Campaign funds for political purposes. Taxpayer money for public projects. What's so hard about this?

by Dave Merrell

Published Jun 8, 2010

Last week, the Inquirer broke a story about the Rendell administration using taxpayer money to pay for public relations consultant Kevin Feeley to conduct:

a massive research project to illustrate how the administration's policies have helped ordinary people.

Dubbed by some in the administration "the legacy project," its purpose is to put a face on Rendell's education, economic-development, and environmental programs, Feeley said.

This is clearly not an appropriate use of state money, as even Ed himself agreed yesterday when he canceled the project and said any legacy projects will use campaign funds. He also said he would ask Feeley to return the $10,000 the state has already doled out.

Misuse of taxpayer money is nothing new in Harrisburg, but why is the line between between public projects and political ones so blurry? It seems pretty simple to us: public money is for public projects, campaign money is for political projects. Our lawmakers would do well to remember that.

Published June 8, 2010