Weighing in, in this corner . . .
You need a scorecard to keep up with all the shady goings-on in Philly these days -- we know, we know, Western Pa has held up its end of the bargain -- but here's the latest on just two current matters happening on the other side of the Keystone. The second one has connections to those Ed Rendell migraines Dan Onorato must be waking up to each day.
But first up is the follow-up story on the federal raid of the state rep's offices we told you about yesterday. From the Inquirer:
A federal probe into campaign spending and two publicly funded nonprofits led Wednesday to raids on the offices of State Rep. William F. Keller (D., Phila.), the home of city Traffic Court Judge Robert Mulgrew, and the suburban office of a prominent political consultant.
The FBI and the IRS are looking at whether money from Keller's political action committee was used for noncampaign purposes, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
At the troubled Delaware River Port Authority, chairman John Estey -- a longtime buddy of Onorato's and Rendell's former chief of staff -- said he would resign once a new governor takes over, while the board also adopted a bunch of reforms. Rendell preceded him as chair. The resignation isn't much of a head-scratcher if you've been reading the writing on the wall.
Both this story and the one above on the raids are well worth reading in full. But for a taste on the second, here's the Inquirer again:
The board of the beleaguered Delaware River Port Authority adopted a series of reforms Wednesday designed to reduce political influence and increase accountability.
The measures were the first steps toward sweeping change at the DRPA, long permeated by insider dealing, nepotism and a pay-to-play culture. Change will include a new board chairman: after the meeting, John Estey said he will resign from that post after Pennsylvania's new governor takes office in January.
The board voted to end its controversial practice of spending toll revenues on economic-development projects not directly related to its core mission of operating four toll bridges and the PATCO commuter rail line between Philadelphia and South Jersey.
In the past 12 years the agency spent nearly $500 million on such projects, contributing to its debt of $1.4 billion that now consumes about 40 percent of the agency's revenue.
Photo: City Farmer