New Pa. House members get free cars
Nearly half of the new state legislators are taking taxpayer-funded cars, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (see list of lawmakers, vehicles, and price tag here). The quandry some have…
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Public-Private Partnerships: Paying for Our Paving
Pennsylvania is facing a $1.7 billion annual shortfall in funding for roads, bridges and mass transit. The only thing worse than the deficit is the proposed “solution” to this shortfall:…
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Will leasing PA Turnpike be a 21st-century taxpayer bargain?
Will leasing PA Turnpike be a 21st-century taxpayer bargain?By MARC LEVYAssociated Press Writer HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP, Dec. 30) – Let the bidding begin. With lots of private money looking…
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To lease or not to lease
From Capitolwire.com (subscription): While Gov. Ed Rendell waits for a Dec. 22 deadline for private firms to submit “expressions of interest” to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, public policy…
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Turnpike Lease is Win-Win for Taxpayers, Lawmakers
Governor Rendell’s recent announcement that the state would seek “expressions of interest” on a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is a recognition of the potential benefits of public-private partnerships (P3s)…
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Amtrak service between Philly, Harrisburg trying to improve on ‘beyond pathetic’
The Morning Call reports that the $145 million taxpayer grant to Amtrak for “high speed rail.” Not only was this project not worth the benefit (See here), but…
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Local Lawmakers Collect Thousands Before Leaving Office
WGAL’s Ben Simmoneau reports…. “After he gave himself a pay raise last year, the voters tossed Lebanon County state Rep. Pete Zug out of office on May 16. Dauphin…
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Sense of Irony?
The PA House Democratic Leadership Letter features two items that either show a sense of irony, or a complete blindless to the shadiness of Harrisburg politics. The first items…
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State court rejects lawsuit over ‘perks’ for legislators
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp, who filed the Commonwealth Court suit in February, based his claim on a section of the constitution providing for legislators to…
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