Rendell Wants To Spy On Highways

Part of Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to raise money to repair Pennsylvania highways includes using cameras on state roads to catch car-insurance dead beats.

Rendell is speaking in Harrisburg on Wednesday to propose some drastic measures to make up $72 million lost in the current budget due to a federal ban on Interstate 80 tolls.

Rendell also said he will release a list of state projects that won't be completed if lawmakers don't come up with that $472 million in funding immediately.

He also wants to increase driver's license and registrations fees, and hike the gasoline tax by 3 cents a gallon. The gas tax by itself would raise about $200 million.

But another plan to raise $7 million using the spy cameras may make more headlines.

Rendell wants to snap the pictures at toll plazas and highway ramps, and track license numbers, so the state can alert insurance companies.

Last month, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Northeast Times ran a detailed story on how the high-definition camera system works.

Funding for the system came from the federal and state government. The Times' William Kenny said $54 million is also coming from federal stimulus program.

Rendell will speak to the state Senate Transportation Committee as Pennsylvania tries to address its annual shortfall of as much as $3.5 billion for the maintenance of highways, bridges and mass transit.

He also wants lawmakers to come back earlier from their summer break to deal with the funding issue.

But top lawmakers say there's no agreement on a plan and they doubt any votes will be taken until after a new governor takes office in January.

Also, civil libertarians have strongly objected to the plan and the use of the camera system, which was funded with the intention of being a tool to help people avoid traffic jams.