Rep. Cohen Really Wants $2600

That Phillyblog thread about Mark B. Cohen petered out at 4 pages, but that doesn’t mean netizens elsewhere haven’t picked up the slack. Hell, even reporters just reporting facts (gasp!) have sort of gotten in on the game.

Check out this Philly.com post from Mario Cattabiani:

Don’t bother asking State Rep. Mark Cohen whether he, like each and every one of the other House Democratic leaders, is giving back his cost-of-living-adjustment that kicked in Monday.

He’s not saying. In fact, the Philadelphia Democrat might just walk away if you pursue it.

That’s what I found out yesterday.

After top Democratic leaders in the House announced late Tuesday that they were foregoing the 2.8 percent COLA, I stopped by Cohen’s Capitol office. He’s been in leadership since 1990, and currently served as Caucus Chairman.

He wasn’t there, so I left a message. No response.

I tried calling. Still no response.

Nothing too wild so far. Just a typical story about a typical hard-to-find Congressman, who doesn’t answer your question unless you go to a messageboard and ask him.

Yesterday, in the basement of the Capitol, I ran into Cohen and told him I had reached out twice, unsuccessfully.

“I respect your right to make phone calls,” he told me. I then asked if he was going to give back the COLA. He turned from me, without answering, and walked away.

This is great. Just walked away! Clearly, he’s taking the cost-of-living increase, unlike each and every one of his colleagues. Perhaps he needs the money, you say. Yes, let’s continue on:

He is now making $94,949 — $2,600 of which comes courtesy of the annual COLA.

A source told me that when House Democratic leaders were deciding early this week whether to give the money back, Cohen argued against the move.

Yes, that’s right, all this for a measly $2,600, which to be honest doesn’t even look all that attractive to myself, a professional blogger. Then again, we bloggers do light our nightly soothing aromatherapy candles with $100 bills.

Update: There’s a Phillyblog thread about this.

State Rep. Cohen mum on whether he will return his raise [Commonwealth Confidential]