The mishmash of news you've been reading and hearing about transportation funding has created "March Madness" in Pennsylvania.

The odds aren't in your favor.

Therefore, "Getting Around" provides a review/update of the confusing situation, believing you care about your wallet, your future, smoother roads, safer bridges and better public transit.

Each paragraph represents an action, proposal, position or conflict from a cast of politicians, agencies, study groups and special interests.

• Gov. Ed Rendell has revived his previous proposal to lease the ol' Pike to private enterprise for up to $30 billion. The change of heart comes after he already signed Act 44 last summer to raise Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls and convert I-80 to a toll road to raise transportation money. He's paying millions of tax dollars to his old law firm and consultants and being secretive about the whole leasing process.

• A special taxpayer-funded study released by the House Democratic Caucus this month concluded leasing the turnpike is a bad idea for motorists and the economy, a rejection of Mr. Rendell's proposal by his own party. Because the study was headed by the executive of a company that has done tens of millions of dollars worth of turnpike business, critics said the study was tainted.

• Although the transportation secretary, Al Biehler, represents the Rendell administration as one of five members of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and although the commission is Democrat-controlled, the agency also is opposed to the Rendell plan and moving ahead with the "public-private" partnership created by Act 44.

• A statewide poll conducted by a usually reliable research firm concluded that leasing the turnpike to an "experienced, qualified private sector operator" is preferable to raising taxes and fees or allowing the turnpike to continue borrowing money and taking steps to toll I-80. The poll did not determine whether people realize how high tolls could go.

• The Turnpike Commission is borrowing money to provide $750 million to PennDOT this fiscal year. But the turnpike has not yet raised a penny to pay for the loans that will have to repaid -- with interest -- for decades. Billions of dollars of more borrowing is in the offing.

• There's no guarantee the Federal Highway Administration will approve tolling I-80, plus there is growing opinion that it will deny approval to turn the highway into a cash cow for other state roads and bridges. Anyhow, a decision could take several years.

• The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, whose members represent the state's fourth-largest industry, favors raising $800 million a year through an increase in diesel fuel and gasoline. That's equivalent to about $12.5 cents a gallon in higher taxes. Mr. Rendell's special Pennsylvania Funding and Reform Commission made the same recommendation, but he and the state Legislature subsequently failed to support it.

Are you still with me?

• Although turnpike officials oppose a leasing of the turnpike mainline, they're receptive to the same type of "private-private" partnership to raise all or part of up to $3.8 billion to extend the 24-mile northern end of the Mon-Fayette Expressway to the Parkway East and Pittsburgh, including creating a bypass of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels.

• House Democratic Whip Keith McCall and Republican Whip David Argall suggested funding state police out of the state's General Fund rather than out of the Motor License Fund that's supported by gas taxes, licenses and vehicles registration fees. Instead of sending $500 million a year to the state police, PennDOT would be able to spend it on roads and bridges.

There's lots more, plus Act 44-related issues of the 10 percent drink tax and $2-a-day car rental tax in Allegheny County.

But I think you've read enough and that you'll agree that transportation funding here is as uncertain as it was a year ago.

The game will be played out in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., but who knows when?