News & Issues: Candidate Interviews

PA House 157th District (Chester and Montgomery): Candidate Guy Ciarrochi (R) and Candidate Paul Drucker (D)

April 24,2008

1. What do you hope to accomplish as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly? Guy Ciarrochi: One issue that I hope to accomplish is more of an over-arching process issue that is critical to having meaningful discussion on other, substantive, issues. The sense I have is there is a lack of trust of the legislative process in general. That it is not transparent. I hope to be part of a movement that started in this session—that started towards a bipartisan push towards transparency and reform. I hope that more deliberations take place in public. I will be part of that movement. Also, there is a lack of focus on a “suburban agenda.”  There are very effective advocates for city and urban issues as well as rural and agricultural issues, but there is nothing that speaks to the issues that we see in the suburbs.  Thankfully, we have a relatively strong economy and we should find ways to see that it continues to grow. The unique and challenging suburban issues should not be lost--especially as we become a more suburban state.
   
   Paul Drucker: I want to go to Harrisburg. I think that I can represent the district. The district is diverse, and I can represent those issues. I am so passionate about the Paoli yard; I have a good relationship with others no matter what party they are. I think that Harrisburg needs some reform. I want to be a voice out there that brings it back to us. I think that I have that skill set. 
   
2. What do you believe are the major problems facing the Commonwealth and your legislative district? Guy Ciarrochi: The lack of trust stands as the biggest problem facing the commonwealth. The pay raise was a huge issue. It tainted the discussion of everything afterwards. Moving forward, we will need credibility to focus on some of the issues that the Commonwealth currently faces.
   
   Pennsylvania continues to have a stagnant population and stagnant job growth. We have been in the bottom in terms of job growth. As a commonwealth, we must focus on the economy. We need to be aggressive. We have been talking about marketing the state and becoming competitive. But, we need to have more tax policy and regulatory policy that capitalize upon our economic corridors. I have large portions of the 202 corridor and the Great Valley corridor within my district. This is where businesses want to grow.  And, too often in government the left hand is not talking to the right hand. The DCED tries to market the state, but we still have some the highest corporate taxes in Pennsylvania. Also, the very dollars that DCED has funneled into the 202 project end up stagnating because another agency is stepping in to impose additional regulations. The challenge for the region is to let the market do what it wants to do here – which is to grow.  If we do what is necessary, in the end, if we let the businesses prosper, then everyone will benefit. With the issue of Route 202; it is the quality of life issue for the region and it would be a huge economic mistake not to widen 202.
   
   Paul Drucker: From the economic standpoint that there is nothing else as important as the Paoli yard. If Paoli does not work…it does not matter. Both the yard and the railroad are the lynchpin to the success of the area. Transit is the key. The lack of a consistent source of funding it may not have funding from year to year.
   
   Tied into that is the environment. Another issue for this district has been the sound wall on the turnpike. When you start thinking about what that will do to people’s back yard. If you think about the slip ramp, you also need to consider water runoff…and what that will do to the trout streams. Those are major issues for the area.
   
3. Initially instituted as a temporary tax, the realty transfer tax has evolved into a large source of revenue for PA. Would you support or oppose legislation which would increase appropriate monies from the realty transfer tax to fund programs such as open space preservation, urban revitalization and the like? Guy Ciarrochi: As a general rule, I do not want to raise fees or taxes.  When we create fees for services, it creates pools of money for that intended purpose.   I am hesitant to expand or change the focus or objective of a tax such as the transfer tax for something like mass transit. Mass transit is a bigger issue. That is not the best way to do it.  In the long term, you need a dedicated funding source.  I would prefer to see structural funding sources put in place, rather than re-directing an existing fund.
   
   Paul Drucker: I do not support or object to any tax until I see what it is. Yes. Depending. I’ve always considered. I’ve represented a lot of developers in my career. I’ve always felt that the transfer tax is a tax without representation. It’s so incremental it only affects those that are huge. I think that one of the reasons why Tredyffrin’s taxes are so low. They have used the transfer tax to cover mismanagement.  Now that they are built out that are going to have to accept that the transfer tax is not long going to be there. If it is raised to cover something that makes sense, then I’m not going to object to it, but if it is used to cover something that does not.
   
4. The General Assembly and the Governor’s Office are discussing ways to reform property taxes. What do you believe is the best way to reform this issue?Guy Ciarrochi: The clear answer is something has to be done. The question is what can be done. Back in 1986 and again in 1994, this was talked about and we are still talking about today. We have to be realistic and talk about what can be done. The real estate tax is an unfair because it does not reflect one’s income, but it does to a certain degree reflect one’s wealth. It is inherently an unfair tax. However, there are problems with eliminating it completely.   When you go through rough economic cycles, property taxes as a funding source—being more predictable and dependable—protect the funding for schools to a certain extent.  But, we need reform.  The issue is to decide what we want to accomplish through reform:  Is it to help seniors stay in their homes? Or, is it to expand the homestead exception and help lower income families?  I would like us to agree on what our objective is. Our two targets are seniors or low income families. I would prefer a homestead exemption process. But, most of all, we need to find consensus to help reduce this unfair tax.
   
   Paul Drucker: Well, I think the problem with property taxes is the inequity of seniors. They have lived there for years, and that becomes an asset for them. There needs to be a better way of appraising so that there is a better way to appraise for the market value. There is no such thing as a tax that does not affect someone. That is the real property tax issue. I think that maybe it should be more often.
   
   Spot reassessment--strikes me as somewhat selective. It has to be done on some legislative basis. You need to reassess on a regular basis. Getting through the month on a cash flow. 
   
5. Pennsylvania’s Municipalities Planning Code provided local municipalities authority for comprehensive planning and zoning. What sort of authority do you believe local governments should have in this area? Guy Ciarrochi: The idea of having statewide standards is important. For a number of reasons, in terms of being able to do business, you should have the ability to know what regulations and standards are in place.  Yet, locally, there should be flexibility when it comes to issues of zoning. Local communities should be able to deal with the local issues, such as: storm-water, traffic flow, etc.  You cannot create a one size fits all.  I would like to learn more about ways of crafting that balance in the right way.  I can tell you, having worked in the legislature and at HUD, which the best programs are based on solid, understandable guidelines, but then allow for common sense approaches at the local or regional level.  Most importantly, regional planning is a new, important step.  Citizens and businesses may affect more than just the community in which they are located.  The impact on roads and infrastructure in surround communities is not always realized. Some folks are disappointed that it has not magically changed things overnight. But, over the longer-term, the more that we can get municipalities cooperating and planning regionally, the more it will help everyone.
   
   Paul Drucker: One of the problems with PA is the hodgepodge local governments. O’Neill as a perfect example. That is a huge development and West Whiteland is going to control that, but it effects more than that municipality. Or the Upper Merion Golf club, it’s a Upper Merion project, and a Tredyfrin runoff problem. There is a need for more regional cooperation.
   
6. Many properties in Pennsylvania suffer from blight as a result of tenant neglect and/or absentee property management. What role do you believe government should play in this area? Guy Ciarrochi: The tensions here are the tensions of private property rights versus community benefit or community good. It is hard to develop in an area where you have absentee landlord.  I am apprehensive to take away properties (through eminent domain) to the extreme that the Supreme Court will now allow us to go. However, I think that we can come up with reasonable standards. With the neglect issue, I am a believer that you have strong, clear local standards that you promote and enforce: you mean what you say and you follow up with those standards.  Have a process that demonstrates that you are very clear that you will move swiftly and fairly. In many cases, we have codes and we do not enforce them, and then absentee landlords wait out the municipality because it more cost effective to wait them out.  The business district in Phoenixville is coming back.  We do not want to allow a decaying or unattended property to slow or impede overall growth: but, we should not penalize a property owner for being poor.  I would look to business people to learn how we affect that balance.  I do not want to take people’s property–that is a last resort—but you cannot allow it to become an unhealthy or unsafe situation.  In the area of older or poorer homeowners, and their inability to pay for property taxes and maintain their home, we can look to the creative ways that we have found ways in the past to create a public private partnership where school districts or municipalities can sell their bad debt to generate revenue. Perhaps there is a way to utilize this model in other areas as well: to protect local government and well-intended property owners.
   
   Paul Drucker: This was an issue that we dealt with in Tredyffrin last year. Government has to be able to something about blighted housing and vacant property…has to be able to control slum landlords….to have the ability to prevent slum landlords or mediate the situation. Under a nuisance or zone theory that affects it. The problem is a remedial one from a municipal stand point. I like it when townships do things periodically. Regular maintenance. You cannot let it fall until it’s too bad to fix.
   
7. States are struggling with the issue of providing affordable housing to its residents. What do you feel are the necessary components to address this issue? Guy Ciarrochi: Yes, there can be a positive—both economically and in an overall societal benefit—role for the state government through government and quasi-government agencies.  But, we have to make sure that the incentive programs we have are not having the opposite impact—i.e., driving up prices.  Secondly, we need to encourage people to move into (& develop in) towns like Phoenixville that are growing—and, have an infrastructure in place to welcome re-growth.  This can become the prototype for other communities in Chester County, and the region. I want to make sure that we are doing what we need to in developed communities—often the best and most logical location for affordable and workforce housing. There is a role to play from the state. Make sure that the programs are working hand and hand. I recognize that one’s ability to make a profit is more challenging on properties with less value. And, I want to be careful when we start “helping” homebuyers who are getting into 105 and 110 percent loans. Even when you have well intended people, the goal is to get people into their first home; sometimes the finances do not work. The co-op model--in which you cannot realize all the benefit of the increase in value but you get to live in the home--could be something to consider here. But if the home increases in value…the benefit is someone else gets to move there. Most of all: make sure the left and the right hand are working together. When I was at HUD, when we were involved in a settlement there was, occasionally, a lack of a sense of urgency. You do not want to create a situation where there is a lack of understanding in government as to what is happening in the market community.
   
   Paul Drucker: I do not know that I know the answer to that. To a great extent I think no. Short of providing a new state agency that provides housing. Mass transit. If you improve that—you improve people’s ability to get to work. You will permit TOD development. When properly done, it would be something that could really work. That’s more a local issue than a state issue.
   
8. Do you favor or oppose legislation that would require the state to consider the impact of proposed regulations on the rights of individuals to use their private property? Paul Drucker: I am in favor of appropriate zoning.  
   
   Guy Ciarrochi: See answer to Question 6.
   
9. What is your position on campaign finance reform in PA and to what extent do you believe PACs should be restricted in state legislative campaigns? Guy Ciarrochi: I have been involved in politics since the early 80s. I have watched candidates run at all levels.  Of all the systems, I like Pennsylvania’s system the best.  It is open and “market-driven.”  One ought to be able to raise as much money as possible as long as the public has access to knowing where the money that a candidate has raised came from.  I do not want to go to public funding and force taxpayers to pay for campaigns. I also do not want artificial and arbitrary spending donation or limits because that would mean that candidates spend more time trying to raise money and less time governing or meeting constituents.  Full, total on-line disclosure should be mandatory in campaigns. At present, in the final days of an election, we have reporting on-line and every single check over $500 is up on-line in 24 hours—I would prefer that type of system rather than arbitrary limits or taxpayer-funded campaigns.
   
   Paul Drucker: I was flabbergasted to find out that there is no restriction in PA. IF you are strict---how do you fund.  How do you get the answer…the people that answer are the people that benefit from no answer.
   
10. What are your views of the REALTOR profession and the role of your local REALTORS in this community? Guy Ciarrochi: It’s easy to say very nice things.  But, the truth is that REALTORS® are ambassadors of the community. You are like officers of the chamber and visitors bureau----it is almost public service-like service that REALTORS® perform. If you do your job well, you are an ambassador for the community. Understanding the community—its assets and benefits, those are things that people moving into the community learn from their REALTOR®. You are a great resource. Good REALTORS® know how to steer you to a home that you need and can keep.  
    
    Paul Drucker: I’m a lawyer. I’ve done a lot of real estate work in the past. I would like to think that on any issue that comes before me I would seek the opinion of those most involved and ask them what they think about it.
11. Has your campaign been endorsed by any other state or local organization? Paul Drucker: Yes. As we speak, I have been endorsed by Planned Parent Hood, PSEA and the Chester County Democratic Party.