by Pennsylvania REP Chapter President Sandy Moser published July 8, 2004 in the Philadelphia Inquirer
You wouldn't think Pennsylvania legislators could afford to ignore the short- and long-term benefits of Gov. Rendell's proposed Growing Greener II environmental initiative, but they did just that. This is a message to everyone who planned to apply for grants through Growing Greener: There will be no money for new grants. Certain Republican senators are on record stating that there is $700 million remaining in the original Growing Greener fund. However, that money is essentially already committed to previously approved projects.
Growing Greener II was a long-overdue, grand plan to expand support for local efforts that would benefit natural-resource protection and Pennsylvania's revitalization and economic future. By saving agricultural land for agriculture, it had the potential to slow skyrocketing property taxes. The loss of even one farm within a school district directly affects property taxes, demonstrating the real cost of development to the individual taxpayer. Residents in the Coatesville Area School District, for example, have been calling on their legislators for help and have been told that nothing can be done. And yet, with a fully funded Growing Greener II, farms could have been preserved to relieve some of the development pressures.
However, the Growing Greener II initiative was not just about saving farms and open space. Growing Greener II money would have provided much-needed support to ensure that Pennsylvania's two largest industries - agriculture and tourism - remain viable.
That's why it's impossible to understand why Republican legislative leadership, particularly those who represent Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks Counties, opposed this initiative, which would have put this $800 million bond issue to a referendum. Pennsylvania voters should have been allowed to decide. Growing Greener II was about new business, new jobs, clean air and clean water; it was about help for the state's decaying towns, mine-contamination cleanup, wildlife habitats and state parks, and recreational opportunities for all state residents.
The recent Brookings Institution report is the latest study focusing on steps for an economic turnaround in Pennsylvania, and it is remarkably similar to the programs proposed in Growing Greener II. The report recognizes that sprawl has seriously hurt the state economy, creating landscapes that are dramatically less appealing to businesses looking for a dynamic, well-educated workforce. The Growing Greener II bond initiative included support for important advanced technologies to enable development of clean energy sources, and to spur job creation in a wide range of energy-related projects. Jobs in these fields would attract workers and offer competitive salaries. Pennsylvania is now home to more than 6,000 environmental companies generating more than $9 billion in revenue.
Shortchanging the environment in the past has proved to be penny wise and pound foolish, greatly damaging public health, the environment, and Pennsylvania's economic competitiveness. Studies show that the states with the best environmental records also offer the best opportunities and climate for economic development. Other regions realize that an investment in environmental restoration and conservation makes fiscal and economic sense. Indeed, more that 100 respected economists, including two Nobel laureates, sent a letter to President Bush and the governors of 11 states, saying that protecting environmental quality is essential for sustaining economic prosperity.
Surveys show that Pennsylvanians want clean air and water and protection for special places and endangered species. They want political leaders who will debate constructively and cooperate to find practical solutions. What they don't want is for Pennsylvania's natural heritage to be lost to transitory political calculations and special-interest money. If proof were needed, last year Montgomery County voters approved a $150 million open-space bond issue. Chester County has committed $60 million for open-space initiatives, fully supported by the electorate.
By ignoring the Growing Greener II initiative, the Republican Senate leadership's action serves to convince voters that the GOP places the interests of campaign contributors ahead of the needs and desires of ordinary citizens. My party will pay a price for this action at the polls if people believe it has turned its back on the environmental protection that the majority of Pennsylvanians routinely say they want. As the grant requests from municipalities, watershed groups, land trusts, brownfield programs, and community revitalization projects are submitted and then denied for lack of funding, the Republican Senate leadership will find that it has wasted a lot of political goodwill by ignoring Growing Greener II.
