PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE Editorial: The Roman emperor Nero is said to have fiddled while Rome burned. Gov. Tom Corbett is no Nero but he fiddles while aging bridges and roads further deteriorate, inviting Pennsylvanians to do a slow burn.
Yet another reminder of the problem occurred in Harrisburg Tuesday in a joint meeting of the state Senate and House transportation committees. The issue was much-needed funding for transportation. By now, the issue should have been resolved.
In August 2011, Mr. Corbett’s own Transportation Funding Advisory Commission gave him sensible recommendations that would have generated $2.5 billion annually for transportation needs. The plan included higher fees for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations and the removal of a cap on fuel taxes paid by wholesalers. The commission’s report found bipartisan support. It still has it. What it doesn’t have is the support of the governor who convened it… (more)
Why does Governor [Corbett] pay such loyalty to Grover Norquist on his (governor’s) pledge not to raise taxes while at the same time standing idly by while the state’s infrastructure and other needs are left to fall by the wayside? All the so-called savings by the governor are only costs that are passed down to the local municipallities and taxing districts.
Perhaps the governor should leave his ivory tower for a short time and see what the real world is like.