The details of Corbett's allegations are pretty stomach-turning: a vast conspiracy in which political work by state employees was rewarded with bonuses, and paid for with nearly $2 million of our tax dollars. According to the grand jury, former Rep. Mike Veon was the ringleader of an operation that used our money to help himself and other House Democrats get re-elected.
At a time when some taxpayers have to choose between food and gas, millions of our dollars were redirected away from worthy social needs, like health care and public education, and used to fund partisan political operations. State workers were rewarded, not for serving citizens, but for campaigning on behalf of their political masters. Legislators and top staffers used state dollars for personal errands, campaign fundraising and, in one case, a slush fund for an extramarital affair.
Corbett has promised that these indictments are only the beginning and that he plans to continue investigating the other caucuses.
It is possible that the outrage this provokes could lead to some fundamental change in Harrisburg - and thus become the second-best thing that's happened to Pennsylvania taxpayers. Still, we're not optimistic.
After all, "Bonusgate" has come just two years after the chastening housecleaning that followed the pay- raise scandal. Which means whatever lessons were learned by lawmakers in the first scandal had the life span of a fruit fly.
For far too long, lawmakers in Harrisburg have used public dollars as their own personal piggy bank. A culture of arrogance, secrecy and back- room dealing dominates state government.
