Rendell Wants to Borrow $240 Million Immediately For Roads and Bridges

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell today called on the state Legislature to quickly enact a "supplemental debt authorization" of $240 million to jump start necessary improvements to ailing bridges, roads and flood-prone areas.

He said two recent transportation-related problems -- when part of the Birmingham Bridge in Pittsburgh fell 8 inches in February, and last week, when a major crack was discovered in a support pillar for Interstate 95 in Philadelphia -- highlighted what officials already know: Road and bridge problems are getting worse, and could endanger motorists. I-95, a heavily traveled highway in Philadelphia, had to be shut down for three days, greatly adding to motorists' headaches.

The $240 million in borrowed money "will enable us to quicken the pace of repairing critical components of our state infrastructure," the governor said in a letter sent today to all 253 legislators.

Now, Let's see...I do believe that in 2006, Governor Rendell took $412 million in federal highway money, earmarked just for this infrastructure repair, and used it to bail out mass transit, particularly the Allegheny County part Authority and SEPTA, in Philadelphia:

Mass-Transit Budgets Strain under High Fuel Prices
The Patriot News, August 14, 2006

Penn. - As gas prices reach $3 a gallon following Hurricane Katrina and again this year, motorists across Pennsylvania are parking their cars and turning to mass transit. The increase in ridership is causing a strain on the two midstate mass-transit systems, Capital Area Transit and York County's Rabbittransit, which have experienced double digit increases over the past year. The state's largest systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have also seen significant increases in ridership.

But recent the upsurge in riders has created a funding deficit. Philadelphia's SEPTA has predicted a $55 million shortfall, and the Port Authority of Allegheny County is expecting a $31.5 million shortfall in 2007, according to authorities from those systems.

Gov. Ed Rendell used $412 million in federal highway money to bail out mass transit, the majority of which went to SEPTA and the Port Authority, because they were facing fare hikes and service cuts.

The governor plans to follow recommendations made by the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission for a long-term solution to the funding problems.

"One of the dilemmas is that mass transit has been ignored by everyone," said Frank Pinto, vice chairman of CAT's board of directors. "It's been more and more difficult to maintain systems."

Seems to me that Ed Spendell likes to rob from Peter to pay Paul. Problem is, last time, Peter was the federal government. This time it's you and me, my friends. More likely than not, this will become the next governor's problem. Thanks Eddie, thanks.

It's a rottens shame that PA doesn't have recall power, ala California. We couldn't possibly do any worse.

Read more about the proposed loan that our children and grandchildren will be left paying the note on. My bet is that Spendell will try to bully the legislature into voting for this by holding the state hostage, once again, when the new budget stands to be approved.