A Commonwealth Court ruling allowing legislators to have any unconstitutional perk they wish is more evidence that the letter of the law in Pennsylvania has become a dead letter. Reads Article II, Section 8, of the state Constitution: "The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed by law, and no other compensation whatever, whether for service upon committee or otherwise." Can "and no other compensation whatever" be any clearer to anyone other than self-important mind readers posing as judges in the commonwealth? Judge Robert Simpson essentially said the Framers did not mean what they wrote because the state Supreme Court over the last 125 years repeatedly has ruled that no compensation other than salary and mileage does not mean no compensation other than salary and mileage. The court is ruling that legislators' car leases, per diems, health insurance, pensions ad nauseam are permissible. The state Supreme Court should review this decision even though no sane person could imagine the seven justices overturning a ruling by their fellow conspirators. Duquesne University law professor Bruce Ledewitz understands the state Constitution as few others do. He rightly points out that there's only one question left to answer: Is there any perk the court will not allow?

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