Inflation slump means no raise for Pa. officials

Top Pennsylvania state officials won't be getting the automatic cost-of-living salary increases this year that they usually enjoy.Those increases are tied to the U.S. Consumer Price Index for the Philadelphia metropolitan region, which measures inflation over a 12-month period.Usually that index increases _ triggering the automatic raises _ but federal officials said Wednesday that it declined this year.Bob Caton, a spokesman for House Speaker Keith McCall, says it's the first time that no increases have been granted in the 14 years since the law took effect.For legislators, that means their salaries will remain at $78,315. The state's judges, Gov. Ed Rendell and other top state officials also will not see cost-of-living increases this year.Last year, the increase was nearly 3 percent.