As a state-affiliated agency, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is clearly well connected. It's board includes the governor, lieutenant governor, the state secretary of transportation and six members appointed by the governor. Yet despite its political connections and clout, the commission spent more than $700,000 paying lobbyists to work in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg last year.

That money paid to outside lobbyists is in addition to the $132,000 paid to the commission's own public relations officer, its director of government affairs.

This can be seen as a time when the turnpike commission's existence is threatened — by a proposal advanced by Gov. Ed Rendell to negotiate a long-term lease on the turnpike, allowing the toll road to be managed by an outside, private company, or by legislative proposals to eliminate the turnpike commission and roll its road responsibilities into the state Department of Transportation.

Having a decades-long reputation as a source of patronage jobs and no-bid contracts to the politically well connected, the commission appears to be working overtime — and spending plenty of money doing it — to preserve its domain and power.

It's hard to believe that a high-profile agency with a well-connected board would have trouble getting its message across to lawmakers at the state or federal level.

The lobbying expenses of the commission, according to published reports, exceed lobbying expenditures by most other states and major cities. People have to wonder how such extraordinary efforts and expenses can be justified.

In many cases, the money spent by the commission goes to people with close ties to board members. For instance, one person paid by the commission for lobbying work is former U.S. Rep. Ron Klink. Coincidentally, Klink's former chief of staff, Joe Brimmeier, is now the commission's chief executive officer.

Among all states, state entities and cities ranked by lobbying expenditures in 2007, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission landed fourth in the Top 15 list compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group.

The Commonwealth Foundation noted that such lavish spending on lobbying by the commission is consistent "with its history as a cash cow for political appointees and campaign contributions."

Matthew Brouillette, the foundation's president and CEO, said, "It is not surprising that the turnpike commission is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend its fiefdom."

That fiefdom has in recent years been linked to lucrative no-bid contracts to politically well-connected friends of the commission or friends of powerful state lawmakers.

There appear to be plenty of reasons for the turnpike commission to want to remain independent. Management by an outside firm would mean the end of the fiefdom — including no-bid contracts and political patronage. The turnpike's entire operation would be scrutinized.

The turnpike commission has no legitimate reason to spend $700,000 a year on lobbyists. But that is only the latest questionable spending by the commission to make news.

If the toll road does remain independent and avoids management by an outside company, the very least that should be expected is a full audit by the state's auditor general to determine where the money is going and what work is being done in exchange for that money.