A conservative
“The commission is the most corrupt, scandalous, patronage-laden agency that exists,” said Matthew Brouillette, head of the Commonwealth Foundation. “Everything that is wrong with
In the style of “Dragnet,” the two-minute video takes the viewer through “a family tree” – from one turnpike commission player to the next, outlining alleged past indiscretions. One example: It calls Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, the Philly Democrat whose trial on 139 corruption counts begins in two weeks, “the Capitol’s original Godfather.”
The video is designed to shift public opinion on the issue of how best to raise billions in new highway funding.
The Foundation supports a $12.8 billion plan to lease the turnpike to a private partnership headed by a Spanish conglomerate. Others, however, favor tolling I-80 – a plan that would put the turnpike in charge of the major interstate that spans northern
Citing the foundation’s policy against disclosing donors, Brouillette refused to say whether interests associated with leasing the turnpike underwrote the video.
The turnpike commission quickly discounted the attack as a smear campaign.
“It is unfortunate when those who cannot prevail on the public policy debate resort to such negative attacks,” said spokesman William Capone. “This is nothing more than a continuation of a smear campaign that is undeserving of a response.”
When is someone going to remove the cancer known as Mitchell Rubin from the Turnpike? $12k in dinners? How does the Governor let this go? This is a disgrace but couldn't happen to a nicer guy. He has hurt many, many people but has never had the backbone to do it himself! One of Fumo's guys! When is this state going to wake up and get rid of these people once and for all?????— Legal1
