Pa. turnpike commission called hub of patronage

The Commonwealth Foundation's president, Matthew Brouillette, said the goal was to keep Pennsylvanians from putting their transportation future in the commission’s hands by adding tolls on Interstate 80.

By MARK SCOLFORO
The Associated Press

8/29/2008

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A conservative think tank in Harrisburg rolled out a publicity campaign Thursday attacking the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for a culture of “power, patronage and politics.”

The Commonwealth Foundation unveiled a two-minute video and a poster that describe links between some prominent state politicians and lobbyists and the turnpike commission’s executives and employees.

The head of the commission called it a smear campaign that did not merit a response.

The foundation’s president, Matthew Brouillette, said the goal was to keep Pennsylvanians from putting their transportation future in the commission’s hands by adding tolls on Interstate 80.

“We obviously believe that this is the precise wrong direction for Pennsylvania’s future,” he said.

He instead supports a plan, backed by Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, to lease the turnpike to a private group for $12.8 billion. There has been strong opposition to the lease in the Legislature, but that could change if federal regulators do not allow tolls on I-80.

Brouillette said the turnpike commission represents “everything that is wrong with Pennsylvania government.”

“We have made Pennsylvania dependent upon the turnpike commission for the major funding of our roads, highways, bridges and mass transit,” he said. “And we have placed our trust, our faith and a tremendous amount of debt on what is clearly one of the most corrupt, scandalous, abusive — can I come up with any more adjectives? — patronage-laden agency that exists.”

Joe Brimmeier, the turnpike commission’s chief executive, is featured at the top of the Commonwealth Foundation’s “family tree” poster of turnpike figures.

Brimmeier said the turnpike commission’s “superior credit rating” shows that it is well run.

“It is unfortunate when those who cannot prevail on the public-policy debate resort to such negative attacks,” Brimmeier said.

The Commonwealth Foundation repeated allegations in the pending public corruption federal case against Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia. The poster and video describe family relationships among turnpike employees, note lavish spending by its top executives, and allege corruption and inside dealing.

The video describes Fumo as “the state senator who has been called the patron saint of the turnpike commission, the Capitol’s original godfather.” The turnpike is heavily controlled by the state Senate, and Fumo in particular has exerted considerable influence over it for many years.

A pretrial memo recently filed by federal prosecutors claimed Fumo gave a lucrative “ghost” job to turnpike commission chairman Mitchell Rubin “in return for no work at all.” Rubin has not been charged with any crime.

Rubin’s wife, Fumo co-defendant Ruth Arnao, ran a South Philadelphia nonprofit, the Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, that figures prominently in the criminal allegations against them. She also is part of the “family tree.”

Fumo spokesman Gary Tuma declined to comment. Messages seeking comment from Rubin and Arnao were not immediately returned Thursday.

Jim Courtovich, a spokesman for turnpike lease high bidders Pennsylvania Transportation Partners, said his group was not involved in funding the Commonwealth Foundation’s effort but agreed with its message.

“What the people of the commonwealth will ultimately reject is the way the turnpike commission has not only poorly managed this road, but they’ve done it in a fashion that, if you look at all of the activities with regard to the Fumo trial and everything else, it’s time for a change, it’s time for a new manager of the turnpike,” he said.