A coalition of environmental, conservation, preservation, housing, and research groups, along with elected officials, held a press conference today in Harrisburg to outline their proposals to build jobs and promote great and green communities and government accountability.

 

The campaign, Pennsylvania Works!, will work to create public policy that puts Pennsylvanians to work and builds a resilient, robust and green economy for all.

 

In addition to the coalition groups, several legislators attended, including: Sen. Yaw (R-Bradford), Sen. Argall (R-Schuylkill), Rep. Ross (R-Chester), Rep. Freeman (D-Lehigh), Rep. Levdansky (D-Allegheny), Rep. DePasquale (D-York) and Rep. McIlvaine Smith (D-Chester).

 

“Job creation is Job #1, but they must be good, family-sustaining jobs that can’t be outsourced,” said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), which is coordinating the Pennsylvania Works! Campaign. “The jobs of tomorrow are here today in the clean energy economy. Pennsylvania must be in the forefront in investing in job training and job creation in renewable energy, energy savings programs, fixing our infrastructure, creating green buildings, and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Our workers deserve to have jobs of lasting value.”

 

“The historic housing crisis offers us opportunities, as well as challenges,” said Liz Hersh, executive director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania. “By thinking outside the box, we can solve our current problems and avoid future problems. We can keep financially distressed homeowners in their homes through the Pennsylvania Homeowners Mortgage Assistance Program. And, by creating a new state public fund that will provide dedicated, ongoing funding, we can increase the supply and types of more affordable places to live – making a home of their own a reality for all Pennsylvania families.”

 

Judy Schwank, president and CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania summed up the goals of Pennsylvania Works! “Our multi-pronged approach will give us the government we deserve – accountable and transparent to the citizens, flexible in approach, and providing funding and mechanisms for local governments to pool resources and provide services as efficiently and effectively as possible. With so many bridges and roads in need of major repair and our water and sewer systems failing, one goal must be fixing the infrastructure we have before new capacity is developed. Let’s make our investments more effective and funnel them towards our older communities who desperately need the improvements, rather than creating new infrastructure that in turn creates sprawl.”

 

Several pieces of legislation were highlighted in the press conference as furthering the objectives of Pennsylvania Works!

 

Sen. Yaw introduced Senate Bill 599 which would provide for the PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation and Enhancement Program to help provide affordable housing. (This legislation was reported from the Senate Urban Affairs and House Committee this week.) Rep. Freeman introduced House Bill 42 creating the Historic Preservation Incentive Act.

 

Founding partners of Pennsylvania Works! include Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Alliance, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Keystone Research Center, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, PennEnvironment, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Preservation Pennsylvania, and Regional

Housing Legal Services.

 

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Works! website.