Six months ago, Gov. Tom Corbett put together a 40-member, well-qualified advisory group to study how to finance Pennsylvania's transportation and transit needs.
Three months ago, his Transportation Funding Advisory Commission presented a comprehensive plan that could raise $2.7 billion through a combination of measures -- lifting a cap on a tax paid by fuel wholesalers and hiking the fees for driver licenses and auto registration.
Since then, legislative leaders have been waiting to learn the governor's reaction to the plan, because both Republicans and Democrats are eager to get moving and they want to adopt a measure that Mr. Corbett will sign.
In part, they are motivated by political expediency -- it will be much more difficult to pass any increase in fees on motorists next year, when most members are running for re-election. But lawmakers also are motivated by the deteriorating state of Pennsylvania's 5,000 structurally deficient bridges, 8,000 crumbling miles of highway and a severely diminished ability to provide efficient mass transit.
That sure sounds like a crisis, yet the governor's most recent statements suggest that he doesn't understand why anybody would expect him to do something about it. Here's what he said Tuesday: "I'm just stunned at everybody saying it's finally time to do something about it, when they've had the opportunity, including a special [legislative] session on transportation, and absolutely nothing got done."
Of course, the major difference between last year and this year is that Mr. Corbett, a Republican, has succeeded Democrat Ed Rendell as governor, and Mr. Corbett has majorities in both the House and the Senate. He is in a position to do something about it.
Mr. Corbett said he is worried about the economy, and he's certainly not alone in that. But the plan offered by his own transportation commission would cost the average driver just $120 to $200 per year, or less than $17 per month. It would put Pennsylvanians to work, performing long-needed repairs and upgrades that will cut down on wasted time and gasoline.
The governor has said, "Sure there's a problem. There's been a problem there for 25 years. Where has everybody been for 25 years?"
The better question is why isn't Mr. Corbett eager to solve it now.
