Ringside: To clean up, start with campaigns

Gov. Corbett delivered the right message in his inaugural address about restoring the public's trust in government.

Who better to drain the swamp in Harrisburg? As the state's attorney general, Corbett prosecuted dozens of officials in the legislature. He knows the corrupting influences of the capital.

Indeed, it was good to hear Corbett stand up on Day One and say: "We need good government. The people now demand it, and they deserve it."

But how far will Corbett go to practice what he preaches?

If he is serious about cleaning up Harrisburg, the new governor will lead the fight for campaign-finance limits. Pennsylvania is among the few states where the limit on campaign donations is the sky.

The river of money that flows into Harrisburg from wealthy individuals and special-interest groups is one of the reasons why some lawmakers have trouble walking a straight line.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell was lauded for his ability to raise buckets of money. He raised nearly $100 million combined for his campaigns for mayor and governor.

Rendell's friend and former chief of staff David L. Cohen called him the best political fund-raiser in the history of the state, and ranked Rendell among the top five in the country. Guess everyone is good at something.

Of course, there is nothing illegal about raising gobs of money. That is how the game is played. But that doesn't make it right or mean it smells good. In fact, most people think it stinks, including the pols and the donors.

To his credit, Rendell did call for campaign-finance limits. But it came at the end of his tenure and didn't gain any traction.

Rendell and other pols get defensive about the money game. They say political donations don't influence their official decisions. That's their story and they stick to it.

Rendell told reporters during his final days in office that the only thing he gives contributors is access.

OK. But put yourself in a big donor's shoes. Why would anyone give an elected official a check for, say, $200,000 and not expect something back? Do big donors really just want their calls returned?

Donors will often say they give money because they believe in the candidate and want to support their policies. Some even keep a straight face. And for some that may be true.

But the fact remains, many big donors often end up receiving lucrative government contracts. Coincidence? To some it looks more like pay to play. At a minimum, it creates the perception that big donations often end up being very good investments.

Which brings us back to Corbett. I believe him when he says he wants to restore the public's trust in government.

Of course, I'd feel much better about that pledge if so many members of his transition team had not donated millions to his gubernatorial campaign. Or if Corbett had not appointed a number of lobbyists to his transition team. Or if several key cabinet appointees had not contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaign.

Corbett's spokesman said campaign contributions did not play a role in the selection process. Call it beginner's luck.

During the inauguration, Corbett talked about greater transparency in Harrisburg. He could start by releasing all the documents produced by the transition team to ensure there are no conflicts of interest by the lobbyists and donors who may later have business before the state.

Corbett plans to introduce a package of good legislative reforms aimed at eliminating arbitrary grants for pet projects for legislators known as "WAMs," or walking around money.

He supports getting rid of taxpayer-funded per-diem payments that lawmakers collect when they are in Harrisburg on official business. And he would like to return to a part-time legislature. Those measures are great but will require approval by the legislators.

Corbett could generate instant credibility if he would push for campaign-finance limits. Sadly, he opposes such a move.

The governor believes caps raise constitutional issues regarding the right to free speech. Instead, he supports more transparency and disclosure surrounding contributions and donors.

Here's a better idea: Why not prohibit campaign donors from receiving state contracts? That would go a long way toward easing concerns regarding pay to play. And it shouldn't be a problem if all the donors want is to support a candidate's policies.

One last point. Corbett supports school vouchers and made reference to competition and choice at his inauguration. The first bill the state Senate has lined up would give low-income parents with children in failing schools a voucher to use at a private or parochial school of their choice.

More school choice should please Vahan Gureghian, a Gladwyne attorney who operates a charter school and was on Corbett's education transition committee. Over the last three years, he has contributed more than $300,000 to the new governor.

Chat live with Paul Davies Monday at

1 p.m. at www.philly.com.

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