State House GOP Fiddles While the Commonwealth's Roads and Bridges Burn

Illustration of the phrase "fiddling while Rome burns" is evident in the Pennsylvania General Assembly as the approval of critical transportation funding continues to languish with no immediate hope of passage despite the wishes of the people, both Democrat and Republican.
The State Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to provide $2.5 billion per year for road and bridge maintenance and repair, and for mass transit, something for every Pennsylvanian.  House Republicans have balked, gyrations being engaged in to ensure that such a bill does not make it to the desk of the governor, who is anxious to sign it.
The latest poison pill to be inserted by the House is to attempt to link transportation funding to an unrelated issue: changes in Prevailing Wage provisions.
It is perfectly legitimate to press for modifications to Prevailing Wage, but not at the expense of money for transportation, which Governor Corbett appropriately refers to as a public safety measure. He also notes the frosting on the cake, that funding transportation would also serve to create thousands of jobs and enable tens of thousands of others to remain employed.
GOP leaders like House Speaker Sam Smith and Majority Leader Mike Turzai seem to think that repairing structurally deficient bridges is a luxury that we can indefinitely put off.  Their actions threaten Pennsylvanians with unsafe, delayed travel and greater expense, a classic case of being penny-wise and pound-foolish.
It is a toss-up as to whether the most irresponsible "leaders" are found in Congress or in the State House.  May the electorate watch this battle closely and have a long memory.  Those that abdicate their duty are not deserving of the ability to serve. Where does out Representative, John Maher, stand on the issue?  He is silent, as usual.