Statement on County Proposal

Posted by on 31 August 2009 | 296 Comments

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I have been, and continue to be, opposed to the lease of the parking garages. Leasing the garages is like leasing our streets to private interests. Parking is an extension of traffic control. Instead, we should better design our city for people.

It should be more accessible and affordable for residents and visitors who patronize our businesses. A long-term commitment to the over-reliance on the automobile is the wrong policy direction to take. We should be looking at increasing effective public transportation options and accommodating pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

I would like to see an accurate accounting of the city's assets before committing to financial solutions. I am open to a sale or long-term lease of City Island. However, I would want contractual assurances that the park land would remain a park, open to all citizens.

When Dauphin County commissioners suggested the sale of the garages, it was out of concern for the city's financial obligations, which the county has underwritten. I, too, am concerned about the city's ability to function financially. However, we must meet our obligations without jeopardizing the long-term needs of the city.

The Harrisburg Authority, which oversees the incinerator, should be leading the conversation on innovative solutions, not merely defending itself against the county's legal efforts to force the Authority to be financially responsible. Reasonable people, dealing openly and fairly with one another and the public, should be able to resolve this problem in the public's interest.


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