The big pay raise Pennsylvania lawmakers approved for themselves early Thursday might be palatable if state taxpayers could be assured of a much-more-effective legislative process.

But that didn't happen after the General Assembly raised lawmakers' pay by 18 percent in 1995 - and called for future annual raises to be tied to the Philadelphia region's cost-of-living increase. Therefore, it would be foolhardy for state residents to believe that the new 16 percent base pay increase will produce anything other than the same partisanship and inefficiency that have dominated the state capital day in and day out and were big reasons why the 2005-06 state budget was a week late in being adopted.

To their credit, most state lawmakers tied directly to Butler County by virtue of their legislative districts made the right choice in voting against the raises. They are state Sens. Mary Jo White, Don White and Jane Orie and Reps. Brian Ellis, Daryl Metcalfe, Dick Stevenson and Scott Hutchinson.

Those who voted yes were Sen. Bob Robbins and Rep. Frank LaGrotta.

All members of the Butler County legislative delegation are Republican, except for LaGrotta, who is a Democrat.

Instead of accepting and spending the raises despite not voting for them, it would send a positive message if the recorded opponents of the pay hike here and elsewhere would donate their raises to charities of their choice. That would help ease any anger and frustration being harbored by state residents over this latest pay-raise assault on the commonwealth's coffers, although even that kind of promise shouldn't completely console residents over what has occurred.

Few workers in the private sector will experience anything close to a 16 percent pay raise this year or anytime soon. Lawmakers knew the rate of pay and the provision for the annual hike tied to Philadelphia's cost of living when they ran for office. Senate and House members should have been content with the generous pay and benefits that were already in place - benefits that include fully paid health insurance, fully paid pensions, up to $7,800 a year for vehicle expenses and $129 a day in expenses for lawmakers residing more than 50 miles from the capital.

Meanwhile, taxpayers shouldn't be fooled by the fact that the legislative raises cannot officially take effect until the next legislature is seated following the 2006 general election. That's because, in keeping with a longstanding tradition, the pay raise bill includes language allowing lawmakers to collect the raises immediately through "unvouchered expenses."

Presumably, most lawmakers will find a way to exercise that opportunity, which Gov. Ed Rendell classified as "legal, and that's all I'm going to say about it."

The governor didn't address whether accepting the raise prematurely in such a sleazy way is unethical.

Of course, the governor's salary was upped to $176,800 from $155,572 - a 14 percent raise - in the wake of a budget exercise in which Rendell sought significant cuts in Medicaid benefits for the 1.8 million poor and disabled state residents.

Pay raises shouldn't be heaped on state officials at a time when they are advocating making more challenging the lives of the poor.

Rendell said he "probably would not" accept his pay raise; it would have been better if he had said he definitely would not do so, considering that not all of the Medicaid cuts Rendell initially proposed were restored in the budget wheeling and dealing.

Because of the spirit of state law that lawmakers should not vote themselves a pay raise, Thursday's raise actually should not go into effect until the lawmaker currently in each seat vacates that seat - but such a stipulation was out of the galaxy of reason for the current "Harrisburg elites."

The pay raise passed by a 119-79 vote in the House (one Republican and two Democrats did not vote) and 27-23 in the Senate. The raise makes Pennsylvania lawmakers' salaries second only to California lawmakers' pay. Pennsylvania lawmakers currently earn the fourth-highest salaries in the nation but perform almost as if they are among the worst-paid.

Don't expect the "part-time, overtime" Pennsylvania General Assembly to become the second-most-effective in the nation in response to Thursday's pay action. Anticipate another drawn-out, bogged-down budget exercise next year, and much ineffectiveness due to excessive partisanship in the months between now and then.

Pennsylvania has a 2005-06 budget, but the pay raise amounts to a bribe for lawmakers to do their job, although the "bribe" comes with no promises attached.

The raise merits residents' outrage, but too bad voters will have forgotten about it by the time next year's elections - and the opportunity to send a stern message - arrive.