Governor Emily Latella

Governor Ed Rendell must be closet fan of the late comic genius Gilda Radner because he’s apparently channeling one of Ms. Radner’s classic Saturday Night Live character’s, the chronically misinformed Emily Latella.

Rendell had an Emily Latella moment yesterday when his administration uttered the classic line “Oh never mind,” with regard to the penny per gallon gas tax increase I wrote about yesterday.

Rendell said in a statement yesterday that he had only just learned about the proposed fee increase from news accounts, despite the fact that those news accounts said that the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund, “with backing by the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell, has proposed nearly doubling one of the fees that finances it to 2 cents a gallon, and asked for a speedy approval from a state regulatory panel.”

I’ve got to bet the Governor’s office was bombarded with phone calls when the news broke about this tax increase. Isn’t it amazing what happens when people step up and voice their displeasure?

We’re starting to see that same kind of reaction from taxpayers and businesses regarding the ridiculous tolling of I80. News reports are impacting daily about politicians and Turnpike officials buckling under the weight of taxpayer reaction. It’s time to truly turn up the heat.