Gov. Rendell did the right thing in dumping Mitchell Rubin as head of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
Too bad it took the corruption conviction of former state Sen. Vince Fumo, and a target letter from FBI agents to Rubin, before Rendell finally acted. If the governor is serious about cleaning up the patronage-laden Turnpike Commission, he shouldn't stop with Rubin.
The commission has long been a fetid cesspool, specializing in jobs for the politically connected and no-bid contracts for cronies. But little has been done about it, given the high tolerance for patronage and pay-to-play in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
Rubin, 57, was a member of the Turnpike Commission for 11 years, including the last six as chairman. He is married to Ruth Arnao, the former head of Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, the Fumo-created nonprofit at the center of his case. She was convicted of all 45 counts she faced for her role in the scheme. Fumo was found guilty on all 137 counts against him.
At trial, federal prosecutors proved that Fumo paid Rubin $150,000 over five years to serve as a research consultant to the state Senate. But there was no evidence that Rubin did any work in return.
Rubin has not been charged with any wrongdoing. But last week, an FBI agent handed him a "target letter," often considered a prelude to a federal indictment.
After receiving the letter Thursday, Rubin announced Saturday that he was taking a leave of absence from the Turnpike Commission. On Monday, Rendell went one step further and removed him from the commission - but not before thanking him for his years of service.
To be sure, Rubin's main qualification for the jobs and contracts he has received over the years seems to be his ties to Fumo. The two were friends and often vacationed together, along with Arnao
The previous Turnpike Commission chair was U.S. Rep. Bob Brady. After Brady was elected to Congress, Fumo arranged for Rubin to join the commission. "That was my call," Fumo boasted at the time.
For decades the Turnpike Commission has been controlled by pols. At one point, employees were strongly urged to make donations to political-party bosses. Now, law firms and others seeking bond work and contracts with the agency often make sizeable campaign contributions to the elected power brokers pulling the strings.
Shouldn't the Turnpike Commission - a sprawling agency with an annual budget of almost $300 million that employs 2,200 and oversees the operation of 530 miles of roads - be run by professionals, instead of by political hacks?
Rubin also owns a company that has a lucrative no-bid contract with the city, which pays him about $1 million a year to serve lawsuit notices for the Philadelphia courts. Seems like a good time for city and court officials to review that contract, and put it out to bid when it expires.
Federal prosecutors essentially forced Rendell's hand in his dumping Rubin from the Turnpike Commission. That was a good first step. Now, the governor should proceed with a full house-cleaning to rid the agency of patronage and crony contracts.