HARRISBURG, June 7, 2011 – State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana has sent the following letter to Department of Community & Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker asking for details on the Liberty Fund Proposal:
7 de junio de 2011
Dear Secretary Walker:
This weekend, I read with interest a Capitolwire article on the proposed Liberty Financing Authority. As you know, there has been a great deal of interest in this proposal and how it would be accomplished since the Governor first announced it during his March budget address.
As you may recall, the issue of this proposal, and others, came up at your March 1st confirmation hearing before the Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee and, again, at your March 29th budget hearing before the Appropriations Committee. During both hearings, you committed to having an open dialogue with the committee and the General Assembly about the proposal, indicated that you would provide a draft as soon as one was available and stated that you would work together with us to address our concerns and questions. It is with extreme disappointment that I remind you of these promises, as I have not heard from you or any of your staff about this proposal. According to the article, a draft is being worked on – and there is apparently a great deal of detail in it. If, as the article suggests, it is now available, then I ask that it be provided to me, Chairman Earll and the other members of the committee with some expediency.
Government is supposed to be transparent and the process of legislating should not be secretive. While the Department is part of the executive branch, you will need enabling legislation in order to move forward with this proposal. Your work and efforts should be in the open, as it should be in all others. If you were being forthright in your commitments to us at your hearings, I look forward to receiving information from you on the proposal and your draft language in the very near future.
Sincerely,
Wayne D. Fontana, Democratic Chairman
Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee
42nd Senatorial District