Former Regional Asset District board member Rick Pierchalski offers a contrarian take on plans to use RAD sales tax money to fund the Port Authority. Pierchalski's assessment: "The recent proposal ... to tap into Regional Asset District money to fund the Port Authority will be a disaster for the RAD fund and its recipients."

But lo! Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald doth bestride the county like a colossus! And like flies to wanton boys are the county department heads who run afoul of him! (Yes, that's two Shakespearian references in one post. Gotta get some mileage out of this English degree while there's still time.)

Bloomberg tells us that Pennsylvania's pension system inadvertently -- or is it -- encourages the creation of lots of tiny, inefficient pension funds all across the state. And the beneficiaries turn out to be ... big banks. (Warning: PNC-related content.) But don't expect the state legislature to do anything about it -- or transportation, or the state liquor system -- this fall. "PA lawmakers set priorities for fall session" the headline reads. And guess what? You aren't on the list.

It turns out that Pennsylvania elections law -- which places no limits whatsoever on the ability to contribute large sums of money to political candidates -- may do something to inhibit small donations. Unlike federal elections, which allow people to text-message money in response to appeals, uncertainty about state law makes it hard for state and local candidates to take advantage of the technology.

Just in case you thought this whole Voter ID thing wasn't proving to be a fiasco, you can read this report, which among other things suggests -- brace yourselves -- that the average PennDOT office may be somewhat ill-prepared to issue voting IDs.

And finally in the "making democracy more accessible, Pennsylvania-style" department, the state GOP is trying to keep libertarians and other third-party candidates off the ballot.