I write in response to the April 16 editorial "Turnpike Tremors," in which the Post-Gazette opposed my legislation to merge the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission with the Department of Transportation. I have tried to emphasize that there are several reasons for this bill --

Jane Orie, R-McCandless, represents the 40th District in the state Senate (jorie@pasen.gov).

administrative efficiency and cost savings; elimination of patronage, which adds to cost inefficiencies; and preparation for the possible lease or privatization of the turnpike.

According to the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission, the commonwealth faces a crumbling transportation infrastructure and needs hundreds of millions of dollars to address the problem. In response, Gov. Ed Rendell proposed to sell or lease the turnpike to raise those funds. If such a sale or lease became a reality, what would become of the turnpike?

I believe it would not make sense to maintain the turnpike commission in its current state merely to monitor this privatization. Rather, a bureau in PennDOT would appear to be the more appropriate oversight entity. My legislation would do that.

However, it is unclear whether the lease of the turnpike will be the option that comes to fruition. The Funding and Reform Commission emphasized the role of cost savings and agency reforms in meeting the commonwealth's transportation needs regardless of the administrative fate of the turnpike.

Whether we privatize the turnpike, decide to toll other roads or enact another alternative, the need for cost savings and agency reforms will remain. My legislation at least would achieve the cost savings involved in eliminating the turnpike commission, and it also would address the tolling of future roads by placing instantly available in-house expertise in PennDOT for such a venture.

It was never intended for the turnpike commission to become a gigantic bureaucracy with more than 2,000 employees. The 1930s legislation that created the commission set it up to sell bonds to finance construction and, once those debts were retired, the commission was supposed to turn over its operations to PennDOT.

That never transpired, and today the turnpike clearly is overstaffed and top-heavy with administrators. Not counting employees whose jobs are related to toll collections, the turnpike employs 0.52 workers per lane mile. That is more than four times the workforce complement of 0.12 employees per lane mile at PennDOT. The turnpike also has nearly 500 administrative positions to manage one 537-mile toll road, and 10 of those administrators make between $125,320 and $178,427. These salaries are equal to or more than the secretary of PennDOT, which manages more than 40,000 miles of roadways.

Institutionalized patronage is one of the reasons for the additional costs at the turnpike. Unfortunately, we no longer can afford those costs, nor can we afford to carry them into the future.

My legislation would provide the flexibility to achieve cost savings no matter the course of action finally taken by the General Assembly. While I have never argued that this bill is the sole answer to our transportation problems, I believe it must be given consideration in light of the transportation funding crisis facing Pennsylvania.