Battle for public opinion over Penn Pike's future - billboards, radio ads, web video

They are huge billboards on private property just off the Turnpike's right of way, impossible to miss driving in on the Turnpike from east or west to the state Capitol - one east, one west and a third smaller one just off I-83 on the spur route into central Harrisburg.

They allude to the Turnpike Commission as a "A Study in Power, Patronage and Politics" presented in the kind of all upper case seriffed font favored in movie notices. To the left is the smiling face of a generic political boss with his cigar - not Joe Brimmeier but a stock picture.

The point of the billboards - and a new radio ad - is to spread the message of the sponsors at the Commonwealth Foundation that the Turnpike Commission is a haven for political patronage. They also highlight the Foundation's turnpikefacts.com website which carries 'Pike TV' with regularly updated video items hosted by a woman called Bethany.

The Foundation's campaign for an end to the Turnpike Commission and its replacement by the Abertis/Citi concession company selected by the Rendell administration cites examples of patronage:

- Sen Vincent Fumo's friend Michael Palermo receiving $220k from the Turnpike for minding his weekend farm as outlined in a federal indicment of the senator

- the Turnpike's hiring of a girlfriend of senate president Robert Jubelirer

- CEO Joe Brimmeier hiring his cousin, godmother's son and other relatives

Radio ad

There's also a catchy radio running:

"In the epic battle for government reform a mighty roadblock stands in the way - the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

"In the halls of the state Capitol, on the airwaves, in cyberspace, the lobbyists are engaged battling to defend the fortress of old politics and patronage.

"It's taxpayers and drivers versus the Turnpike Commission.

"Now showing at turnpikefacts dot com That's turnpikefacts dot com.

"Rated R for reform because truth is stranger than fiction.

"Paid for by Commonwealth Foundation."

Opinion poll unfavorable

An opinion poll just released shows weak public support for the toll concession/lease. The Quinnipiac poll shows 60% opposed to a concession with 29% supporting it. In the question the potential lessee was described as "a Spanish toll roads company" offering $13 billion to operate the turnpike for 75 years.

Abertis is an international company with the majority of its interests outside Spain and it is 55% of the Pennsylvania Transportation Partners joint venture, the remainder of which is New York City based Citi. The poll question does mention that the concession contract includes a cap on tolls and protects workers for the term of their contract.

The only slight encouragement in the polling for the concession supporters is that the people of the state are just about equally sour on other major issues raised.

They disapprove of the legislature's handling of the state budget, feel angry about corruption in the state, and oppose tolls on I-80 in more or less similar majorities to that opposing a concession.

Opposition to tolling I-80 is marginally greater at 63% to 29% approve than to concessioning the Turnpike.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-08-05