HARRISBURG - Legislative leaders of both parties and Gov. Ed Rendell met behind closed doors on July 16 about slots, property tax cuts and education spending.
To the best of my knowledge, it was the first and only face-to-face meeting between the Democrat governor and the top people in the House and Senate; both houses are controlled by the GOP. It's hard to say what actually came out of it since the tax-and-spending impasse appears headed toward August.
This meeting was typical, and secret. Any deal will be accomplished in a similar manner.
The result will be taken to the rank and file to rubber stamp. It's all legal. The Legislature, which wrote the open meetings law, exempted itself except for floor votes and committee meetings. Lawmakers meet on a daily basis behind closed doors in caucus.
Here's a glimpse of July 16:
Rendell had called the meeting for 10 a.m. It was pushed back to 11, then 2 p.m. I arrived at 1:50 p.m outside the governor's office.
Enough central participants -- like Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill and top Senate GOP lawyer Stephen MacNett, arrived at 2 p.m., so I knew I was at the right place.
Rendell went in at 2:14 p.m.
At first, there were only three of us. A few others showed up, then a few more. Before long, the entire Capitol press corps and TV crews were parked outside the room.
We waited. Then waited some more.
Occasionally, one of Rendell's top staffers would emerge, saying little. John Estey, Rendell's chief of staff, was giving up nothing. He'd say something like "going great" and walk past.
The contingent of reporters got so loud that a woman from the governor's office came out and told us to wait away from the door, farther down the hall.
Rendell's press secretary, Kate Philips, made a huge mistake and brought cans of caffeinated soda for the press. Some reporters paid for their sodas. Everyone was wired up enough because no one had a story out of this. Caffeine made it much worse.
They brought in two House security officers, who set up one of those plastic rope lines like you see in banks. The leaders would walk behind the line -- away from the press -- and have unfettered access to the elevator, they figured. So two reporters took up stations at the elevator.
It was one of the most stupid things I've ever seen.
Rendell walked past in a hurry, leaving the meeting at 3:45 p.m. He seemed somewhat gruff, not his usual talkative self. He called it a "productive meeting" and said he would not negotiate in public.
The "security line" was knocked over on the first try.
Legislative leaders stayed about 45 minutes longer. As House Speaker John Perzel and House Majority Leader Sam Smith stopped to talk, one House security officer attempted some muscle. He'd push reporters with his body to keep them away from House leaders, who didn't seem to mind the gaggle at all.
Sending in the House security guards, if indeed they were sent, was a public relations fiasco. There were three or four state troopers in and out, guarding the governor, who could have quelled any serious problem. And there wasn't any such thing in sight.
Officials could have avoided the entire hassle by inviting reporters after the meeting to a prearranged office site nearby where the governor or Estey could have issued a meaningless prepared statement and legislative leaders could have addressed the press.
But this was your state government at work.
