Harrisburg City Council "Gang of Four release statement on Corbett's nomination of receiver for the city of Harrisburg.

Statement of Majority of Harrisburg City Council on the Appointment of the State Receiver:

The following statement has been issued by Council persons Eugenia Smith, Wanda Williams, Susan Brown Wilson and Brad Koplinski.

The majority of Council still believes that the Act 47 plans would not have worked and the receiver process is even worse for the taxpayers of our city. Bankruptcy is the only option that will allow for a global solution with shared pain by all stakeholders - that was made clear when AGM stopped attending negotiation sessions for the consent agreement last week.

They won't negotiate in good faith with anyone - the city or the receiver. The Mayor should drop her objections to bankruptcy and join the majority of Council in support of this action.

The receiver must still be approved by the Commonwealth Court, which can take up to 60 days and then, we believe, properly approved by the Federal bankruptcy judge. The next hearing on the status of the bankruptcy filing is on November 23rd. We ask that the state have respect for the Federal bankruptcy process, instead of again putting the heaviest of hands on the Capital City. This is simply the latest instance in which the state has not taken steps to help Harrisburg, but hinder it.

Everyone that has followed the process knows that the solution will be a combination of new revenue and debt forgiveness - the option of taxing our way out of this is not viable. The state should come to its senses and start to become part of the solution and not part of the continuing problem.

Photo/Natalie Cake