DROPPING OUT
The list of incumbent members of the state House and Senate who have decided not to seek re-election this year keeps growing.

It now stands at 20, including three senators and 17 House members, most of them from central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Two from Western Pennsylvania who are packing it in are Reps. Victor Lescovitz, D-Washington County, and James Shaner, D-Fayette County.

"This past year has been a rough year'' for legislators, House Republican leader Sam Smith of Punxsutawney said this week.

He said there is a "credibility issue'' between some lawmakers and voters, and the "public trust'' with some lawmakers has been strained.

He conceded that the furor of last year's pay raise (later rescinded) is a factor in the strain, but also said -- here's a shocker -- that the some news media outlets are at least partly to blame.

He said some erroneous bits of information have appeared in newspaper editorials and Web logs, such as claims that legislators work "only 77 days a year.''

The formal legislative sessions in Harrisburg, which last about that long, mostly from February-June and October-November, account for only part of a legislator's work, Mr. Smith said. There are many night and weekend meetings with constituents, local government officials, and political party officials that take up a lot of time but are usually out of sight from the general public.

Mr. Smith said he doesn't know what each individual retiree's motives are, but added, "Some people say it's time to do something else.''

CYBERSURFING WITH PHIL
Can't make the trip to Punxsatawney Thursday? You can still get a front-row seat when Phil, the state's prognosticating groundhog, emerges on Gobbler's Knob in search of his shadow.

Through the Web site www.groundhog.visitpa.com, surfers will be able to control two cameras positioned above the stage where Phil will make his appearance. Users will be able to zoom and pan over the action.

Log in between 7 and 7:45 a.m. Thursday to watch Phil look for his shadow. If he sees it, legend says there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, an early spring is in the forecast.

Don't put your snow shovel away yet. Odds are Phil will see his shadow, as he has during at least 95 of the last 120 Groundhog Days, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

"FACTS" ABOUT FURRY PHIL
These come via www.groundhog.org, which bills itself as the official site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Punxsutawney Phil, age 120, gets his longevity from drinking groundhog punch.

Phil speaks "Groundhogese."

He has a band of caretakers at his disposal including a scribe, a cloud builder, a storm chaser, a big-flake maker, a stump warden and a fair weatherman.

It must be true. We read it on the Internet.

CHRISTMAS ISN'T THE ONLY COMMERCIALIZED HOLIDAY
Now there's a market for Groundhog Day gifts, too.

You can buy everything from Punxsutawney Phil baby rattles to Beanie Baby groundhogs.

The Web site www.groundhogstuff.com offers golf-club covers for $16, souvenir megaphones for $1.95 and "Phil Paws" -- furry brown gloves -- for $14.95.

The site sold out of Punxsatawney neckties, but you can still buy groundhog stadium blankets, cookie cutters, coasters, kitchen towels and recipe cards.

And don't forget the sachet bag. For two bucks, it's a steal. We just hope it doesn't smell like groundhog.

JUST FOR LAUGHS
Found on the Web site www.ahajokes.com:

Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, "I'll bet you don't know what day this is."

"Of course I do," he answered as if he were offended, and he left for the office.

At 10 a.m., the doorbell rang and when the woman opened the door, she was handed dozen long-stemmed roses. At 1 a.m., a box of her favorite chocolates arrived and later, a boutique delivered a designer dress.

The woman couldn't wait for her husband to come home.

"First the flowers, then the chocolates and then the dress!" she exclaimed. "I've never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my life."

SAFER SURFING
Whether you're Internet-shopping for groundhog souvenirs or you're checking your e-mail, your online transactions soon could be more secure.

The state House is poised to vote on a bill that would criminalize online scams known as "phishing" and "pharming."

The bill, drafted by state Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Monroeville, last week was approved unanimously by the House Commerce Committee and now heads to the floor for consideration.

Phishing occurs when a person or entity sends e-mail or operates a site to misrepresent itself as a legitimate business in an attempt to solicit financial or personal information from consumers.

Pharming refers to scams that redirect Internet users from legitimate commercial Web sites to similar-looking fraudulent sites designed to obtain private information from visitors to the site, Markosek said.

STANDING WITH THEIR HANDS OUT
February is the official start of state budget season in Harrisburg, when officials of municipalities, counties, colleges, nonprofit groups and special interests of all kinds ask legislators for money for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The kickoff will be Feb. 7 with Gov. Ed Rendell's 2006-07 budget address to the Legislature, but the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania got an early jump on things this week.

Its "wish list'' of items includes asking for a half-cent increase in the state's 32-cent a gallon gasoline tax. Doing so would raise an additional $30 million, which the 67 counties would use to fix the 4,000 county-maintained bridges in the state.

Douglas Hill, association director, also said counties need more options for raising revenue than just the property tax. They would like legislation authorizing counties to enact an earned income tax or a sales tax. Only two counties, Allegheny and Philadelphia, now have 1 percent sales taxes, both authorized by Harrisburg, in addition to the 6 percent sales tax charged statewide.

The rising costs of human service programs, such as mental health/mental retardation, Children and Youth Services and programs of the elderly are another problem for counties and additional state funds are needed, Mr. Hill said.

Other concerns are:

Rising costs of county jails. County officials would like all prisoners facing terms of 2 to 5 years to be sent to state prisons. Now, judges have an option of sending them to county lockups or state prison.

Getting more state funding to pay for the cost of county judges. Statewide, the tab for judicial salaries is $500 million, while the state pays for only $30 million.

HATE US ALL YOU WANT, BUT NOT ON MAY 3
We can just hear it now, chants of "We hate hate! We hate hate!" ringing through the Capitol rotunda like so many other messages from activists visiting Harrisburg lately.

There's no need, though.

Lawmakers already have designated May 3 as "No Place for Hate Day" in Pennsylvania.

In a resolution Wednesday, House members called for the hate-free day and commended the Anti-Defamation League of the Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Region for its efforts to promote peace, brotherhood and goodwill.

SOUR BLACKBERRIES
If state government grinds to a halt anytime soon, "BlackBerry withdrawal" will be the likely cause.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to hear an appeal of a ruling over patents for the handheld multi-tasking device, which seems to be in the pocket of every lawmaker, lobbyist and legislative staffer in Harrisburg.

The court's refusal cleared the way for a Virginia trial court to impose an injunction blocking BlackBerry use among about a third of the 3 million BlackBerry users in the United States.

At issue is whether Research In Motion, the Canadian company that makes BlackBerries, can be held liable for patent infringement under U.S. law. The company is accused of infringing on patents held by NTP Inc. of Virginia.