A week doesn't go by when Pennsylvania doesn't receive failing marks from government watchdog organizations.
The latest black mark on Ed Rendell's report card is a big red "F" grade from The Center for Public Integrity on Pennsylvania's financial disclosure laws.
How much do we know about Gov. Rendell's financial holdings? Not enough, according to to The Center for Public Integrity.
And the Rendell administration is not exactly the poster child for ethical conduct. (His insurance commissioner just took a job with the insurance industry; his DEP secretary provides millions in grants to a company where her husband works; and we know about Rendell's moonlighting as a football commentator for Comcast, which has received millions in taxpayer dollars).
Pennsylvania is not alone in keeping financial information from the public. The Keystone State was one of 21 states that received failing grades for making information about their governors' private financial interests available to the public.
For all the talk of reforming state government, only 1 new law promoting more open government has been enacted by the state Legislature since the July 2005 pay raise.
Elected officials in Pennsylvania are required to submit a one-page summary of their financial interests. That's it. A one-page summary. By comparison, some states require politicians to fill out 20 pages about their financial ties.
Pennsylvania residents need to know more about where politicians get their money and what they own. Taxpayers also need to know about potential conflicts involving the spouses of elected officials.
The full report by the Center for Public Integrity report can be found online at http://www.publicintegrity.org/
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