Some Say Tom Corbett's Plan To Reform State Government Does Not Go Far Enough

Blogger Ben Waxman of Philly.Com's It's Our Money Blog has some great thoughts on Tom Corbett's sudden interest in reforming state government. Although Waxman thinks Corbett's proposals are a step in the right direction, he thinks there is room for improvement.

There are some parts that would shake things up. Corbett promises to increase transparency by putting more state data online, eliminate discretionary grants controlled by legislators, and require lawmakers to pay for their own health care plan, which is currently footed by the taxpayers.. He also proposes prohibiting campaign contributions during the procurement process.

However, we couldn't help but notice that the 1,300 word document didn't include the terms “campaign finance reform”, “redistricting,” or “lobbyists.” And these are the three biggest factors in the special interest stranglehold over state government.

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Waxman also correctly points out that Corbett is not pushing hard enough to limit campaign contributions to state lawmakers. The way it stands now any individual can give an unlimited amount to a candidate. This is the main reason why Pennsylvania has one of the most corrupt state legislatures in the country.