Abertis count 47 yeas, 53 nays, many undecideds on Penn Pike lease

Abertis which is leading the joint venture selected by the Rendell Administration to operate the Pennsylvania Turnpike under a longterm lease concession assesses the score in the state lower house at 47 in favor and 53 against, according to Joe Grata writing in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. He quotes Abertis US chief Jordi Graells as giving these numbers during a meeting with the newspaper's editorial board.

TOLLROADSnews investigations reveal that this legislative body in Harrisburg has no less than 203 members on payroll, total. So by our arithmetic, and if Abertis can count, there are 103 undecided pols.

The turnpike deal is done in the form of a concession contract spelling out in huge detail the rights and responsibilities and limits on the operators and the obligation by Abertis and Citi to pay the state an upfront fee of $12.8b, but the Governor has to obtain legislative approval - from 102 or more house pols and 25 or more state senators - in order to consummate the concession.

House transportation committee chair Joe Markosek is one of the nays. Markosek says the $12.8b is woefully inadequate, chicken feed so to speak.

Markosek is an Adamant Nay, so adamant he says he won't allow any vote on the enabling legislation. Other times he says he won't let it out of his committee.

Of course that wouldn't stop other legislators from running with the bill and taking it through, say, the Appropriations Committee instead, if there were the votes in favor there.

Trouble is, apart from the Governor, there are few Adamant Yeas. In the legislature anyway. (There's always Bethany on PikeTV!)

If the Abertis count is correct they have to get at least 55 undecideds on their side in the House. Graells and colleagues are visiting every legislator who will hear the Abertis/Citi case.

The Turnpike Commission and its supporters, meanwhile, are quietly busy lobbying too.

The senate is thought to be more favorable to the concession.

The Governor has said he's meeting one on one with legislators, but concedes he's the underdog in his knockdown political brawl with the Turnpike Commission.

2nd week in September is crunch time.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-08-27