republican from East Hempfield Township, said she would prefer to work in her district while Rendell and members of leadership hammer out a budget deal — a move that would save taxpayers from having to shell out for lawmakers' meals and lodging costs.
"Who needs to be in Harrisburg but the folks who sit at the table?" True asked. "None of us rank and file have any say. We're going to get handed something. There is no good reason for taxpayers to pay for hotels and meals when we're not a part of it."
Pennsylvania ended the year with a $3.3 billion deficit, and faces a similar shortfall for 2009-10. Rendell and his Democratic allies in the Legislature are proposing a mixture of program cuts and tax increases, while Republicans — particularly in the Senate — have dug in their heels in opposition to adding new taxes or expanding existing ones.
Asked about claiming the per diems during the budget stalemate, Sturla was sarcastic: "I think we could correct this pretty quickly if we got rid of a bicameral Legislature and eliminated the Senate. Not only would it save per diems, it would eliminate the cost of the Senate."
Russ Faber, the Senate's chief clerk, said about 35 of the 50 lawmakers in his chamber claim per diems — adding up to about $5,230 for each session day. Roger Nick, the House's chief clerk, said about 169 of his 203 members claim per diems — adding up to a total of $28,215 each day.
The total daily cost for lodging and meals: $33,445.
Without a budget in place, the state lost its authority to pay workers, including lawmakers, on July 1. But per diems are paid from taxpayer-funded legislative reserve accounts.
While $45 a day might not seem like much, members who claimed the partial per diem each day of the session last month got $765 in addition to their paychecks. Those who took the full per diems got $2,686 in addition to their June pay.
And that doesn't factor in additional payments for days when there are committee hearings.
At more than $78,314, the salary for rank-and-file lawmakers is the fourth-highest in the nation, so their monthly paychecks — now on hold through the stalemate — total more than $6,500.
The House has been in session for five days in July, not including today, and the impasse is hardly nearing an end.
So what are rank-and-file lawmakers doing in Harrisburg?
"We're moving some other pieces of legislation so they're ready to go if we ever reach an agreement or compromise," said Sturla, the policy chairman for House Democrats. "There hasn't been a day go by when we haven't positioned something."
He added: "We'd probably get more guff if we weren't here, but we get guff when we are here."
State Rep. Dave Hickernell, who does not take per diems, said he would prefer the state reimburse lawmakers only for their actual expenses.
"I can't argue that these folks from Pittsburgh shouldn't be reimbursed for their hotels," said the West Donegal Township Republican. "But you can get a hotel room for $30 or $40 a night. I think it's more fair to get reimbursed for the actual expenses. That's my opinion, though, and I don't know that it's shared by a vast majority of my colleagues."
House members who live within a 50-mile radius of Harrisburg can claim only the $45 per diem for meals; members of the Senate can claim expenses. Those who live farther away can claim the full $158 for food and hotels.
State Rep. Tom Creighton, who also does not take per diems, said, "There's no good reason other than I don't think I need them." He said he understands why lawmakers from far-flung locales such as Pittsburgh, Erie and Altoona take money for food and lodging.
Creighton, a Republican from Rapho Township, said eliminating per diems wouldn't do much to plug the $3.3 billion budget deficit. "I don't know that by taking away per diems or meals, I don't think that solves the problem," he said.
E-mail: tmurse@lnpnews.com
