What does it say about the quality of our elected representatives in Harrisburg that the absence of a convicted felon is viewed as an impediment to your constitutionally mandated obligations?"

Sean Cannon of Shaler, a state employee who hasn't received a full paycheck since June 19, was bemoaning the state Legislature's inability to pass a budget -- and the theory that we're stuck because former state Sen. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia is headed to the clink for corruption.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has quoted Gov. Ed Rendell and others saying that fellow Democrat Fumo was invaluable at crunch time.

My friend Mr. Cannon describes himself as "just a spoke on the wheel of justice," clerking in the state Superior Court Prothonotary's office Downtown. Though he's not high on the state food chain, he's pretty sure there are better ways for members of America's Largest Full-Time State Legislature to be spending the summer than asking themselves, "What would our favorite felon do?"

Mr. Rendell's oft-quoted bromide that "it's more important to get it done right than to get it on time" also doesn't sit well with Mr. Cannon. That doesn't work with homework assignments, spouses' anniversary gifts and the Internal Revenue Service, so it shouldn't fly in Harrisburg either.

Eighteen summers ago, when another bout of statehouse inertia was in full swing, I met Mr. Cannon after he wrote his state representative, Richard Cessar, to tell him that he would be forwarding all of his bills to Mr. Cessar's office.

That had Mr. Cessar calling Mr. Cannon's boss to complain, but the judge, now deceased, who generally walked among his clerks "with an expression on his face like he was walking through a room of rancid meat," liked Mr. Cannon's moxie and told him so when that budget crisis was over.

This summer, Mr. Cannon has decided to skip over his state rep and go straight to the top. Following is a slightly abridged version of his letter to Gov. Rendell and Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who also is the lieutenant governor:

"Gentlemen:

"I write to you on a matter of great urgency: my money. ??? It has now been over one month since I received a full paycheck for services rendered. I'd like you fellows to pay me.

"I don't care where you get the money. You can take it out of your $158-a-day per diems. You can take from your WAMS [the discretionary grants each legislator controls, known as Walking Around Money]. You can take it out of the $200 million the Legislature is holding to pay its own employees. You can take it from the virtuous casino operators who have been throwing money all over Harrisburg.

"So you don't forget, send before midnight tonight. I promise to pay you back when a state budget is fully enacted.

"Which reminds me: I have heard and read your expressions of sympathy for state employees struggling to make ends meet while you latter-day Neros fiddle about. Trouble is, you can't put expressions of sympathy toward your mortgage payment. You can't put them in your gas tank. You can't put them in your refrigerator. But I know where you can put them.

"None of us would be in this situation if you and your colleagues had spent the past six months working together to craft an equitable solution to the enormous fiscal problems that bedevil us all. But I suppose that would have taken valuable time away from such pressing matters as designating the third Tuesday of every March 'Bobby Vinton Day' across the commonwealth or designating the 'Bristol Stomp' our official state dance."

[Here, Mr. Cannon has gone too far. I found no evidence that the Legislature grappled this summer with either a Vinton holiday or whether the kids in Bristol remain "sharp as a pistol," as they were in the 1961 dance hit by the Dovells.

[The state House did find time yesterday, however, to vote 191-0 to designate this September as "American Kennel Club Month." We can only pray Hallmark gets on that, pronto.]

"Please, for once in my life, surprise me," Mr. Cannon continued. "Start acting like elected leaders and LEAD. Do the one thing -- THE ONE THING -- you were supposed to get done nearly four weeks ago. Pass the budget."

Mr. Cannon concluded by saying that, with a new budget, he could take his daughter on college visits and Mr. Rendell could take the African safari he has booked in August.

"When you do, please give my regards to Tarzan. Remember me to Boy and Jane.

"Holding you all in the lowest regards, I remain,

"Sean Cannon"