Budget Updates

Some stories on the state budget negotiations:
Patriot News
Post-Gazette
Inquirer/AP
AP on tolling I-80, quoting PennDot study from two years ago:

“Based on the long timetable to realize benefits, the high cost of converting the road to toll, and the fact that a financial break-even point is decades away, it is recommended that converting I-80 to a toll road not be pursued at this time,” the study reported.

Patriot News on Turnpike Tolls (also see our News Release from early Saturday)

And this gem from Capitolwire.com:

Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia, who backs Rendell’s attempt to win passage of the energy bill, said Pileggi and Scarnati “were still representing their caucus, not leading their caucus. Neither of them have ever done this before. They are new leaders.”

So Scarnati and Pileggi are, in fact, listening to the opinions of others, being rational, and “representing their caucus” instead of “leading”, like Vince Fumo does? I say Bravo! There is a reason there are not “Be like Vince” commercials.