Center On Regional Politics

Bulletin Volume 1, Number 1 | Fall 2012

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR PUBLIC PENSIONS, TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, AND ENERGY TOP CORP’s As Southeastern ’s largest publicly supported INITIAL AGENDA university, Temple has established a Center on Regional Politics to provide elected officials and other public and Temple’s new Center on Regional Politics will focus on private sector leaders with a forum to seek consensus steps to improve the economic competitiveness of South- on policies to improve the quality of life and economic eastern Pennsylvania in three broad areas: addressing opportunities for residents of our five-county region public pension liabilities, funding transportation infrastruc- (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadel- ture, and responding to opportunities to lower energy phia). costs and participate in the growth associated with the production of shale gas in the state’s northern and western Our mission is to provide neutral ground and intellectual counties. These were the priorities decided by the center’s resources to encourage and support interactions among Executive Committee at its first meeting May 30. leaders throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, with the goal of developing evidence-based policies that respond Public Employee Pensions to the region’s needs and promote its broad civic and economic interests. Executive Committee members felt that the public does not have a good understanding of the degree to which Our focus will be on the politics of public policy, or iden- public employee pensions are straining the ability of the tifying the most promising practical strategies to achieve state, county and municipal governments, and school dis- optimal policy results. The center will not lobby for tricts to maintain, let alone improve, basic services. specific measures but will help the region’s leaders assess options and recommendations for addressing challenging Mayor Michael Nutter and Pennsylvania issues. Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester/Dela- ware), who are co-chairs of the center’s Committee on Our most important assets in pursuing these goals are Fiscal Policy and Governance, will have lead responsibility more than 90 elected officials, public sector executives, for overseeing the center’s efforts to identify options for and business, labor, and civic, and non-profit leaders who addressing unfunded pension liabilities and for improving have joined our Board of Fellows. Their advice and input public understanding of the scope and magnitude of the and the guidance of the center’s Executive Committee problem. will shape our agenda and be vital to our success. We thank these leaders for their interest in this project and Given the significant impact that public pension liabilities the William Penn Foundation and Temple for their finan- are having on governments in the region, the Committee cial support. on Economic Development, co-chaired by State Represen- tative Michael Gerber (D-Montgomery) and Rob Won- Joseph P. McLaughlin, Jr., PhD derling, president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Director, Center on Regional Politics (CORP) Commerce, and the Committee on Urban Affairs, co-

TempleCenter University on Regional Politics Center on www.temple.edu/corpRegional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number1| Fall 2012 chaired by State Senator Anthony Williams (D-Delaware/ new jobs concentrated largely in the counties where drill- Philadelphia) and State Representative Chris Ross (R-Ches- ing is occurring. The question remains as to how South- ter), will share oversight on this issue. eastern Pennsylvania can respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by this very promising industry Transportation Funding while also addressing significant environmental concerns.

CORP’s Executive Committee also endorsed exploring One result of the dramatic steps taken by public and pri- options, both regional and statewide, to achieve sustain- vate sector leaders to save the Delaware River refineries able funding for improving and maintaining transportation from abandonment and thousands of jobs from being lost infrastructure in the region, including not just highways, is that the region’s port may become a significant exporter bridges, and transit, but ports and the region’s airports. of natural gas. The refinery story is also significant because Senator John Rafferty, chairman of the Senate Transporta- it required a remarkable effort by federal, state, and local tion Committee, and Feather O. Houstoun, former chief officials working across party and city-suburban lines with financial officer of SEPTA, will have lead responsibility for business and labor leaders to avert a disaster that seemed the center’s work on this assignment. at the outset inevitable. CORP has a case study in prog- ress to document an achievement that may hold lessons In August 2011, Governor Corbett’s Transportation Fund- for addressing other regional challenges. ing Advisory Committee (TFAC) issued a report that quantified Pennsylvania’s transportation needs at approxi- Pennsylvania produced natural gas also has the potential to mately $3.5 billion. The report suggested that this amount help reduce energy costs in the region through increased will increase to $7.2 billion in ten years if no action is taken use by businesses and governments for facilities and and offered specific actions to find $2.5 billion in recurring vehicles. The center will also work with organizations like annual revenue for transportation. the US Department of Energy’s ground-breaking Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, In developing the recommended funding package, TFAC which is developing innovative technologies for retrofit- was directed to not consider the following options: rais- ting commercial and residential buildings and fostering the ing the flat gas tax at the pump, leasing the Pennsylvania development of policy and market incentives to support Turnpike or changing the ownership structure of the Penn- the emergence of a new retrofit economy. sylvania Turnpike, assuming additional non-state-controlled resources, or changes in federal assistance or federal law. Other Initiatives

Specific recommendations included raising the driver’s The center also will explore ways to raise the quality of license and vehicle registration fees, adopting biennial the region’s workforce, support the city and suburban registrations and eight year driver’s licenses instead of hospitality industries, and reduce local government costs. the current four years, and removing the cap from the The Education and Workforce Development Committee, Oil Company Franchise Tax. The commission also recom- co-chaired by Rob Loughery, chair of the Bucks County mended providing local governments with options to raise Commissioners, and Patricia Coulter, president of the revenues to support transportation needs and passing Urban League, will support the public pension initiative public-private partnership legislation. (Both the House and insofar as it affects school district finances and will focus Senate have since passed differing versions of Senate Bill on efforts to connect workers to jobs and to prepare the 344, sponsored by Senator Rafferty.) workforce for opportunities presented by changes in the state and regional economies. Energy In the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling upholding Lead responsibility for the center’s energy agenda will be Presidential Obama’s health care plan and the legislature’s shared by the Committee on Energy and Environment, co- authorization of demonstration block grants in 20 counties, chaired by Josh Shapiro, chair of the Montgomery County the center will revisit an agenda for the Health and Human Commissioners, and Nicholas DeBenedicitis, chairman Services Committee co-chaired by Senator Vincent Hughes, and CEO of Aqua America, and by the Committee on minority chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Economic Development, co-chaired by Gerber and Won- and Daniel J. Hilferty, president and CEO of Independence derling. Estimates of the amount of natural gas contained Blue Cross. The block grant demonstration projects have within Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale formation vary widely, been approved in Bucks, Chester and Delaware Counties. but there is no doubt this industry is creating thousands of 2 Center on Regional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number 1| Fall 2012

Center on Regional Politics Executive Committee (Co-Chairs)

Economic Development The Honorable Michael F. Gerber, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rob Wonderling, President & CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

Education and Workforce Development The Honorable Robert G. Loughery, Chair, Bucks County Commissioners Patricia A. Coulter, President and CEO, Urban League of Philadelphia

Energy, Environment and Land Use The Honorable Josh Shapiro, Chair, Montgomery County Commissioners Nicholas DeBenedictis, Chair and CEO, Aqua America, Inc.

Fiscal Policy and Governance The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Mayor, City of Philadelphia The Honorable Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader, Senate of Pennsylvania

Health and Human Services The Honorable Vincent J. Hughes, Member, Senate of Pennsylvania Daniel J. Hilferty, President and CEO, Independence Blue Cross

Transportation The Honorable John C. Rafferty, Jr., Member, Senate of Pennsylvania Feather Houstoun, former CFO, SEPTA

Urban Affairs The Honorable Anthony H. Williams, Member, Senate of Pennsylvania The Honorable Chris Ross, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

At-Large Members The Honorable , Member, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable James W. Gerlach, Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Center on Regional Politics Board of Fellows

Federal Elected The Honorable Chaka Fattah Member, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable James W. Gerlach Member, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Patrick Meehan Member, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Allyson Y. Schwartz Member, U.S. House of Representatives

State Elected The Honorable Jim Cawley Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate The Honorable Robert M. McCord Treasurer, State of Pennsylvania

3 Temple University Center on Regional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number 1| Fall 2012

Center on Regional Politics Board of Fellows (continued)

State Administration Carol Aichele Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and former Chair, Chester County Commissioners Adam Gattuso Director SE Region, Governor Corbett

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Honorable Andrew E. Dinniman Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Edwin “Ted” B. Erickson Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Vincent J. Hughes Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Shirley M. Kitchen Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Daylin Leach Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Dominic Pileggi Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable John C. Rafferty, Jr. Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Michael J. Stack III Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Christine M. Tartaglione Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Robert M. Tomlinson Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable LeAnna M. Washington Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable Anthony H. Williams Member, Pennsylvania Senate The Honorable William F. Adolph, Jr. Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Brendan F. Boyle Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Kevin J. Boyle Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Timothy P. Briggs Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Gene DiGirolamo Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Dwight Evans Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Michael F. Gerber Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Robert W. Godshall Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Kate Harper Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Tim Hennessey Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Babette Josephs Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable William F. Keller Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Thomas H. Killion Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Michael H. O’Brien Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Cherelle L. Parker Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Tony J. Payton, Jr. Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Marguerite C. Quinn Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable James R. Roebuck, Jr. Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Chris Ross Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable Steven J. Santarsiero Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable John J. Taylor Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Honorable W. Curtis Thomas Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Local Elected Officials The Honorable Kathi Cazzone Vice Chairwoman, Chester County The Honorable Mario Civera, Jr. Vice Chair, Delaware County The Honorable Darrell L. Clarke President, Philadelphia City Council The Honorable Ryan Costello Commissioner, Chester County 4 Temple University Center on Regional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number 1| Fall 2012

Center on Regional Politics Board of Fellows (continued)

The Honorable Robert G. Loughery Chairman, Bucks County The Honorable Tom McGarrigle Chairman, Delaware County The Honorable Michael A. Nutter Mayor, City of Philadelphia The Honorable Brian J. O’Neill Minority Leader, Philadelphia City Council The Honorable Josh Shapiro Chairman, Montgomery County

Community/Civic/Governmental Laurie Actman Deputy Director for Management and Admin., EEB Hub George Burrell Attorney, Kleinbard, Bell, and Brecker Joseph M. Casey General Manager, SEPTA Patricia A. Coulter President and CEP, Urban League of Philadelphia Paul R. Decker President, Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau Jack P. Ferguson President and CEO, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau John Grady President, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation Feather Houstoun Former President, The William Penn Foundation; Former CFO, SEPTA Debra Kahn Executive Director, Delaware Valley Grantmakers Tom Kaiden President, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Patrick Killian Director, Delaware County Commerce Center Meryl Levitz Executive Director, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. Paul Levy Executive Director, Center City District Neil I. Goldfarb Executive Director, Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health Robert F. Powelson Chairman, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Sharmain W. Matlock-Turner President, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition Barry Seymour Executive Director, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Steven T. Wray Executive Director, The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia Ahmeenah Young President, The Pennsylvania Convention Center

Business/Labor Emily L. Bittenbender Managing Partner, Bittenbender Construction, LP Steven Scott Bradley Chair, African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, and DE Nick DeBenedictis Chair and CEO, Aqua America, Inc. Patrick J. Eiding President of Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Varsovia Fernandez President and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Patrick B. Gillespie Business Manager, PBCTC, AFL-CIO Daniel J. Hilferty President and CEO, Independence Blue Cross Thomas G. Morr President and CEO, Select Greater Philadelphia Stephen S. Tang President and CEO, The Science Center Anthony Wigglesworth Associate Director, Phila. Area Labor-Management Committee Robert C. Wonderling President and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

5 Temple University Center on Regional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number 1| Fall 2012

Center on Regional Politics Board of Fellows (continued)

Academia Carolyn T. Adams Director, Metro. Phila. Indicators Project, Temple University Richardson Dilworth Director, Center for Public Policy, Drexel University Jeffrey Featherstone Department of Regional and Community Planning, Temple University Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. Senior Vice President, Government, Community, and Public Affairs, Temple University J. Wesley Leckrone Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Widener University Joseph R. Marbach Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, LaSalle University Randall Miller Professor, Department of History, Saint Joseph’s University Megan Mullin Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Temple University William J. Stull Professor, Department of Economics, Temple University David B. Thornburgh Executive Director, Fels Institute, University of Pennsylvania F. Carl Walton Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Lincoln University Craig Wheeland Associate Vice President and Professor, Villanova University Center on Regional Politics- Staff

Joseph P. McLaughlin, Jr. - Director Kelly D. Colvin- Associate Director Michelle J. Atherton- Senior Policy Writer and Publications Editor Nathan R. Shrader- Graduate Assistant Charlene M. Wiltshire- Business Manager Langston Swygert-Huzzy- Senior Administrative Specialist Save the Date Center on Regional Politics

Symposium | January 11, 2013 Building a Stronger Regional Economy How Pension Funding Challenges and Energy Development Opportunities Will Affect Our Future Penn’s Landing Hyatt - 201 S. Columbus Boulevard Philadelphia, PA

6 Temple University Center on Regional Politics Bulletin | Volume 1, Number 1| Fall 2012

Resources and Programs Available through the Center on Regional Politics

The Center on Regional Politics (CORP) is located in Temple’s Institute for Public Affairs and is associated with other Temple centers and projects that conduct policy-related research, a number of which are listed below. These resources can be accessed through CORP or directly through their websites.

The Institute for Survey Research (ISR) The Pennsylvania Policy Database Project www.temple.edu/isr www.temple.edu/papolicy

Founded in 1967, ISR is one of the oldest and most The Pennsylvania Policy Database Project is a free, online prestigious academic survey research centers in the resource that provides access to more than 160,000 state U.S., with more than 40 years of experience conducting and news media records and enables users to trace and national, state, and local surveys, statistical research, analyze with a few mouse clicks the history of public policy focus group research, needs assessments, and program in the Commonwealth since 1979. Designed for easy use by educators, students, researchers, policy makers, evaluations. Its clients have included the federal news reporters, and the general public, it is the first government, foundations, and other national universities. comprehensive state policy database of its kind. Staff of ISR is one of only three academic survey research the project are available for training upon request. centers in the U.S. with the historical experience of implementing national computer-assisted in-person The Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators surveys. The institute collaborates with faculty and Project (MPIP) other researchers around the country on surveys and mpip.temple.edu evaluations across a broad range of fields, topics and populations. MPIP promotes regional thinking about our most important challenges by illuminating conditions and trends The Temple Papers on the Pennsylvania in the nine county region (defined as the central cities General Assembly of Philadelphia and Camden along with the Pennsylvania www.temple.edu/ipa/papers counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, and the New Jersey counties of Burlington, Camden, The papers are a five volume exploration of the Gloucester and Salem). To promote regional thinking, Assembly’s history, achievements, and evolving MPIP maintains and updates a set of social, economic, constitutional ground rules. They also survey changes and environmental indicators that portray the quality of in legislative structure and practice under discussion life in the region’s communities, offering analyses of these by experts, critics, and legislators themselves in indicators in occasional web reports and an annual report. Pennsylvania and across the nation as possible remedies to public discontent about governance in America. They are available in print by request, or on the Institute for The Pennsylvania Capital Semester and Public Affairs’ website at www.temple.edu/ipa. Internship Placement www.temple.edu/ipa/opportunities/CapitalSemester.shtml Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC) www.csc.temple.edu/ The Institute for Public Affairs, the umbrella organization of the Center on Regional Politics, sponsors an internship semester each fall in Harrisburg Headquartered on Temple’s Ambler Campus in Mont- in association with Temple’s Harrisburg campus. gomery County, CSC develops and promotes new ap- Students have the opportunity to explore government proaches to protect and preserve quality of life through affairs, policymaking and implementation first-hand sustainable development. while being full-time students and staying on track to graduation. The program is open to students from The center acts a resource for government agencies, schools other than Temple University. community organizations, and developers, providing objective information and services to improve decision- The Center on Regional Politics is also a point of contact making relative to land use and water resources planning for public officials, civic organizations, and non-profits and development. looking to fill undergraduate and graduate student internship positions.

7 Temple University Center on Regional Politics NONPROFIT ORG. Center on Regional Politics US POSTAGE PAID 1114 W. Polett Walk (022-02) PHILADELPHIA, PA 840 Anderson Hall PERMIT NO. 1044 Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090 215-204-1600

Save the Date

Center on Regional Politics

Symposium | January 11, 2013 Building a Stronger Regional Economy How Pension Funding Challenges and Energy Development Opportunities Will Affect Our Future

Penn’s Landing Hyatt - 201 S. Columbus Boulevard Philadelphia, PA