Just how screwed up is Pennsylvania?

Despite the daily propaganda coming from the Rendell administration about how wonderful things are in Pennsylvania, three independent studies predict a dire future for the Keystone State unless dramatic changes are made in the way the state conducts business.

The independent studies released by three major research institutions are:

* An assessment of the fiscal health of Pennsylvania municipalities by the Pennsylvania Economy League, called "Structuring Healthy Communities;"
* An update of the 2003 "Back to Prosperity" report, entitled "Committing to Prosperity," prepared by the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program for The Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania; and
* "Strengthening Rural Pennsylvania," a policy brief on rural issues authored by a team of researchers from The Pennsylvania State University.

All three studies can be read at the RenewPA Web site.

"Without major changes in the structures and laws that govern municipalities and the way they are financed, and unless communities are empowered to work more closely together, their fiscal and physical integrity is at grave risk and the state's economy will continue to struggle in the coming decades," according to the Web site.