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Community Building
Community
revitalization cannot be the work of politicians alone. It requires the
commitment of everyone—community and civic associations; churches,
synagogues, and mosques; community development corporations; other
non-profit organizations; and the business community. Community and
civic associations and religious groups have the most important role to
play in bringing the citizens perspective to bear on plans to revitalize
our community. As a head of one of the major community associations in
Philadelphia, West Mt. Airy Neighbors, I know how vital our
role can be in bringing problems to the attention of political leaders;
in proposing solutions; and in making sure that the solutions others
propose actually serve the community.
Sustaining a
community organization or another non-profit dedicated to serving the
common good is very difficult work. It will always be difficult work.
But government can help in many ways.
State Grants
The traditional
way in which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania helps community groups is
by giving them direct support. State legislators play the main role in
determining where this money goes. As your state legislator I will
devote a great deal of time to helping community groups from one end of
the 198th district to the other get the support they deserve.
I will also work
with community groups and other political leaders to put together the
coalitions they need to attain their aims. (See my page on Serving Our
Communities.)
There are other
ways that our state government could help all community groups and
thereby aid in community revitalization not just in Northwest
Philadelphia but throughout the state. Here are three I will
propose as a state representative.
Tax Credits for
Non-profits
First, we can
develop a more direct way in which some of our tax dollars can go to
worthy non-profit groups. I will propose legislation that allows every
citizen of Pennsylvania to receive a tax credit, in the amount of $25
initially, rising to $50 over a few years, for a donation to a
non-profit community organization. This mechanism will enable citizens
to direct their taxes to particular worthy groups that might not have
the attention or support of their state representatives or senators.
Helping Community
Groups Buy Health Insurance
Second, I will
propose that the state develop a means by which non-profit groups can
join together to buy health insurance for their staff members. One of my
great disappointments as president of WMAN has been our inability to
raise enough money to provide health care benefits for our staff.
However, health insurance is far more expensive for small organizations
like our own than for big corporations. If non-profits can band together
to purchase health insurance as a group, these costs can be much
reduced. I would hope that religious organizations would be able to join
this group purchase plan.
Non-Profit Support
Centers
Third, I would
like to devise a way to help small non-profit groups deal with technical
and legal issues, such as those involved with gaining and keeping 501c3
status; filing the appropriate reports with the state; accounting,
payroll, and taxes. Often non-profit groups come to West Mt. Airy
Neighbors asking for our support with these difficult issues. Too often,
we don’t have the resources to help them as much as we would like to.
I will propose
that the state create, on an experimental basis, a few Non-profit
Support Centers, in different parts of the state. These centers will be
staffed with two or three people who have the legal and accounting
expertise to help small non-profits deal with these issues. Of course, I
will work to see that one of those experimental Non-profit Support
Centers is located in the 198th district. And, until, it is
opened, I would certainly use the resources of my local office to help
non-profits deal with these issues.
Zoning Law
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