Sale of governor's mansion among surplus of ideas to cut state deficit

HARRISBURG -- The 33-room Georgian mansion that has housedPennsylvania governors since 1968 would carry a "for sale" sign,under a bill filed by a freshman House member from Beaver County.

Selling the mansion won't solve Pennsylvania's $1.3 billionbudget deficit, but it would be "a symbolic move" to show taxpayersstate officials are willing to tighten their belts, said RepublicanRep. Jim Christiana, who suggests reimbursing the governor forlodging.

Christiana's gambit is one of dozens of proposals to surfacerecently -- from raw ideas to bills filed in the House and Senate --to bring in money or slash costs as the Legislature faces a June 30deadline to balance the state budget.

"I think we are on a path that will lead us to passage of abudget ... by the June 30th deadline," Senate Majority LeaderDominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, said Wednesday on the Senate floor.

Christiana's bill to sell the governor's mansion probably won'tpass -- conservative Republican Sen. John Eichelberger of Altoona,for example, says the mansion is appropriate housing for the head ofstate -- but its introduction reflects a mood at the Capitol.

"It does speak of the times," said Christopher Borick, apolitical science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown."Nothing is sacred, in terms of government spending right now."

Dauphin County assesses the governor's mansion, a 2 1/2-storybuilding on 3 acres overlooking the Susquehanna River, at $1.7million, about 70 percent of its market value. Its "implied marketvalue" is $2.5 million, appraisal supervisor Doug Boswell said. Theproperty is tax-exempt.

"It's way underassessed," said Greg Rothman, an appraiser andpresident of RSR Realtors in Harrisburg, who estimates the mansionis worth $7.1 million.

Christiana said it costs about $1.1 million annually to operatethe mansion and feed the governor and guests. That doesn't includeundisclosed state police security costs, which he estimates at"several million dollars" for officers' salaries and benefits.

"In unprecedented times, it does call for some unprecedentedmeasures," Christiana said. "If we are going to go down the sameroad (of tax and spending increases), the taxpayers are just goingto get fed up. And I think they are already there. First we have todo the due diligence to get rid of the waste and redundancies."

Gov. Ed Rendell's spokesman, Gary Tuma, said a sale wouldn't becost effective because the residence is used for large meetings,"public events, exhibits and celebrations."

The state is limping toward a new fiscal year, ending one inwhich lawmakers spent 101 days at impasse before passing a budget.When the House on Tuesday withdrew a $319 million tax-increasepackage because it lacked support, ideas to save money or cut coststook on greater prominence, lawmakers said.

Among them:

A bill by Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, to sell the state'sretail and wholesale liquor and wine operations, increase storesfrom 621 to 750, and revamp the tax structure on liquor and wine, toraise an estimated $2 billion

A proposal by Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania Budget and PolicyCenter to raise the state beer tax from 0.08 cents per gallon to thenational average of 0.19 cents per gallon and collect an estimated$36 million. She also proposed applying the 6 percent sales tax toall Internet purchases, to raise $50 million.

A bill by Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, to tax theextraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation andcollect $142 million. Evans also proposed increasing the state taxon a pack of cigarettes from $1.60 to $1.70, to raise $57 million.

A proposal by Nate Benefield, a Commonwealth Foundation analyst,to privatize operation of state parks for unknown savings. He alsoproposes ending the $75 million film tax credit for companiesproducing movies in Pennsylvania.

Christiana suggests increasing the fine for littering from $300to $1,000, to raise an undetermined amount of money.

To solicit ideas from taxpayers, four House Democrats yesterdaydebuted a website, www.yourpabudget.com.

One idea offered on the site -- legalizing marijuana for medicaluse -- is included in bills pending before the House and Senate.

A bill by Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery County, would allowphysicians to prescribe it. Leach is unsure how much money thatmight bring in; it depends on how the Department of Health wouldregulate medical marijuana and what the tax rate would be.

Things as simple as slashing the state's purchase of bottledwater could produce substantial savings, said Ken Cook, president ofEnvironmental Working Group, who is circulating a petition topresent to Rendell's office.

House Republicans proposed cost-cutting measures and revenuegenerators that include folding the Turnpike Commission intoPennDOT, eliminating Department of Public Welfare spendingidentified as wasteful or fraudulent in audits, and increasing theuse of state purchasing cards to get bank rebates.

Rep. Paul Costa, D-Turtle Creek, said his office saves $10,000 ayear by e-mailing, rather than mailing, newsletters.