Editorial: Leasing the Turnpike

A Spanish company's $12.8 billion bid to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike is not, as Gov. Rendell said, a "slam dunk." The proposed lease is a drastic step, with a huge short-term payoff but many risks. Now it's up to the General Assembly to provide a clear-eyed assessment of whether the plan makes sense.

The pile of cash offered up front in this deal is alluring. The state's transportation needs are growing critical. Two years ago, a bipartisan commission found that Pennsylvania needs about $1.7 billion  per year  to repair and operate the state's highways, bridges and mass transit systems. But Act 44, last year's deal to provide more transportation funding, is still partially undone because tolls on Interstate 80 have yet to be approved. Rendell deserves credit for his relentless efforts to find a solution to the transportation crisis. He understands how important it is to the state's economic growth. ...