HARRISBURG – As the state’s capital remains on the brink of bankruptcy and cities across Pennsylvania are faring little better, state Sen. John N. Wozniak is forming a legislative coalition to push for aggressive action to end the decline.
In a letter to House and Senate colleagues, Wozniak noted that, while Pennsylvania’s historic downtowns are unique, the fiscal problems they face are not.
“Sprawl, changing demographics, public safety concerns and archaic tax structure have drained the vitality of our once-vibrant downtowns,” Wozniak wrote. “Since the causes are not unique, we can’t stand by and ask local government officials to stem a tide that is overwhelming their capacity and authority to innovate.”
Wozniak proposes a “Third-Class City Caucus,” a coalition of lawmakers who have to balance the plight of central cities with the concerns of surrounding suburbs and rural regions.
“The intent of forming the Third-Class City Caucus is to find common ground on both sides of the aisle and in both the House and Senate,” he said. “We can no longer afford to consider the plight of our cities as a concern that is separate from the overall welfare of our Commonwealth.”
In previous sessions, Wozniak has proposed numerous bills intended to begin to chip away at the causes of blight and financial distress, but the efforts have remained bottled up in Senate committees.
“I think what’s happening in Harrisburg is finally making people realize that the fiscal decline of cities, which has been something easily ignored in the past, could end in a catastrophic tumbling of dominos that will leave all Pennsylvania taxpayers on the hook,” he said.
