Please find below two updates on the Governor’s Growing Greener environmental funding initiative put out this week by Rep. William Adolph (R-Delaware, Majority Chairman of the House Environmental Resources Committee and House Democratic Leaders Rep. William DeWeese (D-Greene) and Rep. Michael Veon (D-Beaver)

Rep. Adolph “Growing Greener Update”

“As chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee I am committed to protecting and preserving Pennsylvania's natural resources.

“The original Growing Greener program – the largest single investment of state funds for conservation and preservation in Pennsylvania history – was a Republican effort enacted in 1999 to provide $645 million in funding over five years to protect the state's natural resources. Since then the program has been extended to 2012 with funding from a $4 per ton tipping fee on landfill waste.

“This year, Gov. Ed Rendell proposed floating an $800 million bond and increasing certain business fees to increase funding for environmental programs.

Although I agree we need to continue doing more to protect our dwindling natural resources, I, along with many of my colleagues, had concerns about how the governor proposed to finance the program expansion.

“House Republicans instead proposed paying for Growing Greener programs as we go to avoid the potential pitfall of spending the bond proceeds in four or five years, and then having taxpayers spend the next 20 years paying off the $800 million loan.

“In an effort to find other ways to solve our environmental funding concerns, House and Senate leaders, along with the administration, are creating a "Green Ribbon Commission." The commission will study and develop recommendations for environmental programs and determine the best funding options and report back this fall. “This will allow enough time that if a bond does need to be floated, a ballot question can be developed for the spring 2005 primary.

“While many would have you believe that the General Assembly ignored the environment entirely, our new state budget proves otherwise.

“House Republicans included $14.6 million to fund Waste Tire Recycling Grants, Safe Drinking Water Grants and the Senior Environmental Corps. The governor's initial budget proposal eliminated the funds for these programs.

“House Republicans helped secure an additional $1.5 million in state funds for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the Delaware River Basin Commission, the County Conservation Corps and Mushroom Nutrient Management. Republicans maintained the dedicated funding for Growing Greener.

“In actual dollars, the Department of Environmental Protection received a $17 million increase over the governor’s budget proposal. We allocated an additional $2 million to Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to help with the state parks and community parks.

“House Republicans are committed to meeting Pennsylvania's environmental needs today, tomorrow and 50 years from now. Through the Green Ribbon Commission the House, Senate and administration will work cooperatively to see that we continue on the path first set forth in the Growing Greener initiative in 1999.”

Reps. DeWeese & Veon “Green Sense”

“Since its introduction in February, House Democrats advocated Governor Ed Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative as the best and most responsible way to invest in Pennsylvania’s economy, preserve our environment and create new, high-quality jobs all across the state. From February until recently, House and Senate Republicans played partisan politics and criticized the governor’s forward-thinking proposal.

“We didn’t understand the criticism at the time given the fact the same Republicans suggested borrowing $5.3 billion over the past six years for similar environmental projects. Governor Rendell was only asking voters to approve the same idea.

“On July 4, as lawmakers were voting on the state budget and the means to provide $1 billion in property tax relief to Pennsylvanians, House Majority Leader Sam Smith and Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill penned a letter to Governor Rendell, suggesting the establishment of a “Green Ribbon Commission” to jointly study and develop recommendations for environmental programs and to determine the best funding options.

“We were happy to hear it. And we were extremely delighted to hear the Republican leaders say they would help put an environmental bond issue before the voters on the 2005 primary election ballot.

“While we are pleased leaders Smith and Brightbill opened the door to discussion and action to expand and enhance environmental stewardship in Pennsylvania, we would be remiss if we did not respond to Leader Smith’s July 20 commentary that called the governor’s plan “short on details.”

“From cabinet secretaries’ public testimony to tours around the state to materials to lawmakers, details of the plan have been available for quite some time and abound in a variety of places. Pennsylvanians (and GOP lawmakers) also can get all the details they want by visiting www.growinggreener2.com.

“Let’s stop the blame game and move forward. Lawmakers from both parties have looked to make our state a true leader and innovator in the fields Governor Rendell addresses in his Growing Greener II initiative. House Democrats were happy to sponsor the legislation to kick-start the debate.

“And we are equally happy to join our Republican colleagues in creating the “Green Ribbon Commission” so that we can get to work on a plan that will ensure that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren can enjoy the environment and a sound economy, just as William Penn envisioned.”

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Learn How to Compost In Your Own Backyard

7/30/2004