Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel, in defending lawmakers' big pay raise approved in the middle of the night on July 7, reminded the Republican State Committee Saturday that immigrant farm workers in Lancaster County make $50,000 or more.

"You're paying somebody to milk the cows $55,000, and you're saying it's excessive for a member of the General Assembly to make one-half of what a congressman makes," Perzel said, directing his comments at least in part at Republicans disenchanted over the raise.

What Perzel's spirited comments - some might liken parts of his speech to a diatribe - failed to acknowledge, however, is that immigrant farm workers and cow milkers can boast a better steady-production record than the partisan-based quicksand that consistently keeps legislative progress from happening under Harrisburg's state capitol dome.

A year or two ago, when Pennsylvania was under a federal mandate to change its blood-alcohol threshold for drunk-driving charges to 0.8 from 1.0, it took the General Assembly until virtually the last minute to approve the measure, despite the fact that failure to approve the change would have resulted in a loss of federal highway money. No wonder passing a budget - one of the basic functions of all state legislatures - takes on the guise of a traumatic experience for Pennsylvania's House and Senate.

Also, no wonder there has been no property-tax-relief legislation that the state as a whole could embrace. No wonder Keystone State job creation is so lackluster and that businesses determine it to be more advantageous to move beyond the state's borders.

The fact is, state lawmakers didn't deserve a 16 percent to 34 percent pay increase - Perzel got 34 percent, raising his pay to nearly $146,000, not including benefits and other perks - and they shouldn't have exercised the arrogance that the July 7 action demonstrated. The fact is, they didn't even deserve the annual cost-of-living increase to which they already were entitled; they weren't able to pass the 2005-06 budget on time.

Even some members of the Republican and Democratic leadership who voted against the raise share in the responsibility for its passage by not working against it in a public way long before the issue reached a vote. That quiet acquiescence under the cover of post-vote "opposition" paved the way for the raise to be approved without any debate or public hearings - again, in the wee hours of the morning, with lawmakers then making a beeline to their home districts for their more-than-ample summer recess.

"If you're asking me if I'm ashamed of the members of the General Assembly who are now going to make half what Congress (makes), I am not," Perzel said. "And, if you're asking me whether or not that I'm going back to fight to repeal what we've done, I am not."

Perzel lamented the important personal events lawmakers must skip, due to their legislative service. He said lawmakers must respond to constituent pleas for help at inconvenient times throughout the year, not just when they are at the Capitol.

"You're not just in session 70 days a year," said the 26-year Philadelphia legislative veteran.

The time would seem right for voters in Perzel's district to organize a pity party for now, and begin planning a "going-away party" for November 2006.

Perzel knew what the job entailed, the time required and the amount of pay that came with it when he ran for office, and each time he sought and won re-election. Being so "put out" about the responsibilities versus the rate of pay, he should have done himself and taxpayers a favor and bowed out of legislative service.

The same holds true for other lawmakers who weren't satisfied with the previous generous package of compensation and benefits. The same holds true for lawmakers who, like Perzel, refuse to return to session and proceed immediately on behalf of a pay-raise repeal.

The state's voters should not relax their interest in the pay-raise issue. Lawmakers like Perzel - and, on the Democratic side, House minority leader William DeWeese, also a vocal pay-raise backer - are making it crystal clear that serving the best interests of Pennsylvania residents is not at the top of most state lawmakers' agendas.

Perzel might be happier working on a Lancaster County farm.