Pennsylvania residents don't have to agree with state House Democratic Leader H.William DeWeese on the legislative pay raises approved at 2 a.m. July 7 to agree with the Greene County lawmaker's thoughts about legislators' acceptance of the pay hike.

While voicing criticism in the direction of lawmakers who have criticized the pay raise and have refused the raise immediately under the legislature's "unvouchered expenses" gimmick, DeWeese made a good point.

"If they really meant what they are saying, they would reject the subsequent pay raises," DeWeese said.

What he was saying was that lawmakers who supposedly oppose the raise at this time should refuse it even when the raise is scheduled to officially go into effect as stipulated by the state constitution - in December 2006.

The constitution prohibits legislators from receiving increases in the same two-year term in which the raises were approved but, much to many taxpayers' dismay, "unvouchered expenses" has allowed lawmakers to begin collecting the amount of their raises immediately.

Amid all that, DeWeese is wrong in defending the raise on the grounds of equating the General Assembly to a corporate board steering a multibillion-dollar company.

Multibillion-dollar companies do not operate on taxpayers' funds; Pennsylvania government does.

And, DeWeese and his legislative colleagues - if they don't like their pay opportunities in the state capital - can move on to private companies.

But, obviously, they like what Harrisburg means to them. There is no rush by lawmakers to give up their seats, once they are elected.

For the taxpayers, the July pay action has increased the perception that being a legislator is less about being a public servant than about serving the lawmakers themselves.

Members of the General Assembly are counting on "past history" to repeat itself; that's why they exhibit little or no embarrassment regarding the arrogance that the middle-of-the-night pay action represents.

That history contains the belief that voters will forget about the pay raise prior to next year's legislative elections and continue the 95-plus percent re-election rate.

Regardless, DeWeese's words should remain at the forefront. What will re-elected lawmakers do about the raise in December 2006 - accept it or refuse it?

Odds are, most lawmakers will be smiling all the way to the bank.