It appears that Democratic lawmakers who didn't vote with party leaders in supporting the controversial pay-hike vote in early July are now paying the price.

It might just be inside-baseball, Harrisburg-style, but the subcommittee reassignments announced last week appear to be, as a Philadelphia newspaper described it, "payback time" for Democratic lawmakers who did not support the $11,000 pay hike that continues to generate widespread outrage and opposition across the state.

Evidence that Democratic leadership is punishing those lawmakers who failed to tow the party line, while rewarding those who cast their votes in favor of the pay raise, is apparent in 15 subcommittee reassignments that generally demoted pay-raise opponents and promoted pay-raise supporters.

Subcommittee chairs earn an extra $4,050, while lesser roles, such as committee secretary, earn only the basic lawmaker's pay.

One example, Rep. Gregory Vitali, D-Delaware, was removed as chairman of the subcommittee on energy to become the subcommittee secretary. Vitali voted against the pay raise and the demotion will trim $4,050 from his paycheck.

The reassignments clearly look like payback, based on the fact that most of those stripped of subcommittee chairmanships voted against the pay raise and most of those slated to replace them supported the leadership-backed pay raise.

Further evidence that these moves are political punishment and rewards from Democratic leadership in Harrisburg is found in the fact such reassignments are normally made at the beginning of a new legislative session, not in the middle of the term.

Two lawmakers told the Philadelphia Inquirer that they firmly believed that their subcommittee demotions were political payback from party leadership, particularly state House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene.

A spokesman for DeWeese downplayed the significance of the reassignments but did confirm that the moves were meant to reward those who voted for the pay raise.

Though it's naive to think that political leaders of both party don't apply pressure to line up votes for legislative objectives, such a blatant display of payoff and punishment for supporting leadership on the pay-hike vote is still stunning. Though he supported the pay raise, Gov. Ed Rendell said he disapproved of the apparent retribution for pay-raise opponents and was quoted in a Pittsburgh newspaper saying, "People should be able to vote their conscience without fear of repercussion."

Many aspects of the pay-hike vote have revealed disturbing truths about how things work in Harrisburg: internal maneuvering, secret meetings, voters-be-damned attitudes, no open debate, no public input, and the use of "unvouchered expenses" to take the increased pay before state constitution would otherwise permit. And now, punishment for lawmakers who voted against the 16 percent pay hike and rewards for those who backed party leadership by voting "yes."

The average citizen cannot help but conclude that far more legislative effort went into the self-serving July 7 pay-raise package than into any other piece of legislation to come out of Harrisburg this year.

The entire fiasco suggests, whether it true or not, that lawmakers in Harrisburg are more concerned with internal power struggles and their personal pay and perks than they are with doing things to improve the lives of their fellow Pennsylvanians.

Even if the unpopular pay-raise vote cannot be rolled back or ruled unconstitutional, it has provided the public a valuable lesson on the priorities of their elected public servants.