News from around the Commonwealth
Sometimes, bigger government is better, retired solicitor from Berks County says - January 12, 2008
A man with more than four decades of experience serving municipalities says it’s time to break down some borders and make local government units bigger.
"“The only way we’re going to resolve these problems that Berks County is confronted with, in my opinion, is to abolish municipal boundaries and have larger municipal units,” said Dettra, a longtime municipal attorney.
“And yet, that’s not going to occur very easily because everybody wants to protect his own turf,” he added." Please
click here for the complete Reading Eagle article.
Proposing a Cumberland County Municipal Cooperation Commission, December 30, 2007
"There has long been too much of a disconnect between county and municipal governments and school districts in Pennsylvania.
Cumberland County Commissioner Rick Rovegno has a great idea with a proposal for a county commission that would bring them together on common issues." For the complete Harrisburg Patriot-News editorial, please
click here.
Proliferation of Governments, Officials, Clutter Local Ballots, December 26, 2007
"After a candidate was elected to be a Newberry Twp. auditor with only two write-in votes, many residents of the northern York County community wondered if such a low vote total was legal. (It is.) ...
Beyond casting a spotlight on the need for such posts in 21st century Pennsylvania, the situation in New berry again illus trates the archaic nature of local government in this state. Although individual counties can take some steps on their own -- Dauphin County abolished assessors in the 1980s -- what is needed is a statewide commission to conduct a top-to-bottom review of local government." For the complete Harrisburg Patriot-News article, please
click here.
Diverse Butler County Towns Undertaking Joint Plan, November 25, 2007
"Try saying "multiple municipal comprehensive planning code" five times fast.
That's not a problem among those in a coalition of five Butler County towns whose planners say the tongue twister could be a smart-growth savior.
The five communities are as different from each other as big-box malls are from cow pastures."
For the complete Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, please
click here.
Urge Police to Merge: York Daily Record editorial, September 16, 2007
" At the Rotary Club of York last week, leaders of the Metro-York initiative said several local suburban police departments have expressed strong interest in consolidating into a regional force.
That's wonderful news.
But the best part is that, for the first time in recent memory, a regionalization proposal would include York city." Please
click here for the complete York Daily Record editorial.
Twps., City's Police Mull United Force, September 13, 2007
"Crime is increasing countywide and police departments are being stretched thin, York Area Regional Police Chief Tom Gross said.
That's why Eshbach and Gross support taking a look at a consolidated police department in and around the York city." Please
click here for the complete York Daily Record article.
State Rep. Ron Marsico is ahead of the curve in proposing a regional police force among three East Shore municipalities, July 27, 2007
"But more important, he is breaking with provincial approaches that are all too common in this state and area by providing regional and futuristic thinking. " Please
click here for the complete Harrisburg Patriot-News article.
Less Is More, July 13, 2007
"It's time for Pennsylvania to start consolidating. The patchwork nature of our state - 67 counties that are home to 2,566 municipalties - is undermining our ability to maximize our financial resources and effectively plan our growth." To read the complete Central Penn Business Journal, please
click here.
Municipal Partnership Will Benefit Businesses, July 6, 2007
"The leaders of eight rural Cumberland County municipalities have approved a joint comprehensive plan to diversify and strengthen their commercial sectors through targeted development and improved services, such as sewer and water." To read the complete Central Penn Business Journal article, please
click here.
Metro-York Offers Preview, Sees Support for Regional Plans, March 9, 2007
The civic group Metro-York is likely to propose some form of tax-base sharing, greater public-safety cooperation and a regional forum for land-use planning when it makes formal recommendations this summer, co-chair Eric Menzer said. To read the complete article from the Central Penn Business Journal,
click here.
Pennsylvanians Want Regionalism, But Need a Little Push, February 27, 2007
"Over the last several years, there has been ample favorable comment from citizens of Luzerne County, in response to news articles, editorials and this column, that regionalization appears to be something positive." To read the complete editorial from the Citizens Voice, please
click here.
Regionalization Gains Ground in Midstate, WITF-FM, February 26, 2007
"An advocacy group that touts the benefits of regionalization in the Commonwealth says it’s having more success lobbying lawmakers and the governor on the issue." For the complete summary, please
click here. For a brief audio clip of Todd Vonderheid, please
click here.
Regressive Proposal, February 22, 2007
"There are a couple of problems with Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to raise the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent - beyond the usual loathing of higher taxes." For the complete Harrisburg Patriot News editorial, please
click here.
City Backs Formula for Taxing of Nonprofit Organizations, February 21, 2007
"Contributions by universities, hospitals and other nonprofit organizations to the city of Pittsburgh should be based on a fair formula, rather than the current pay-what-you-want system, several city officials said yesterday." For the complete Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, please click here.
Voters back regionalization, February 18, 2007
"Pennsylvania voters want local governments to pool resources and jointly work on development and land-use issues, according to a statewide survey released last week by the Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania." For the complete Citzen's Voice article by Michael Buffer, please
click here. For poll results, etc, please
click here.
Sprawl's Common Ground, February 18, 2007
"Quietly, almost under the radar screen, the sprawl debate in Pennsylvania is beginning to change." Please
click here for the complete article by John C. Dernbach in the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
City Council's quest for taxing power falls short in Harrisburg, February 8, 2007
"Pittsburgh council members' second day in Harrisburg's halls of power yesterday was hit and miss. Their effort to get state lawmakers interested in eventually granting the city more taxing power missed badly. Their push to jump-start discussion of the struggles of urban centers statewide, though, was a hit." Please
click here for the complete Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.
Recommendation: 'Fixing the basics' begins with the state says Vonderheid, January 31, 2007
America's cities should start at the beginning and fix the basics, according to the Brookings Institution. Please
click here for the complete Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal article.
Seeing Gold at the End of the Privatized Road, January 28, 2007
The push to privatize turnpike reflects shift in thinking about financing, and financial benefits of, highway ownership. Please
click here for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.
County Commissioners of Pennsylvania Unveil Legislative Priorities for 2007, January 17, 2007
Local Tax Fairness and Human Services Funding Among the Top. Please
click here for the press release and the legislative priorities.
Reforms Needed to Sustain Older Communities - View from the Corner Office, Central Penn Business Journal, January 16, 2007
"Much has been written about our fragmented local government structure in Pennsylvania – most of it focused on the cost of duplicative services or on breakdowns in regional planning.
Not much has been written about how this fragmentation affects the ability of our core cities of Harrisburg, York and Lancaster to make the types of public-sector investments that make a city a place worth living or doing business."
Please
click here for the rest of Eric Menzer, chair of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania's Board of Directors, contribution to the Central Penn Business Journal's new blog
View from the Corner Office.
Get the Lehigh Valley on the Right Track with Passenger Rail, January 16, 2007
Attend a Community Forum with Robert Puentes, Fellow, Brookings Institution and Senator Rob Wonderling. Have your questions answered and your opinions heard!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 6:30 – 9:00pm
In the Terrace Room, Hotel Bethlehem
Food & Beverages Will Be Served
(Doors Open at 5:30pm)
For more information, contact Kevin Conrad at 484.893.1060
Sponsored by RenewLV and the Network of Young Professionals.
Five-part Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Pensions, December 17-21, 2006
"In 2012, the cost of subsidizing pensions for state employees and teachers is expected to jump from less than $1 billion to more than $3 billion a year -- and the higher payments are expected to continue for decades." For the five-part series on government pensions and the fiscal impacts, click below.
Pondering Ways to Fix Roadways Across PA, December 18, 2006
Other states, with similar weather and traffic loads, have better roads and lower gas taxes. What lessons can Pennsylvania draw from its neighbors? Please
click here for the Philadelphia Inquirer article.
Central Penn Business Journal, Q&A with Vonderheid, December 15, 2006
Todd Vonderheid [director of strategy for RenewPA] thinks that now is an opportunity for a systemic overhaul of Pennsylvania's local-government structure." For the entire Central Penn Business Journal article, please
click here.
A Road to Nowhere, December 3, 2006
"The recent release of the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission's report makes one thing perfectly clear: Pennsylvania's aging rural road, bridges, mass transit agencies and other existing infrastructure are in need of new funding." Please
click here for Janet Milkman's article in the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Trust for Public Land Releases Its 2006 Scorecard, December 2006
After each election, the Trust for Public Land releases a comprehensive database with information on space conservation-related ballot initiatives proposed and passed throughout the nation. To read a summary article about the initiatives passed in Pennsylvania, please
click here.
It's Getting Much Easier to Be Green in Pittsburgh, November 26, 2006
"The [Heinz] Endowments sponsored the design competition for the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the largest green convention center in the world; funded a study of steep hillsides that led to city guidelines controlling steep-slope development; and funded a collaboration between 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania and the Brookings Institution to come up with a competitive agenda for the state." Please
click here for the full Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.
Summit sees future in regional economy, November 20, 2006
Todd Vonderheid addresses a seminar sponsored by the Forest Hills Regional, centered around powering up the sluggish economies of Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties. Please
click here for the Johnstown Tribune Democrat article.
State Needs $1.6 Billion to Fix Roads, Bridges, November 14, 2006
Janet Milkman, President and CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, comments on the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission’s final report. Please
click here for the article in the November 14, 2006 Sunbury Daily Item.
Metro York seeks solutions for city's problems, November 11, 2006
"Leaders of a YorkCounts effort to tackle the problems of concentrated poverty and high property taxes in York City plan to announce possible remedies within six to eight months.
The co-chairs of the Metro York initiative addressed the Rotary Club of York at the Yorktowne Hotel on November 10, 2006. Eric Menzer and Bill Simpson said they are looking to put together three to five recommendations to present to the community." Please
click here for the York Dispatch article. For a
direct link, click here.
Make Us Want to Stay, November 10, 2006
"If Pennsylvania wants to hold onto its young people, it better start listening to them.
Otherwise, the state's high school and college graduates will continue moving to places more to their liking, according to Todd A. Vonderheid, director of strategy for the advocacy group Renew PA.
To help change that pattern, the Berks County Community Foundation on Thursday hosted a summit attended by students from a dozen Berks high schools and three colleges." Please
click here for the complete article.
Honey, I shrunk the government: We need more leadership from Harrisburg in efforts to consolidate schools and municipalities, October 22, 2006
In 2006, the state Legislature will see turnover that's unprecedented in recent times, creating an opportunity for positive change. Are your state legislators prepared to lead the way? Next week, in our endorsements, we'll offer suggestions on the best candidates to help “reconstitute Pennsylvania.” Meanwhile, as you prepare to vote Nov. 7, keep the following government reform issues in mind:..." Please
click here for the York Daily Record article. For a direct link,
click here.
Explaining Pennsylvania to Maine
As Mainers sort through their own Brookings report, "Charting Maine's Future," they might wonder what comes next. In 2003, our own Brookings report -- "Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania" -- hit Pennsylvania like a wave, landing on front pages and editorial pages in every major newspaper in the state. The media repeatedly referred to the report over the next two years. It was a "best-seller" among decision-makers, civic, and business leaders.
Summit To Cover Education Issues, October 19, 2006
An education summit aims to pull together community members, area leaders and educators to create an open dialogue about countywide issues. More than 200 people are expected to attend the Oct. 26 and 27 summit at the York Expo Center, co-organizer Beth Gill-MacDonald said.
What's Really Propping Up the Economy? Economic development strategies crafted around biotech and healthcare, September 25, 2006
If you really want to understand what makes the U.S. economy tick these days, don't go to Silicon Valley, Wall Street, or Washington. Just take a short trip to your local hospital. Park where you don't block the ambulances, and watch the unending flow of doctors, nurses, technicians, and support personnel. You'll have a front-row seas at the healthcare economy.
Share Services, Ideas, September 20, 2006
The Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania hosted a meeting of government officials and industry representatives in Erie on Tuesday, September 20, 2006, to discuss the Brookings report "Back to Prosperity" and to discuss ways of helping Pennsylvania and the Erie region in particular.
Click
here for the Erie Times News article.
