From The Morning Call:

Big-city surcharges on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the introduction of tolls along Interstate 80 are among the steps the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advocates as alternatives to the potential leasing of the turnpike to a private operator.  read more »

From Lancaster Online.com: News : Blitzer to speak at F&M graduation:

Wolf Blitzer, a CNN anchor and host of “The Situation Room,” will give Franklin & Marshall College’s 2007 commencement address.

Blitzer will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, on Hartman Green. The public is invited to attend.

From Rendell’s universal health bill introduced:

A 96-page bill containing Gov. Ed Rendell’s universal health care plan was introduced in the state House today.

A statewide series of public hearings begins at 11 a.m. Monday in Room 140 in the main Capitol building.

Rendell wants to use a state-subsidized health insurance plan to help cover the uninsured. It would be funded, in part, with a 3 percent payroll tax. The tax would rise to 3.5 percent in 2010-2111, according to the bill introduced by state Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne.

The sunlight probably will stop the future awarding of secret financial incentives, but it should be noted that the practice is not dramatically different from what goes on in private industry.

And…

The Legislature has been paralyzed since last May’s primary. Many major decisions have been put off. Further, I think that the Post-Gazette’s call in an editorial for Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, to step out of leadership is shortsighted and contrary to the best interest of all of us in Western Pennsylvania! We need his legislative influence on this side of the state.