HARRISBURG, Jan. 21, 2015 – Working to spur economic development along Pennsylvania’s waterfront areas, Senators Randy Vulakovich (R-38) and Jay Costa (D-43) are reintroducing legislation intended to encourage private investment in job creation efforts, environmental improvements and public recreational enhancements.
Senate Bill 282, the Waterfront Development Tax Credit, would establish a $10 million Tax Credit to encourage the private sector to invest in waterfront development. The Tax Credit would be available to individuals or businesses that contribute to non-profit waterfront improvement organizations. The organizations and the projects would need approval by the Department of Community and Economic Development prior to participation in the tax credit program.
The measure was originally introduced the legislation during the 2013-14 Legislative Session. It was considered and approved by the Senate Finance Committee, but didn’t receive a vote by the full Senate prior to the end of the session.
Senator Vulakovich cites Pittsburgh’s riverfront redevelopment efforts as an example of the benefit of investment in those projects. “Since the inception of Riverlife in 1999, Pittsburgh has seen the investment of about $130 million directly in 10 riverfront projects and over $4 billion of additional adjacent investment in the form of corporate headquarters and office buildings, hotels, sports and entertainment complexes and residences,” said Sen. Vulakovich. “That represents about $30 in resulting investments in projects adjacent to the rivers for every dollar invested directly in riverfront projects.”
Under Senate Bill 282, contributions would be used for specific waterfront development projects, such as: streets and public rights-of-way; waterfront parks, gardens and open spaces; access to public utilities, erosion control, storm water management and other environmental projects which promote economic development; water transportation facilities for use by the public, including water transit landings and boat docking; and amenities, including infrastructure and recreational projects.
“Pennsylvania’s waterfront areas offer dynamic opportunities for economic development and public recreation which would enhance communities and the quality of life of residents, while attracting visitors,” said Senator Costa. “However, these areas often require significant investment to redevelop due to barriers including abandoned industrial uses and contamination. Our bill provides a way for organizations and private investors to work together to restore those areas in ways that will provide long-term benefits to communities throughout the Commonwealth.”
Senate Bill 282 has been introduced and referred to the Senate Finance Committee for its consideration.
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Contacts: Nate Silcox (717) 787-6538
Stacy Witalec (717) 787-7683
Harrisburg, April 17, 2013 – Senate Democrats’ 2013-14 budget priorities are heavily weighted toward job creation, education investments, strengthening the social-services safety net, modernizing liquor sales and refocusing Pennsylvania’s business tax menu to help small businesses, they announced today at a Capitol news conference.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said that Senate Democrats will go into this year’s budget negotiations with a clear purpose and “are resolved that the state’s economy must be jump-started. New jobs must be created and we have to reverse the negative course that the Corbett administration has plotted for Pennsylvania on education and protecting our most vulnerable.”
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“We have an opportunity and a responsibility to seek new investments and use resources that are available to change policy direction during this year’s budget negotiations.”
Costa said Senate Democrats believe that more than 120,000 jobs can be created quickly by enacting a responsible transportation plan, expanding Medicaid and using economic development policies outlined in their PA Works plan.
Costa was joined by a host of Senate Democrats in making today’s announcement.
Sen. Vincent Hughes, who serves as the Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that by taking action now on key economic initiatives then restoring job creation and community programs to their past luster — before Corbett budgets sliced them to the core — is an excellent starting point.
“We need to start creating jobs right now and we can do that by working on transportation and Medicaid expansion,” Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) said. “These initiatives coupled with rebuilding water and sewer systems, investing in schools and new technologies will create economic growth immediately.
“In addition, by investing in programs such as Main Street, Elm Street and international business we can help small business here while they market their products abroad.,”
Democratic Whip Sen. Tony Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) said that the caucus was turning up the heat on the Corbett administration on jobs, health care, education and social safety net issues because the governor has failed to lead.
“We’ve outlined reasonable strategic policy alternatives that will reverse direction and provide a new path and we’ve identified revenues that will pay for the proposed expenditures,” Williams said. “Pennsylvania is rudderless on job creation and our economic numbers and business indicators under this administration illustrate the problem.
“Our most vulnerable can also not withstand another senseless round of Corbett cuts and we have to restore programs that promote help for those in need.”
Williams said that Pennsylvania is now 43rd in job creation, falling from eighth place among all states under Gov. Ed Rendell’s leadership. Plus, he said, last month’s unemployment claims fell nationally to below 350,000 but, because of Corbett policy short-sightedness, Pennsylvania led the country in new unemployment claims.
Senate Democrats said that they have laid out specific plans to achieve results in the 2013-14 budget in five areas. These include: strategic investments to create jobs; improving education; repositioning business taxes while closing business tax loopholes; modernizing the wine and spirits stores; and repairing and protecting social safety net programs.
The caucus leaders said that they’ve noted at least $750 million in annual savings, plus another $150 million in one-time revenues. They also said that we need to find resources to pay for specific new expenditures including $225 million for basic education, $50 million to aid distressed cities and communities, $40 million for transitional housing and homeownership among other items, and funds for new tax credits for a variety of areas including film production.
Democrats said that priority details include a three-year phase in of new monies to restore education dollars and key student-performance based initiatives that were cut by the Corbett administration in the last two budgets.
They also said that they would emphasize rebuilding struggling communities through their Growth, Progress and Sustainability (GPS) plan; seek new funds for transitional housing and new homeownership opportunities; and push for modernizing the wine and spirits stores rather than the opt for the risky privatization scheme that has been sought by the Corbett administration.
The Democrats indicated that they expected the negotiations to become more focused once the Senate returns to session in late April.
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HARRISBURG – October 16, 2012 – Calling the arts “an essential part of the fabric of Pennsylvania,” state Sen. Jay Costa said today that investing in arts is prudent because there is a discernible job creation and economic return.
“The arts represent a significant economic boost and a job creation tool,” Costa said at a news conference held in the state Capitol by Citizens for the Arts. “I have supported the arts for many years as a member of the Council on the Arts and on the boards of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Civic Light Orchestra so I know how important the arts are to the quality of life and marketability of a region.”
The media event was called to detail the economic impact of the arts. The Arts and Economic Prosperity study by the Americans for the Arts drew a direct correlation between investment in the arts and job creation and economic growth.
According to the study, the arts generate $2.55 billion in total economic activity and $1.8 billion in household income to local residents and support more than 81,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The arts deliver $360 million in local and state government revenue.
The Democratic leader also announced that he is going to form a bipartisan, bicameral arts and culture caucus in the General Assembly that will support the arts through the budget process among other things.
“The arts community is an essential part of the fabric of Pennsylvania – both economically and culturally – and we will continue to find ways to support it in the General Assembly,” Costa said.
The Forest Hills lawmaker also said that involvement in the arts also has a measurable education component.
Costa cited statistics indicating that students who take four years of music and art score 102 points better on their college entrance exams. Students with four years of art and music averaged 40 points higher on the written portion of their SATs than students with half a year or less.
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