Now, Rendell says, it's time for reform

HARRISBURG - Gov. Rendell vowed yesterday to be a low-key but resolute advocate for government reform during his last year in office, saying special interests hold too much sway in Harrisburg.

Rendell renewed his pitch for imposing the first-ever limits on state campaign contributions, ending the election of appellate judges, and giving citizens control over the redrawing of legislative districts every 10 years.

He acknowledged that the legislature ultimately decides which proposals become law, and said he would limit his involvement in an effort to avoid polarizing the debate.

"I don't want to make this about me," the Democrat told reporters after an unrelated news conference. "If I do something, it will be putting other respected Pennsylvanians at the helm of these reform measures" by appointing citizen panels to make the case for change.

Rendell blamed business lobbyists for prolonging negotiations over this year's budget by blocking attempts to raise revenue by abolishing certain tax exemptions.

"We've done great things legislatively [but] get virtually no credit for it because we have a process that's broken," he said. "Special interests still dominate the scene here in Harrisburg."

Rendell is an unlikely poster child for campaign-finance reform. He set records by raising tens of millions of dollars in each of his gubernatorial campaigns, in 2002 and 2006.

While he has promoted reform proposals since at least his second inaugural address, Rendell has placed much more emphasis on policy and spending initiatives. Few major changes have been enacted.

"I did try to pursue them, and they fell on deaf ears," he said yesterday.

He said he hoped "citizen ire" over the 101-day budget stalemate would boost reform efforts.

Rendell's campaign-finance plan would limit contributions to candidates for statewide office by individuals or political committees to $5,000 and set limits on total contributions during any two-year election cycle. Current law prevents corporations from giving to campaigns but imposes no monetary limits.

He said lobbyists should be barred from contributing money to any elected official or candidate for public office.