"Broad Parameters" of Impact Fee Not Specific Bill

State Senate Republicans will unveil their plan for a natural gas drilling impact fee in Pennsylvania on Thursday, but the proposal is far from complete.

Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati said he'll release an outline of an impact fee but not an actual bill -- on a Thursday morning conference call.

"It will be, the broad parameters of what we're looking at, and certainly trying to answer as many specific answers as we can. We're obviously putting it out for feedback. It's not a bill. It's a proposal and a concept at this point. Why not introduce the bill itself this week? The purpose of it is, basically, to get input and feedback before we put it in bill form. A lot of moving parts to it," Scarnati reasoned.

The fee would reimburse local governments for increased services and infrastructure repairs caused by natural gas drilling. Senate Republicans also want the fee to fund environmental cleanup efforts, even though Governor Corbett is leery of anything beyond impact payments to municipalities and counties.

The bill may not win support of environmentally-friendly Democrats, despite the fact the broader severance tax they'd prefer will likely never come to a vote in the Republican-controlled House or Senate.
"No," said Allegheny County Senator Jim Ferlo, when asked whether he would vote for an impact fee. "Because the issue, it should be some level of statewide uniformity. The state should be collecting it. The industry should have a common obligation or responsibility across the state. Our proposal is that it be a statewide, uniform collection. And it has to be something greater than the minimal, minimalist approach that Senator Scarnati and others have."

Scarnati is hoping to pass the bill alongside the state budget in May or June.

Sen. Ferlo Likens Gov. Corbett to V.P. Chaney

State Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh says the Corbett Administration’s decision to call the changes in the way the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issues citations a “pilot program” rather than a permanent change does nothing to ease his fears. Last week a memo dictating that all citations for Marcellus Shale drilling violations be passed through the department’s top officials before they are issued was leaked to the media and immediately drew the ire of environmentalists and a slew of other groups that argued it was a “free pass” to the gas industry. The administration later called it a pilot program and said its intention was to make sure the drilling laws were being uniformly enforced. Ferlo says, “They got caught with their pants down, they got heavy criticism… I think basically it was 'lets get away with whatever we can get away with' and when they started getting criticism and it started to mount across the state you see this change in order…. Now we don’t know what to believe.”

Ferlo says the governor is building “a terrible profile” when it comes to issues surrounding the Marcellus Shale. He says the governor is misconstruing what he thinks is a mandate from the voters. “Just because he happened to win a gubernatorial election at the height of people’s angst and anger at the congress and the White House that somehow he’s gotten a free pass and can just run roughshod over then needs of Pennsylvania residents and our environment,” says Ferlo. The Senator says there are plenty of people who will not let that happen.

Ferlo says if the governor wants to make sure the rules are being uniformly enforced he should ask the Auditor General to look into the operations of the department. “We’re seeing the pattern of an imperial governor here,” says Ferlo. “What Dick Chaney was to big oil this governor seems to be to the Marcellus Shale industry.”

Ferlo says he will continue to push bills that would enact a severance tax and stop all new drilling in the state.

State Senator Would Halt Tax Code Change

A measure in the Pennsylvania Senate would stop a 2009 business tax code amendment before it goes into effect.

The upcoming change to the state’s Sales and Use Tax would double the amount of business tax collections in a year, requiring businesses to file for taxes twice a month.

Senator Jim Ferlo says while that’s not a problem for big companies with plenty of resources, small companies that do their own accounting will see a sharp rise in “administrative costs.”

Ferlo says his new bill to stop this change would maintain the current method of filing taxes once a month.

“It does mean that the Revenue Department has to wait longer, longer being a month’s period of time, in order to receive the receipts of that revenue for investment and for obligations the state has incurred,” says Ferlo. “We are continuing to be in a financial dilemma, but I don’t know that that burden should rest solely on the shoulders of the small business community.”

The Highland Park Democrat says he’s heard outcry from several small businesses in his district, like The Original Mattress Factory and 43rd Street Concrete. His bill is currently in committee.

State Senator Introduces Legislation to Lower Drink Tax

The drink tax in Allegheny County might be lowered if legislation by State Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny County) passes. Ferlo is planning on introducing a bill aimed at lowering the drink tax permitted from the current 7 to a maximum 5 percent. His plan will also include the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County dividing the revenue of the tax.

Ferlo says that the tax is important because taverns and bar make up a large proportion of the local economy in the county. "I think a lot of folks, even those who live outside the city, will see the revitalization of some of our neighborhood business corridors. And a lot of that rests on the viability of taverns and restaurants. They're a mainstay in community redevelopment and main street implementation and preservation of historic structures on neighborhood levels."

Funds collected by the County under the plan would continue to go towards transportation. While revenue collected by the city would go to a trust fund for police , fire and public safety protection. The legislation would continue to entrust the county Treasurer with collection.

Ferlo Reaction To Arena

State Senator Jim Ferlo says he is not happy with the Sports And Exhibition Authority's decision to demolish the Civic Arena. Although Ferlo represents a portion of the Hill District, he says he was excluded from talks about the possible redevelopment of the arena.

Ferlo, a Board Member of the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission said he will remained as the issue moves forward. He had previously proposed a two-year cooling-off period before making any permanent decisions regarding the arena.

The notion that somehow saving a portion or integrating some adaptive reuse of the arena contradicts the ability to also enhance the Center Avenue corridor and promote housing and other economic opportunities is just false, I mean, we can have it all actually.

Ferlo Calls For Repercussions

Reports that anti-Marcellus Shale gas drilling groups and events have been monitored by the state have left a state senator asking for repercussions.

James Powers Jr. the head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Homeland Security hired The Institute of Terrorism Research and Resources to track township and ordinance meetings regarding Marcellus Shale gas drilling as well as a public viewing of Gasland, a documentary about the environmental and health effects of gas drilling.

State Senator Jim Ferlo said he will be filing complaints with the US Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights alleging that the group violated the civil rights of residents by monitoring them without an appropriate pretext of threat or violence. He is also filing action with the state Ethics Commission and the Office of the Inspector General and asking for a right-to-know request to make public documents related to the incident. But to restore public trust that citizens are not being illegally tracked, Ferlo has another request.

"I’m demanding that he resign or be fired for the egregious activities he’s been involved with and the administration def the scope of services of the knowledge in his involvement in violating individual civil liberties and people’s rights," he said.

Information gathered by the group was sent to law enforcement agencies – as well as to gas companies companies drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Ferlo Holds Town Hall on Shale

In an effort to get as many of his constituents involved as possible State Senator Jim Ferlo decided to hold his town hall style meeting on Marcellus Shale as a conference call rather than in a specific location. The Democrat from Pittsburgh says he hopes this will allow people that would not be able to get to a fire hall or a hotel ballroom to participate. The event begins at 6:00 tonight. The public can listen in and ask questions from home by dialing 1-888-886-6603 ext. 15390#. The event will also stream live online at the senator's web page. The panel will include public health, environmental, regulatory, labor and industry experts. Ferlo says he hopes all aspects of Marcellus Shale drilling will be debated. “Especially significant risk to the environment, to our ecology, potential hazards to our water, to our streams. But many people see gold and see dollars. Certainly the state treasury is looking for tax revenue, many private property owners [are interested]”, says Ferlo. Ferlo has introduced legislation calling for a one-year moratorium on drilling in the Marcellus Shale. He says many property owners and local government bodies do not yet recognize the risks involved in shale drilling and are not prepared for emergencies or accidents at drilling sites.

Council Wants A Stop to New Marcellus Drilling

Pittsburgh Council has approved a resolution supporting State Senator Jim Ferlo's legislation that calls for a one-year moratorium on new drilling in the Marcellus Shale and the awarding of new drilling permits by the state. Ferlo, a Democratic from Pittsburgh, wants to provide time for Pennsylvania's leaders to create and implement new regulations on Marcellus Shale operations.
Patrick Dowd, the sponsor of the resolution, says the moratorium is important..."I think it makes sense for us all to take a breath, not permanently, but for right now, to make sure we understand what the consequences might be."
Dowd says there are dozens of leases being negotiated in his council district especially in the Lawrenceville area....."Wherever there is Marcellus Shale, this could be happening and there's Marcellus Shale all over the ground underneath the city of Pittsburgh. So, it's not unlikely this could potentially happen here. But before we let that happen, we want to make sure we have safety regulations and all sorts of things in place."

Kathryn Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition called council's action unnecessary and ill-advised.....“Unfortunately, Council appears to have bought wholesale into the argument that Marcellus exploration represents a threat to our water and surrounding environment, notwithstanding a mountain of evidence from EPA, DEP and a just about every environmental regulator across the country that says precisely the opposite."

Klaber says Council is taking a position that’s unsupported by science and an affront to the rights of landowners.

Meantime, Councilman Dowd says he's expecting a legal opinion from the city law department by early next week on legislation he and 4 other council members introduced that would limit drilling and excavation in the city to urban industrial and general industrial zoned areas.

Ferlo Continues Push for Single-Payer

Two state lawmakers say if Congress won't consider a federal single-payer health insurance system, they'll push for one in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have derided a single-payer health care system as too extreme, but two measures in Harrisburg would create universal coverage in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh was one of several speakers yesterday’s health care rally in the Capitol rotunda in Harrisburg. He says his bill, which faces an uphill climb in the Senate, would fill a need the federal government refuses to address. He says, “We need to have the healthcare system reorganized in Pennsylvania, and our bill would set up a single-payer financing system that would provide comprehensive universal health care, cradle-to-grave coverage, and it would be financed with reasonable progressive taxation on the part of the employer, as well as the individual.” That tax system would include a three-percent levy on individuals and a 10% payroll tax on Pennsylvania companies. Philadelphia Democrat Kathy Manderino sponsored the House version of the bill, and says she'll push for a study comparing the cost of a single-payer system to the current health insurance structure.

"People's Summit" Begins in Pittsburgh

About 100 activists and community leaders have gathered in Pittsburgh today as part of the "People's Summit" that's being held in response to next week's G20 Summit. The 3-day event, billed as an educational dialogue about problems facing the world, kicked off this morning at the 20th Century Club in Oakland. One of the first speakers was State Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh. He railed against globalization, called health care "a basic human civil right," and spoke about what activists call "the myth of free market economics."
Today's speakers also include Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers of America, Anna Pinto, an environmentalist from India, and a panel of student and youth activists.
The People's Summit continues Monday and Tuesday evenings in Pittsburgh.

Protesters Will Have Answers Soon, Says Mayor

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says that groups planning to protest the G20 summit in September will know whether their permits to demonstrate have been accepted or not by next week.

State Senator Jim Ferlo of Highland Park wanted to use Point State Park as a “free speech area” the day before the summit begins, but was denied because police and the Secret Service would be using the site. Ravenstahl says the Point gathering would still be possible if the city is allowed to accommodate both demonstrators and security personnel. Ravenstahl says he has asked the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to consider permitting protesters to demonstrate on a portion of Point State Park’s area.

Other groups want to protest in different areas throughout the city, including a march from Oakland to Downtown. Ravenstahl says these groups shouldn’t “assume that the city will say no” to them, because Pittsburgh is doing its best to allow them to protest while working under the authority of the Secret Service.

Pre-G20 Rally at the Point Nixed

State Senator Jim Ferlo of Highland Park says his application for use of Point State Park as a “free speech zone” before the G20 summit has been denied. Ferlo says police are planning to use the area next to the fountain as a helipad for security agencies. He says police may also apply to the state to allow them use of the Fort Pitt Museum as a public safety headquarters. Ferlo says as a board member of the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, there’s no way they would approve such an idea.

Ferlo says the decision “doesn’t leave much room” – he plans to team up with the American Civil Liberties Union and take his case to the Pittsburgh federal court early next week. He says it would be unfortunate to be forced to take demonstrations to the streets; earlier talks with police led him to believe using the Point would be a viable option.

Ferlo says a few similar efforts, such as a peaceful religious gathering and a demonstration from the Thomas Merton Center, have also had their permit requests denied.

Ferlo Asks for Public Forum Before G20

State Senator Jim Ferlo of Allegheny County says he’s applied for a permit to host a day-long public forum at Point State Park September 23, the day before the G20 summit begins. The event would bring together many religious, political and community organizations who have opinions about the G20 and related issues that they would like to make public. Ferlo says because of the Market Square construction, and restrictions in Mellon Square, Point State Park was the obvious choice.

The senator says the area’s recently renovated “living room” won’t be damaged by the proposed gathering. “I would suggest there’s probably more damage or abuse during a social regatta event than something that would be a large, mass gathering involving the politics and the policies of the G20,” says Ferlo.

Ferlo says he plans to speak at the event, addressing the need for “blue-green jobs” and his concern for the country’s economic direction and waning middle class. The senator continues to express concern about hiring and training out-of-state police officers for the summit.

Local Elected Official Hopes G20 Protesters will be Heard

Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh says, like many Pittsburghers, he is both “excited and concerned” by the announcement that the G20 summit is coming to the city in September. Ferlo says he is “excited” that the city will be able to show off all it has to offer as the world’s attention turns to Pittsburgh September 24th and 25th. He will even be leading a “green trolley tour” for reporters and dignitaries to highlight the region’s green development and industry efforts. The White House says Pittsburgh was chosen partially because of its ability to weather the current economic downturn and its history of bouncing back from the crippling of the steel industry. Ferlo is “concerned” that protesters will not be allowed to exercise their right to free speech. Ferlo is not a fan of the members of the G20. He harkens back to a line in the Arlo Guthrie tune “Pretty Boy Floyd” which includes the line, “Some will rob you with a six-gun, And some with a fountain pen.” Ferlo says the members of the G20 are the later. The Senator says there is a long list of reasons why people will want to protest outside the gathering and he says, “This is not exactly a group that is enamored to the quality of life of working people and those around the world who are disenfranchised.” Ferlo has contacted the city to ask that the protesters be allowed to be near the convention center rather than corralled on the northside or at station square. He has suggested that the protesters be allowed to gather on Liberty Avenue from 10th to the bussway. That would allow the secrete service to set up a secure perimeter around the convention center but allow the protesters to be close enough to be seen and heard. Ferlo says he would like to see a stage and sound system to allow the protesters to get out their messages. In the past, peaceful G20 protests have turned destructive with ralliers breaking into buildings and destroying property. Ferlo says if police respect the protesters' first amendment rights he thinks the event will remain peaceful. Ferlo says the city needs to open its arms not only to the members of the G20 but also those who have opposing views.

Local Organizations Seek Control of Fort Pitt Museum

The plot thickened today for the embattled Fort Pitt Museum when three different local organizations submitted proposals before State Senator Jim Ferlo and other members of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museums Commission (PHMC). The Friends of the Fort Pitt Museum (FFPM), the Heinz History Center and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial and Museum (SSMM) are all vying for control of the building, which was recommended to be closed by the PHMC in March. Citizens of the Pittsburgh area also offered their support and suggestions for the continuation of the museum.

FFPM President Donn Neal wants his organization and the PHMC to team up with corporate sponsors to make a “seamless experience” of the Point by operating the park, the blockhouse, and the museum all under the same administration. He says though it may not be the “easy choice,” a public and private ownership would work best. “If the commission agrees, what will emerge by January 2010 is a bold new entity that will coordinate and expand interpretive services at the Forks of the Ohio, develop its own ongoing support, and serve as a model of how a creative public-private partnership can achieve lofty aspirations,” says Neal.

Heinz History Center President Andy Masich says the History Center already has a huge base of visitors, and that this base could easily be shared with the Fort Pitt Museum if it is put under their control. He says his group is in the business of running local museums. “The management of the Fort Pitt Museum seems a logical extension to us of our existing mission, a mission that we’ve been carrying out for 130 years now,” says Masich. History Center spokesman Ray Werner says his organization would place an enormous flag on the museum to increase visibility and would aggressively market the museum to their local customers.

SSMM President Ron Gancas says the problem with the previous administration of the museum was that it needed to be more assertive in its economic dealings. Gancas suggested a new director and a new museum board; despite their mission, he says, museums need to be run as businesses. “Soldiers and Sailors has the experience of going from a government-managed entity to an independent trust. We left Allegheny County December 31st of 1999; we now have 135,000 visitors a year. Our plan could initially save the state $1.5 million over the next five years,” says Gancas. He says that they have the resources available to make the museum succeed, but everyone involved in this process must act quickly.

After the scheduled commentary, Verona resident Doug McGregor revealed an off-beat idea to save the Fort Pitt Museum. He says the museum at Landis Valley, Pennsylvania is a “fabricated site” and should be cut before Fort Pitt and other institutions. “The site was a few barns and old farm equipment put together by collectors,” says McGregor. “Cut Landis Valley and save $1.9 million every year, as well as 32 jobs and our significant history.”

The Bushy Run Battlefield Museum in Harrison City is also up for closure; the hearing for that site will be held at 7 p.m., May 27, at the museum’s location on Route 993 in Penn Township, Westmoreland County.

New Point Park Partnership Proposed

In March, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) issued a report that suggested closing the Fort Pitt Museum due to budget cuts. In reaction, the Friends of the Fort Pitt Museum (FFPM) are now proposing a new partnership that would merge Point State Park, the Fort Pitt Museum and the historic blockhouse located within the park into one entity. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), FFPM, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the respective owners of the proposed park's components, would form an administration board that would also include private investors.

FFPM President Donn Neal says the new park would provide a "seamless experience" and is the common sense thing to do. "Restoring the park to its original character at more than $30 million in expense makes no sense at all if the museum explaining the history-changing events of its time is not here too. Without the museum, in fact, there is no point to the Point," says Neal. Neal says hope of funding from the state is "slender," but FFPM is looking at other options, including corporate sponsorship.

For its entire lifespan, the museum has been supported by a $500,000 annual provision from the PHMC, which Neal says allowed it to be lax in garnering money from admissions and private investments. Now that the annual funding is being taken away, FFPM plans on beginning an agressive marketing campaign, led in major part by FFPM member Linda Dickerson, who "specializes in the management of non-profits." Dickerson says receiving support from local businesses may be difficult in these times, but it can still be done. "If you're a business in dowtown Pittsburgh, your origins can be traced back to the place where this building stands," says Dickerson.

The proposed plan also calls for a visitors' center, common to the park and the museum, to be added to the first floor of the current museum building. Neal says this would be ideal for the museum. "People would come in to find out about the park, they'd find out there's a museum, they'd come up, buy a ticket... People think it's a great museum. It's getting them in the door that's the problem."

The plan will be presented to congressman Jim Ferlo, a member of the PHMC, tomorrow. If the idea is not accepted, the Fort Pitt Museum will close on June 30.

Ferlo on Cigar Tax

Senator Jim Ferlo of Allegheny County says although a tax on cigars, cigarillos and smokeless tobacco might negatively affect the industry in Pennsylvania, it would "level the playing field" for cigarette smokers, who are currently the only tobacco users taxed. The largest financial burden of the tobacco industry is shipping, Ferlo says, suggesting tobacco companies would rather deal with the tax than increase distribution costs by shipping from other states. "You know, that's a nice thing for them to threaten, but I don't know realistically if [tobacco companies] would just uproot themselves completely," says Ferlo. Governor Rendell's proposition would place a 36-cent tariff on every ten cigars, and the same amount on every ounce of smokeless tobacco. The tax, which would raise an estimated $38 million dollars per year, would take effect in October.

Ferlo Rallies for Health Care

State Senator Jim Ferlo took part in a rally and anniversary party today as part of his ongoing effort to establish a single-payer health care program. Today is the 43rd anniversary of the passage of the federal Medicare program. The event at the Teamster’s Local 249 in Lawrenceville marked the anniversary and rallied in support of House Resolution 676. That resolution calls for the creation of a single-payer health care system. Ferlo says the Medicare program should be expanded to cover all Americans. He admits everyone would have to pay higher taxes, but he says we are already paying for coverage and through hidden societal costs, such as lost work time and bankruptcies. He says everyone would have to pay in, but everyone would be covered. Ferlo says problems with Medicare, like the Part D prescription drug program, need to be fixed before it is expanded. Ferlo says simply allowing the federal government to negotiate for the best rate possible for medications would bring huge savings.