Inquirer Editorial: Pay to party
It's good to hear the deep-pocketed special interests that paid for Gov. Corbett's lavish inaugural events last week won't, according to the governor's press aide, get any "special favors."
It's good to hear the deep-pocketed special interests that paid for Gov. Corbett's lavish inaugural events last week won't, according to the governor's press aide, get any "special favors."
A better plan, though, would have been for Corbett to pay more than lip service to the tough economic times - as well as his campaign pledge to change Harrisburg's political culture - by going with more muted celebrations.
That could have helped to reduce the $3.5 million cost for the events. Such a move would have enabled Corbett to avoid hitting up so many big donors with interests before state government.
Some of the influential donors included companies drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale formation, public and private labor unions, drugmakers, major law firms, and utilities, among them, Peco Energy Co.
To be sure, Corbett isn't the first governor to fund inaugural events with private funds. He follows the Babe Ruth of fund-raising in Pennsylvania. Former Gov. Edward G. Rendell, the state's most prodigious political fund-raiser, tapped many individuals who had or later developed business dealings with the state.
But Corbett could've altered the tradition, and sent a clear signal about austerity and pay-to-play.
In terms of cleaning up Harrisburg, the continued interplay of big bucks and Pennsylvania politics makes the case even stronger for campaign-finance rules that limit the potential influence on public policy of fat-cat donors.
That sounds like the perfect cause for the state's self-declared reform governor.
