John Baer: Guv hopefuls discuss reform ideas tonight on PCN

THE SIX candidates for governor gather this evening for a TV gig focused on ethics and good government, well-known deficiencies in Pennsylvania. We are, as I've ranted about for years, a state allowing unlimited campaign contributions, gerrymandered districts to protect incumbents and other homemade rules that isolate government from those it's supposed to serve.

The problem is extensive, disregards democracy and is largely responsible for so many lawmakers going from the statehouse to the big house. Plus, streams of cash coupled with incumbent protections make it nearly impossible to alter the makeup of our underperforming, full-time Legislature - the largest, most expensive in the U.S.

This leads to leaders' lasting for decades, which leads to arrogance, which leads to scandals, which leads to 67 percent of voters' (according to this month's Franklin & Marshall College poll) believing that "most" legislators use taxpayer dollars and resources to run for re-election.

And the fact that this Legislature won't heal itself - aside from a few Band-Aid reforms - nine years after gerrymandering, five years after an illicit pay raise and three years after doling out bonuses to staffers, means that real change must be driven by a governor pushing a reform agenda.

Our would-be guvs' reform debate airs statewide on the Pennsylvania Cable Network, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. It is sponsored by the Committee of Seventy, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and Harrisburg Area Community College, the site of the event. (Full disclosure: I'm the moderator.)

Expect lots of agreement. Few candidates openly oppose reform. Most say what people want to hear. But it's rare that they include realistic explanations of how reforms get done.

Still, what should be telling are any details about whatever is promised, the priorities these promises are assigned and just how willing candidates are to press for what they say they support.

Democratic Auditor General Jack Wagner, for example, supports a constitutional convention on issues such as the Legislature's size, campaign finance and redistricting.

Does any other candidate?

(In a bit of good political timing, Wagner held a Capitol news conference yesterday formally announcing his reform agenda - cutting the Legislature by one-third and allowing independents to vote in primaries.)

Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett wants to eliminate lawmakers' per diems (fixed amounts collected for "work" days; no receipts required) and to replace them with actual, capped expenses. Would he push this as a governor while trying to get budgets passed?

Democrat Dan Onorato calls for term limits (12 years), campaign-finance reforms, a smaller Legislature and a citizens compensation commission to decide legislative pay. Again, realistic when it comes to dealing with lawmakers on budgets?

Democrat Joe Hoeffel says that he'd seek a constitutional amendment to take redistricting/reapportionment out of the Legislature, that the state should set limits on campaign contributions and that he'd "explore" public financing of campaigns.

All good ideas. Be nice to hear details about how they get done.

Republican Sam Rohrer hasn't talked much about reforms unrelated to conservative fiscal policies. But he did sponsor a bill to outlaw WAMs (earmarks) to "save money and change the face of public policy." Democrat Tony Williams also talks little of reforms apart from educational ideas (school vouchers). But he sponsored the 2008 Right-to-Know Law, which eases access to public records.

I understand reform proposals won't drive this campaign; jobs and the economy will. But it would be nice to have candidates commit to reforms as a top priority upon entering office rather than waiting to lobby for change in a second term or near its end.

We'll see if anyone does that tonight.

Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.