Philadelphia Daily News (PA)   August 10, 2005 Section: LOCAL Edition: 4STAR Page: 04 Memo:THE HARRISBURG HOGS!  Raised all this stink . . . BUT CAN THE OPPOSITION SUSTAIN ITS ASSAULT TILL ELECTION DAY? JOHN M. BAER   A UNION LOBBYIST, outraged over the legislative pay raise, shares a memo with me that strongly urges his union's future efforts be directed solely at regulatory agencies and executive-branch officials, because "dealing with self-centered parasites, hoping they sweep a few crumbs for us to nibble on, is getting old."   I get a note from a legislative aide in a leadership office saying that the size of the pay raise (at least 16 percent, twice that for many) is "sickening" given that staff just got a 3.5-percent cost-of-living increase and Gov. Ed once froze wages for 80,000 working-class state employees. Now, I understand (and regularly hear) irate reaction from everyday folks over lawmakers' boosting their pay after raising taxes, cutting medical assistance and failing to deliver property- and wage-tax relief.   I understand a throw-the-bums-out mentality; it's easy from a distance to damn the damn politicians.   But when people who know and work closely with them grouse, people inside the system, then something's going on.   And what's going on is sustained anger against so-called public servants putting themselves ahead of the public they supposedly serve. What's going on is the realization that politicians often powerless to find funds for mass transit, Medicaid, and increased minimum wage show all sorts of power when it comes to finding money for themselves.   And then there's the way it was done.   State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy proposes a pay plan for judges, lawmakers and others. Legislative leaders ram it through in the dead of night without debate or public review. Then they duck the Constitution, which says you can't vote yourself a raise while in office, by calling the increase "unvouchered expenses," a term laughable everywhere but Pennsylvania.   Gov. Ed signs it into law, praising the legislation and the Legislature. Then House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese punishes 15 Democrats who voted against it by stripping them of committee posts that pay more.   All this, I think, adds up.   So even though senior legislative aides and lawmakers tell me there's no fear of retribution, that the anger will pass before the next election, and even though Gov. Ed says he's not surprised by backlash, adding, "I think it's a little bit media inspired, to be honest," I'm not so sure.   Since the raise, there are reports of lawmakers' junkets home and abroad. My personal favorite is the board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (16 of 21 members are lawmakers) spending, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, $884,687 for trips to the Napa Valley, the Greenbrier in West Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg and Nemacolin Woodlands in Fayette County, "one of America's top hotels, resorts and spas," according to the famed Zagat Survey. This is happening as college tuitions increase.   Public disgust, rather than evaporating in the heat of summer, might just be starting to gel.   Temple political-science prof Marc Stier travels the state with petitions to delay the raise until after the '06 elections, raise the minimum wage and adopt rules requiring public hearings on all legislation. His new group, Neighborhood Networks, was in Altoona this week (home of Senate leader Bob Jubelirer) and plans trips to the hometowns of other legislative leaders. He says he's getting great response.   "This really is lasting. Everyone is talking about it," Stier says.   Tim Potts, co-founder of another new group, Democracy Rising PA, focuses on November's state Supreme Court retention elections; two of seven justices, Russell Nigro and Sandra Schultz Newman, face "yes" or "no" votes.   "If you're mad about the pay raise, remember legislators only can do what the court allows [such as unvouchered expenses], and it's easier to change a majority of the court than a majority of the Legislature," says Potts, "Why wait 'til next year? Vote 'no' on Nigro/Newman now."   He hopes to raise funds for Swift Boat Veterans-like Web site ads.   There are others: www.pacleansweep.com wants to oust all incumbents; Harrisburg gadfly/lawyer Gene Stilp is in court challenging the constitutionality of the raise; the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania yesterday called for its repeal.   Most veteran viewers of state politics, myself included, predicted initial pay-raise fury fades. Maybe it does. But then again maybe dealing with self-centered parasites is getting old for more than just one lobbyist. *   Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com   Illustration:PHOTO Associated Press file   House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese punished 15 Democrats who voted against raises by stripping them of committee posts.