Citing funding inequities and excessive borrowing, state Rep.

Brian Ellis, R-11th, voted this week against legislation that would largely benefit Philadelphia's mass transit system."This plan is nothing more than bailing out Philadelphia's mass transit system," Ellis said. "Roads and bridges throughout Western Pennsylvania are in need of repair, and I am concerned that the 11th district will not receive its share of funding."Under the plan, the state would raise more than $900 million through increasing tolls along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and converting Interstate 80 to a toll road, if approved by the federal government.Main line turnpike tolls, Ellis noted, would increase 25 percent beginning in 2009, and I-80 would begin tolling in 2011, if approved.This plan would also enable borrowing of more than $11 billion to fund construction of toll facilities and provide immediate financial relief to mass transit in Philadelphia."For years, Philadelphia has been the top priority to many in the Legislature, and now with a governor from the southeast, the rest of Pennsylvania suffers from having their transportation needs funded first," Ellis said.If the federal government denies the tolling of I-80, then the $11 billion debt would be repaid from the commonwealth's Motor License Fund. As a result, Ellis warned, Penn-DOT fees would increase, including, titling, vehicle registration, driver's license, and many other services.———During Wednesday's U.S. House Ways and Means markup of legislation to eliminate the private debt collection program, U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, criticized the committee's Democrats for failing to address the Alternative Minimum Tax.He also offered an unsuccessful amendment that would have exempted taxpayers not within the criteria of the safe harbors from penalties due to insufficient quarterly tax payments needed to satisfy new or increased liability from the AMT in tax year 2007."No taxpayer should be subject to IRS penalties because Congress can't get its act together in trying to fix a 'Silver Streak' type runaway tax provision that is hanging over their head, like a sword of Damocles, without them even knowing it," said English, ranking member of the select revenue measures subcommittee."For many members who have promised to help reduce the burden of the cumbersome AMT, my amendment is the very least Congress can do for the American taxpayer."English's amendment failed in committee.———U.S. Sen.

Bob Casey,D-Pa., on Wednesday joined his eight freshman Democratic colleagues in introducing a bill to establish an independent, bipartisan commission on wartime contracting to investigate contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.The commission, Casey said, would increase transparency and accountability and generate solutions for contracting problems, potentially saving taxpayers billions of dollars.He said it is "especially egregious for companies doing business in Iraq to profit from fraud and abuse and for taxpayer dollars to be lost as our troops are in harm's way."The commission would consult with a newly-expanded special inspector general for Iraq Reconstruction that will investigate all support contracts associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.This effort, Casey said, will result in specific findings and recommendations to improve interagency wartime contracting.———Legislation introduced by state Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, that exempts temporary structures and pole barns at agricultural fairs from Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, was enacted Tuesday.Robbins said. "More than 6 million people, many from out of state, visit Pennsylvania's 116 fairs each year. It would be extremely unfortunate if Pennsylvania's fairs were forced to close due to unreasonable construction code requirements."