Happy Anniversary!

July 7th marks one year since the Pennsylvania legislature made the biggest political mistake in a long time.

At 2 AM, after days of "hard work" finishing up odds and ends, to reward themselves, they decided to give themselves a payraise. Depend on your position and seniority it was a raise worth anywhere from 16% to 54%!

... and it ignited a firestorm, leading to the defeat of a Supreme Court justice last fall, 40 some retirements and 17 primary losses.

So how to celebrate?

How about a giant pink pig INSIDE the statehouse?

Standing on the Capitol steps with them: the pink inflatable pig which has become the symbol for payraise reform.

The group called for additional changes to the pension and healthcare system for lawmakers and for lobbyist reform.

"No one can turn a blind eye to organized gluttony. Nor can we afford to take one step backwards," said Eric Epstein, coordinator of Rock the Capitol, one of the group's attending today's news conference.

Several of the groups said they plan to return at 2 a.m. -- the time the law was passed -- in remembrance of it.

That pig's amazing. Statewide tour... spent a week on the Capital steps.... and now INSIDE!

Pennsylvania Posted by AlexC at July 7, 2006 2:00 AM