Free Republic

Dear Governor Rendell: I noted with interest that your current approval rating stands at just 39 percent — the lowest point in your career. Despite denying my repeated requests for a one-on-one interview, I nonetheless offer my thoughts as to why you have fallen out of favor with so many Pennsylvanians. Conflicts Of Interest First and foremost, the citizens of the Keystone State are fed up with what they see as huge conflicts of interest permeating every level of your Administration, with you being the focal point of many. The appearance of a governor showing favoritism and special treatment to...

HARRISBURG — If you work, own a home, drive, smoke cigarettes, drink liquor or buy tires — and even when you die — there's a tax bill to pay to state or local governments in Pennsylvania. The per capita tax burden in Pennsylvania, 11th highest in the nation, increased steadily during the past 10 years, according to figures from the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit research group in Washington. The amount Pennsylvanians pay — $4,463, annually — is for each man, woman and child. "Pennsylvanians pay about two-thirds of that to their own state and local governments," said Bill Ahern, spokesman...