Rendell says transportation money is life or death

Legislature is wary and is not inclined to take up the idea before Labor Day.

Governor Rendell is urging Pennsylvania lawmakers to send transportation funding bills to his desk before Labor Day.

Rendell wants lawmakers to return to Harrisburg in late August to start working on transportation funding.

To highlight what he sees as an immediate need for new transportation revenue, he brought a Scranton Times-Tribune article about a 6-foot long chunk of cement that fell from a 55-year-old Lackawanna County bridge to his appearance before the Senate Transportation Committee.

“We can’t wait until next year. Someone could have been killed. Every day we delay increases the chances that we will ruin someone’s lives. That we will risk public safety. We have to move and we have to move now.”

Rendell wants lawmakers to generate at least $500 million for transportation projects, but says ideally, he wants to see $1 to $3 billion set aside for repairing roads and bridges and funding mass transportation.

The governor says he’ll sign any bill creating new revenue, but he prefers To impose a profits tax on gas companies.