Salaries of top-paid Pa. staffers questioned

HARRISBURG - Facing a $2.3 billion deficit, the state is preparing to cut programs statewide and is even considering layoffs, but the highest-paid employees of the state House of Representatives aren't feeling the pinch.

Last year, 40 of them collected more than $100,000 in pay - seven more than in the previous year.

The Senate, meanwhile, shed three of its highest-paid staffers through attrition, reducing the $100,000 Club there to 33.

Edward J. Nolan, chief of the Republican Appropriations staff, lost his ranking as the House staffer with the highest base pay. That distinction now goes to Brett Feese, a former state representative from Lycoming County who is chief counsel to the House Republicans.

Feese received $203,459 last year. Previously, he had a base pay of $155,000 plus a separate $95,000 contract. That contract was ended midstream - and Feese repaid the state money he earned under it - after The Inquirer reported that it might violate a law preventing public employees from having separate state contracts.

Still, he takes home more than Gov. Rendell, who makes $174,914.

Meanwhile, Feese's counterpart in the Democratic caucus, William Martin Sloane, was compensated with $133,120 last year.

Republican leaders say Feese is worth his pay because he litigates cases, something that used to be handled by expensive outside firms.

Nolan is now the second-highest-paid House staffer. His pay last year was $183,602.

Those in the House making $100,000 or more - more than double the $43,500 salary of the typical Pennsylvanian - are 16 Democratic staffers, 15 Republican staffers, and nine working for offices designated as nonpartisan. Twelve of them had five-figure salaries in 2007.

Eric Epstein, a Harrisburg activist and founder of RockTheCapital.org, questioned why such high salaries are needed when a stalled economy has unemployment in Pennsylvania hovering around 7 percent.

"Public service denotes sacrifice. Six-figure salaries for staffers? Where can I sign up to make that kind of sacrifice?" Epstein said.

One House staffer, David M. Thomas, saw his pay skyrocket in the last few years. As counsel to the Liquor Control Committee, Thomas had a salary of $58,060 in 2006. He made $69,384 in 2007 and was promoted to counsel to the powerful Appropriations Committee. That job paid $100,263 last year, making Thomas the 38th-highest-paid House employee.

"His responsibilities are dramatically more now," said House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin, who made the list himself with a $106,795 salary. "He's dealing with the budget and almost every issue in state government now."

Another staffer whose salary has risen fast is Rod Corey, deputy chief counsel to the Republican caucus. His pay climbed from $71,541 in 2006 to $81,773 in 2007 to $106,152 last year - a 48 percent raise in two years.

Corey and Feese manage most legal issues that come before the caucus, Miskin said. A notable exception has been a state investigation into the alleged use of tax dollars to run campaigns; outside lawyers are handling that matter, to the tune of $1.4 million.

"Brett and Rod are saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars on outside legal fees," said Miskin.

In the Senate, 14 Democrats, 16 Republicans and three nonpartisan staffers have salaries of more than $100,000. Three are new to the $100,000 Club.

Senate Minority Leader Bob Mellow (D., Lackawanna) defended the salaries.

"The Senate Democratic employees on this list all are well-qualified senior-level workers, many with advanced degrees. All are professionals with many, many years of extensive and varied experience, and make an invaluable contribution to the caucus," Mellow said.

Senate Republican leaders say they have acted to trim staff and reduce new employees' salaries. For the last year, the pay for new hires was set at least 15 percent lower than their predecessors'.

"In order to attract and retain talented people on our staff, we need to pay competitive salaries," said Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson). "Nonetheless, the top staff in our caucus is paid less than comparable staff in other caucuses."

Lawyers top the rankings for both Senate caucuses.

A $4,867 raise this month propelled Democratic chief counsel Claude Hafner to the top of the Senate list, with a salary of $165,481. He had been sixth.

On the Republican side, general counsel Stephen MacNett's salary is $161,328, more than any other caucus employee's.

Rep. Jennifer Mann, secretary of the House Democratic caucus, said staffers earning six figures are just 2 percent of the staff and are among the hardest workers.

"The folks in these positions are specialists. You have to offer those kinds of salaries to attract that level of expertise," said Mann (D., Lehigh). "It's always a challenge to draw those folks from the private sector. In many cases, they take a pay cut to work for us."

She said the House Democratic caucus was reviewing staffing levels and salaries.

"We're looking across the board. Particularly in these difficult economic times, we need to be extra cognizant of how we're spending money," Mann said. "It's something we take very seriously."