There's something wrong when a public agency spends taxpayer dollars to hire lobbyists to influence elected officials. But that's exactly what happens in Harrisburg.

Two recent examples are the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which reportedly is paying $26,000 per month to the lobbying company, the Bravo Group, to help defeat Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Why should the turnpike agency, whose members are appointed by the legislature, need to spend thousands of dollars of the turnpike's toll money on lobbyists? Members of the turnpike commission certainly have the ability to make their own case to the legislature as to why they think privatization is a bad idea.

And, while many people have qualms about privatizing the turnpike, it is most likely that opposition to the plan by the turnpike commission is rooted in the fear that private management of the toll road would end the overstaffing, nepotism, inefficiencies and climate of political-payback that has characterized the turnpike management for decades.

But regardless of the motivation, the commission should not be hiring a lobbying firm to make its case against privatization. Commission members are capable of talking to state lawmakers to argue against privatization — or any other changes that would end their fiefdom.

Another and even-more-troubling example of a public agency spending taxpayer dollars for lobbying is found at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), which ispaying more than $1 million a year to eight different lobbying firms. One contract pays a single lobbyist $235,000 a year to make the case for PHEAA to the General Assembly.

It's hard to imagine why PHEAA (which has been broadly and rightly criticized in recent years for lavish spending on travel and stays at luxury resorts by its board of directors) needs to spend this money when, by law, 16 state lawmakers serve on PHEAA's20-member board of directors.

There should be no problem for PHEAAto get a fair hearing in the state legislature.

PHEAA's million-dollar lobbying expenses just raise more questions about the culture and management at the student loan agency.

PHEAA has been embarrassed by the public exposure of $860,000 spent by the board at fancy resorts over a five-year period. The agency spent 19 months and $409,000 in legal fees fighting three news organizations' efforts to examine PHEAA expenses. The courts sided with the media (and the public) and forced more PHEAA spending records into public view.

PHEAA is one of the agencies that would be impacted by current efforts to broaden Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law.

The student loan agency clearly has had something to hide, and it appears it has paid lobbyists to try to protect its veil of secrecy. But with most board members being state legislators, PHEAAlobbying looks like another waste of taxpayer dollars.

In the case of the turnpike commission and PHEAA,it looks like questionable spending of taxpayer dollars to defend or protect questionable spending of taxpayer dollars. That spending should end —on both levels and at both agencies.