Water and Sewer
Water and sewer together make up one of the most basic of infrastructure needs for businesses and residents. Water must be clean and available in abundant quantities, especially for those that rely on it as a raw material. Proper disposal of sewage and other waste has significant implications for the environmental quality essential to attract and maintain business. Sewer and water must be available and maintained at the right places to support business development.
Planning
Pennsylvania has numerous local governments, authorities, and other official government organizations within a single region. Each has some level of authority to plan and provide for growth and development. Many jurisdictions don't have the resources to adequately plan for their own infrastructure and development needs, much less to coordinate with other, overlapping or adjoining jurisdictions within the larger region. Often the end result is duplication of effort and uncoordinated and inefficient use of resources.
Government Reform
Historically, the structure of state government and its decision-making processes have been of little concern to almost everybody except those intimately involved on an everyday basis. In recent years, that has changed, as people have lost some confidence in political leadership in Harrisburg and express strong feelings in favor of government reform.
Transportation
The movement of goods and people is key to competitiveness. Raw materials for manufacturing goods need to arrive, final products must be shipped to destinations, and employees must have reasonable access to the workplace using either their own vehicle or public transportation. The sometimes conflicting issues of cost and availability must be addressed as technologies and living patterns change.
Growth and Development
Pennsylvania offers a wide array of places to live and work. But Pennsylvania also experiences inadequate state, regional and local coordination in areas such as transportation and infrastructure planning, environmental protection and economic development. This can drain people, resources and vitality from our towns and cities, wipe out valuable open space, and inhibit agricultural production.
State Budget
The annual state budget outlines how much will be spent and for what in the coming year. But it is much more than a one-year spending plan. For Governors and the General Assembly, it's a blueprint for the future, a tool for proposing new policies or major shifts in public policy.
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