Newspaper: 'Paralysis in Harrisburg'

Tom Infield of The Philadelphia Inquirer looks at Pennsylvania's dysfunctional state government under Gov. Ed Renell and the current leadership of the state Legislature.

From his article in today's edition of the Inquirer:

The atmosphere of near-paralysis that now grips Harrisburg was on grim display again yesterday afternoon.

Even as a tardy state House was struggling to reach agreement on a near-final piece of budget legislation promised in October, the state attorney general was at a microphone announcing further charges in his long-running probe of legislative corruption.

It was the 168th consecutive day on which the state didn't have a completed budget; it was due June 30. The missing element was $250 million that is to come from taxes and fees from the proposal to add table games to slots parlors. That debate also held up funding for several state-related universities, including Penn State, Temple, and Lincoln.

For Attorney General Tom Corbett, the day brought the third set of sweeping corruption charges he has filed since July 2008 against people currently or formerly on the legislative payroll - charges related to use of public funds for political purposes.

The sad conclusion? Nothing will change in Harrisburg until a new governor is elected next year (and possible a change in the majority of the state House after four disappointing years of Democratic control.)

Read the full article at the newspaper's Web site.