October 26, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Phyllis Bennett, 717.561.0314

Representative John Payne’s Role in Harrisburg’s Financial Crisis

As the City of Harrisburg seeks “distressed municipality” status and teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, we must look at the root causes of this crisis and learn from mistakes made in the past by our current political leaders. If it were not for the efforts of now-State Representative John Payne, the City of Harrisburg would not be in its current state of financial disarray.  We only need to look back to 1999, when Payne was elected as Chairman of the Dauphin County Commission.  Payne and his “deals” with the City led to the closure of the Dauphin Meadows Landfill and the re-routing of all County waste to the City’s incinerator.

"John Payne was the catalyst in the incinerator debacle."

John Payne was the catalyst in the incinerator debacle. John Payne was the man behind the back door deal with, then-Mayor Steven Reed, where they unilaterally closed the County landfill and re-routed all waste to the City. As a result, Dauphin County guaranteed the large loans that were required to finance the retrofit and upgrade of the incinerator. This back door financing is a major contributor to the current financial disorder, which now threatens Dauphin County stability.

If Payne, as County Chairman, had not spearheaded “incinerator-gate,” the County and the City would not be suffering on the brink of bankruptcy today.  It was a sweetheart deal that never had adequate public participation.  Payne created it.  Payne set it in motion, Payne promoted it and Payne’s hands-on role in this debacle can no longer be ignored. Certainly, the taxpayers of both the County and the City and their children will be paying for John Payne’s incompetence and misguided direction for many years into the future.

"The taxpayers of both the County and the City and their children
will be paying for John Payne’s incompetence"

Prior to Payne’s election in 1999, Dauphin County waste haulers could choose from a menu of landfills or the incinerator to dispose of our garbage.  Payne instead worked to close the landfill in upper Dauphin County and ultimately changed the County’s menu approach to designation of the Harrisburg incinerator as the sole disposal option.  While this was politically popular in upper Dauphin County, it placed County taxpayers at unnecessary risk when the County guaranteed over $125 million to retrofit the incinerator.  The issues with the retrofit have been well documented in recent years.  Now, County taxpayers may be on the hook for up to $68 million in debt service payments by the end of the year.  Resolution of the City’s financial crisis will result in higher taxes and higher disposal fees for Dauphin County waste for many years to come.

This kind of back room dealing is just another example of the ineffective, scandal prone, men’s club Legislatures that we have on every level of government in Pennsylvania.  It is time to end these “good ‘ol boys” networks of the past. Pennsylvania ranks 46th in the nation in regard to electing and appointing women to higher offices and this trend must also be broken.

If Pennsylvania elected more women, government at every level would accomplish much more, cost much less, and result in much less corruption. As your State Representative, I pledge to be open and transparent in my governmental affairs throughout my term in every office.

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