Take a look:

His statewide job approval is 39 percent. In Philly it’s 62 percent.

Statewide, only 33 percent of voters say he’s handling the economy well. In Philly the number is 65 percent.

Statewide, just 28 percent like his state budget efforts. In Philly, 59 percent side with His Edness.

A slim majority of city voters (51 percent) – while living in the highest-taxed city in America and facing the prospect of an increased sales tax – support Ed’s proposed 16 percent increase in the state personal-income tax.

Statewide, only one-third of folks support the hike, according to a poll of 1,173 Pennsylvania voters released yesterday.

“This is a national recession, and the bottom dropped out,” said Evans, perhaps the most influential member of the House. “Now we are in an economic straitjacket.”

But, said House Minority Whip Mike Turzai, a McCandless Republican: “In a recession, the last thing you want to do is raise taxes, and that’s any tax. We have overspent ourselves into a problem. If Dwight Evans thinks he has the votes for a broad-based tax increase, he is the majority, and he should call up the bill. I don’t believe the votes are there.”

Saying Pennsylvania government is at a crossroads and suggesting Harrisburg should change direction in how government operates, House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) today unveiled the House Republican plan to help put state government on the right path: Pennsylvania’s Agenda for Trust in Harrisburg, or PATH.

…

1. No Start-ups. Public officials cannot start nonprofit organizations while in office. 

1. Dollar 1 Reporting of campaign contributions, lobby disclosure and ethics statements; no limits or bans, just reporting each and every dollar within two weeks. The Department of State would create and maintain the cross-relational database making the information easily accessible and understandable to Pennsylvania residents. 

1. State Grant Accountability. Fully enforce strict procedures for pre- and post-grant audits and strengthen parameters for public dollar usage. The state will create, maintain and update a database of grants – including recipients, purpose and status reports. 

1. Increase Public Accessibility. The state would create a searchable database for all state spending. 

1. General Assembly audits by independent auditors chosen through an RFP with the lowest responsible bidder getting the work. The audits would be available for public review. 

1. Strengthening whistleblower protections for all state employees in all three branches of government. A fully independent Office of Inspector General (taking the place of the current Inspector General’s office) will be available to the public and employees of all branches and levels of government. 

1. End Pay-to-Play mentality in Pennsylvania by enacting state contracting reform: 

1. End lobbying relationships. No public official shall receive compensation from a firm registered as a “Lobbying Firm.” 

….

Read the rest of PATH’s proposals and more from Rep. Smith.

The Healthcare Council, which studies and evaluates the status of healthcare facilities across the state, should have been reauthorized the moment it’s current authorization expired on July 1st.  Instead the council was temporarily shut down due to political gamemanship on both sides of the aisle.  The Senate Republicans tied the council’s reathorization to their MCARE subsidy battle, while House Democrats had already linked PHC4’s continuation to their health insurance plan.

The Patriot News asks that the Legislature no longer unfairly use the council  as political leverage and send a clear and concise (unattached) reathorization bill to the Gov. when they return to Harrisburg this Fall.

Although some of the members have no qualms with this old process, many are getting restless.  Some House members are upset that their leaders have not kept them informed on what’s happening in negotiations.

A group of frustrated House D’s, led by Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), started a cyber caucus yesterday.  The “cyber caucus” members had an informal email discussion about the details of the Governor’s spending plan.  

Rank-and-file legislators are also working on a wide range of issues, including biometric technology in ID cards and divesting state funds from countries that harbor terrorists. As one top Democratic staffer who did not want to be identified put it yesterday: “We’ve got to keep them busy somehow so they aren’t out there wreaking havoc.”

Talks continued yesterday, revolving around just how much money can be spent and money for infrastrucutre improvements. Senate leadership says they are now happy that there is almost a unanimous agreement not to tap into the state’s Rainy Day Fund for general spending.