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Paying for Police
Policy Brief: On July 1, 2009, the State Government Committee of Pennsylvania's House of Representatives narrowly passed House Bill 1500, "the Pennsylvania State Police Municipal Patrol Services Act." If enacted by the full legislature, the bill would charge new fees to about 1700 municipalities that currently rely on state police coverage instead of paying local taxes for local police services.
Taxing Arts and Culture
Policy Brief: On September 18, 2009, Governor Rendell negotiated a deal with the leadership of the state house and senate to raise additional revenues for his long-stalled state budget. The governor was determined to secure new tax revenues in order to forestall deep cuts in education, health care, and economic development. However, he was unable to win sufficient support from legislators of both parties for broad-based tax increases. Republicans in the state senate in particular argued that comprehensive tax increases would push the state further into economic recession.
2009 Where We Stand
In the current economic downturn that touches the lives of many households in greater Philadelphia, we are more conscious than ever that the citizens of this region share a common future. No matter where we live or work, all of us depend on a job market, a quality workforce, a transportation system, a housing market, a wealth of cultural and educational resources, and air and water sheds that are regional in scope. To strengthen those shared assets, we must connect local issues and concerns to the larger regional picture.
2008 Where We Stand
This edition of Where We Stand marks a departure in the way we assess the quality of life in the communities of our region. In prior editions, we presented dozens of indicators, modifying the items included in different years so that each edition presented a slightly different combination of indicators. This year, we launch a new approach, which will be more compact, more easily scanned by our readers, and more consistent over time.