Pennsylvania legislators and the governor just allowed themselves to get a 3 percent pay increase. It’s automatic, designed so that they don’t have to vote for it.

Yes, this is the same General Assembly that has a generous benefits package unlike any seen in the private sector. And yes, this is the same General Assembly and governor that approved a one-year pay freeze for state workers and state management employees; the same General Assembly and governor that cut education funding by $1 billion and told teachers they should be willing to take salary cuts.

The legislative pension fund is underfunded, with the legislators contributing only a small percentage of their pay and taxpayers picking up the rest. Most private employees have to sock away money for their own retirement, pay into Social Security and fund the legislators’ largess.

The well-paid members of our legislature are eligible for a full pension at age 60 with only 10 years of service. They are also eligible for generous medical, dental and eye care. But, according to these same legislators and the governor, teachers and workers should take a cut and reduce their benefits and pensions.

If you are a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly you get to argue that benefits for workers and teachers should be cut, while maintaining salary, retirement and medical benefits for themselves that are second to none. Is it any wonder we have become a nation of cynical nonvoters?

These elected officials do what they want, when they want; make promises and take no responsibility. Mention their actions to most of your neighbors and you probably will get a shrug of the shoulders, a wink of the eye and a response such as, “Well, what do you expect from them? They’re politicians!”

When they tried to sneak through the pay raise in 2005 at 3 a.m., we were outraged. Now we just accept it. They have defeated us. No longer a body of representatives, they are now setting themselves up as a body of full-time rulers.

Maybe it’s time for a part-time legislature. Time for them to have real jobs somewhere; time for term limits so they cannot become ensconced in the made-to- fit gerrymandered districts; time to have them buy insurance on the open market, where the rest of us operate; time to have them buy 401(k)s, so that their retirement can be at the same risk as the rest of us.

Maybe it’s just time to send them home.

Pennsylvania has a huge legislature. Only New Hampshire has a larger one. But the New Hampshire legislators act as the citizens’ voice. They only come together to vote and are paid a mere $100 per year as a token for the volunteer job. They have jobs; they actually live and work and play in their communities.

Only 10 of the 50 states have full-time legislatures like Pennsylvania. These 10 states, like Pennsylvania, also have huge staffs. The other 40 states manage to operate with part-time legislators.

Given Pennsylvania’s current and future fiscal mess, there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between good, effective or fiscally responsible government and the number of legislators, the pay of the legislators, the number legislative staff or the total money spent on legislative and staff salaries. No other state pays its rulers more than Pennsylvania does.

Hanging out in Harrisburg on full-time pay also seems to lead to corruption. The Department of Justice ranks Pennsylvania among the highest for convictions on corruption charges. Several recent Harrisburg scandals have resulted in jail time. Perhaps there isn’t enough to do to keep a full-time ruler busy. The old saying “idle hands are the devil’s playthings” may have some relevance.

What is the solution? How about a part-time legislature made up of all new members? One in which the members have to have other income; the members have jobs or businesses back home; members have to buy private insurance and plan for their own retirement; and election is an honor, not an entitlement.

In short, a good legislature would be one that lives among us.

Jeff Kern, a former State College Borough Council member, is a community columnist for the Centre Daily Times. He can be reached at jrkern@resourcetec.com.