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YOU HAVE TO admire the ruling elite in Harrisburg.

In the midst of asking sacrifices of virtually everyone in the state, lawmakers managed to obscure the fact that they took care of themselves first. Consider the following budgetary nuggets, courtesy of Tim Potts of Democracy Rising Pennsylvania:

• The line item “Senators’ Salaries” shows an increase of 6.2 percent, increasing the cost from $6,340,000 to $6,734,000.

• Over in the House, there’s a 44.9 percent increase in “Members’ Compensation,” increasing the cost from $17,656,000 to $25,584,000.

Two points to make. First, while workers have been asked to forego pay hikes, lawmakers still intend to take theirs. Second, some will make a big show about donating their raises to charity. Don’t be fooled. The increase still factors in their fabulous pensions.

Want more?

The House plans a 25.8 percent increase in “Caucus Operations,” going from $75.9 million this year to $95.5 million next year; and there’s a 182 percent increase in the Commonwealth Mail Processing Center (so they can send you all those colorful newsletters telling you what a great job they’re doing).

Democracy Rising added up all the sacrifices being made by the Senate, House and their support agencies and determined the net is a cut of 1/10th of 1 percent, or $474,000.

Lawmakers did manage, though, to agree on a 10.1 percent cut in the budget of the State Ethics Commission.

Honestly, you can’t make up this stuff.