People may not call them WAMs anymore, but the bottom line is that local legislators gave out more than $3 million in discretionary funds during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
Once referred to as walking around money, or WAMs, those funds now come under the purview of the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
They are now officially called "legislative initiative grants" or referred to as "discretionary funds," but Tim Potts, co-founder of Democracy Rising Pa., said, "When they're talking to each other in the Capitol, they still call them WAMs."
The grants were used for everything from construction projects to library books, and given to a gamut of organizations ranging from fire companies to soccer booster clubs. The lists were requested by the Sunday News.
Rep. P. Michael Sturla distributed the most money, $1,409,685. A Democrat, Sturla's 96th District includes all of Lancaster city and parts of Lancaster and Manheim townships.
The city received the greatest amount, $284,685 to fund the summer film series in Binns Park, place recycling bins in the Northeast, and undertake planning initiatives in the Northeast and Southwest quadrants.
The Spanish-American Civic Association received $250,000 for improvements to its Ann Street facility, and Sturla provided another $250,000 in construction funds to the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.
Sturla said he bases his funding decisions on three criteria.
"First, they have to be a 501c3," he said. "Second, I ask if it is part of a collaborative effort where we are leveraging other organizations and other dollars as well. And finally, I don't, as a rule, fund ongoing operations.
"The one exception is the [Lancaster Investing in a Vibrant Economy] funding," he explained. "They use their operation to find more dollars for other nonprofit organizations" by pursuing other grants or revenue streams.
The nonprofit group, formed by Sturla to help fund city improvements, received $202,000 last year in Sturla's legislative initiative grants.
Sen. Gibson Armstrong, a Republican whose 13th District encompasses parts of Lancaster and York counties, finished second to Sturla, distributing $949,500.
Armstrong, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, also distributed the largest single grant, $500,000 to the Lancaster County Convention Center.
Republican Sen. Mike Brubaker, whose 36th District encompasses parts of Lancaster and Chester counties, provided $490,800 in discretionary funds, with East Hempfield, West Hempfield and Warwick townships receiving the biggest grants at $25,000 each.
In a statement accompanying his list, Brubaker said that funding amounts in his district are "proportionate with each municipality's population."
He continued, "The grants I supported were selected by the local community leaders and funding went to public safety, public infrastructure and public recreation projects" and would "help to prevent an additional local tax burden."
Sen. Mike Folmer, a Republican whose district includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster counties, distributed no discretionary funds.
Folmer is a fiscal conservative who authored a Senate bill passed in June designed to crack down on abuse of state vehicle usage. He also authored the Taxpayer Protection Act (SB 707), which would limit state spending to the lesser of either the combined rates of inflation and population growth, or personal income growth.
Folmer has said he believes that uncontrolled spending, and the taxes that accompany it, are hurting the middle class.
A Folmer spokesman, Fred Sembach, said another reason the senator does not support WAMs is "because he replaced a majority leader who did a lot of that," referring to Sen. David Brightbill, who lost the 2006 primary election to Folmer.
"[Folmer's] message," Sembach said, "of making sure you have accountability for every dollar is more than just words. There are just too many programs and not enough oversight."
Folmer was one of two senators who voted "no" on the state budget in June, and was the only senator who voted against the capital budget, a fund used by Gov. Ed Rendell and designated for infrastructure projects around the state.
"We went through the budget line by line," Sembach said, "and there were some things in there nobody knew anything about."
Rep. Katie True's 41st district recieved the lowest amount of DCED funds, $15,295.
She has a form on her Web site that people can fill out and submit directly to the DCED for funding. If she believes the program is helpful, True said, "I will write a letter of support if I feel content with it."
When asked about her relatively low amount, True laughed, "I guess it's because I'm picky."
Though she wouldn't go into detail about her philosophy or the philosophy of others about the grants, she said: "We're all different."
"To be honest," True added, "I supported taking all that money and putting it towards the general fund budget."
The whole issue of WAMs has a long and storied place in Pennsylvania's political history.
Potts, who worked in the press office for the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the administrations of governors Dick Thornburgh (1979-1987) and Robert Casey (1987-1995) founded Democracy Rising Pa. after the 2005 legislative pay raise controversy. That year, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission "for integrity, value, transparency, and citizen confidence in government" was named by the Philadelphia Inquirer as one of the state's three citizens of the year.
Potts said the most recent incarnation of WAMs arose early in the Thornburgh administration.
"There was a budget problem," Potts said, "and he needed a tax increase. In exchange for their support, the legislators got to designate a set amount of money."
At the time, the amount was reported to be about $10 million per party caucus. But, said Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan, nonprofit governmental watchdog, "That amount has exploded exponentially. It's difficult to tell how much is disguised in the budget. If you look at the budget line item for community revitalization, that's all WAMs.
"It appears to be at least $80 million," he said.
And that's not all, Potts said. "There are probably around $750 million of WAMs in the entire state budget.
"There are WAMs in DCED; there are WAMs in PDE [state Department of Education]; there are WAMs everywhere."
No one seems to know exactly how much each individual legislator has. The money is controlled by the Democrat and Republican caucus leaders in the House and Senate, and they have the final say on who gets what.
"We certainly don't get a letter telling us how much is available for us," one legislator said.
"In theory," Potts said, "legislators control somewhere around $55,000 in WAMs."
But that amount can change depending on "whether or not you're a good little girl or boy."
It also can change depending on elections. If a legislator holding a key seat is in a tough fight, Potts said, more money will be made available to him or her to spread around the district.
Potts said when he was working for PDE in 1990 "about a week before the fiscal year was to end we got a call from [Philadelphia Sen.Vince] Fumo's office. They said, 'There's a WAM in your budget, you have a week to spend it and here's what we want you to do.' "
Some legislators are trapped between constituents pressuring them to be frugal, but wanting them to bring home whatever they can.
Rep. Katie True laughed.
"When Bob Walker, who didn't believe in these kinds of programs, was in [Congress]," she said, "one of my neighbors came to me and said, 'You tell Bob Walker I like pork.' "
True, however, said she has never heard that from her constituents.
"We're in Lancaster County and you're liable to hear more about how much you're spending, not how much you're giving out in your district," she said. "It's not a campaign issue here. I'll never say, 'You need to elect me because I'll bring home the bacon.' "
For Daniel's Den Playground, one of the organizations True and Armstrong helped to fund, the money was "greatly appreciated," said spokesman Ken Hussar.
Daniel's Den, on the campus of Manor Church south of Mountville, is the "only playground in Lancaster County that is fully accessible for children of all abilities," Hussar said. "Particularly those with a disability."
The $5,000 contributed by True and the $30,000 from Armstrong, Hussar said, represents 10 percent of the project's overall budget and helped the playground undertake a successful "build week" in April.
"We hoped to get 1,000 volunteers, but we ended up with over 2,000," Hussar said. "It was just extraordinary." The playground will be dedicated Saturday, Sept. 20.
There's another argument legislators use that doesn't wash with Potts: "If I don't spend the money in my district, someone else will."
Potts said, "That's like seeing a guy in the street, thinking he might get beat up some day and saying, 'Well, if I don't beat him up now, someone else will.' "
"The legislators will tell you they're all worthwhile projects, and they may be," Kauffman said. "But to put that all in perspective, I like the Boy Scouts. But is it fair that a Boy Scout troop in Philadelphia gets money for a deep-sea diving trip when a soup kitchen in Philadelphia is closing?
"Or why should Montgomery County be getting state money for the construction of a bridle path while schoolchildren in Philadelphia don't have textbooks?" he asked. "That [bridle path] sounds like something you should fund with individual donations or sub sales."
In 1995, Common Cause sued over the state budget and the WAM system. The state Supreme Court ruled that WAM allocations were unconstitutional.
"In Pennsylvania, legislators create and fund programs, but the executive [branch] determines who gets how much from the program," Kauffman said. "Under the old WAM system, the legislature did all three.
"When Common Cause won the lawsuit, the pressure points changed," he explained. Now, in theory, "The legislature creates and funds the programs and the governor determines how the money is spent."
The DCED was created as the executive branch intermediary.
"However, for the legislative leaders and the governor the system is just a negotiating tool," Kauffman concluded. "The governor just determines when the DCED can release funds."
Potts said, "Most of them are worthy programs, but if they are, why isn't the application process above board? Why isn't it open to competitive bidding?"
Both Kauffman and Potts said they hope the system will change a bit when the full disclosure law takes effect Jan. 1. But they aren't so sure.
"There's disclosure and then there's disclosure," Kauffman said. "It will probably continue to exist until everybody says enough is enough."
Potts chuckled, "I always have hope."
But he also recalls when Tom Ridge campaigned against WAMs prior to his election in 1994. When he came into office, he put a line item in the budget for a "Community Revitalization Assistance Program."
"Look at the acronym," Potts laughed. "Who says legislators don't have a sense of humor?"
Following is a list of local state legislators and what they gave out in "legislative initiative grants."
Sen. Mike Folmer (R-18) $0
Does not give legislative initiative grants
Rep. Katie True (R-41) $15,295
Goodwill Fire Company - $5,000 for computer technology and laptop; $5,295 for water rescue equipment
Daniel's Den Playground - $5,000 towards playground for both typical and special needs children to play together
Rep. Tom Creighton (R-37 ) $16,000
Adamstown Area Library - $8,000 for technology and language instruction
Manheim Community Library -$8,000 to reorganize and increase space
Rep. John Bear (R-97) $41,300
Junior Achievement - $5,000 for Economics for Kids Program in Manheim Township and Warwick school districts
Lititz Borough - $10,300 for feasibility study for Lititz Run
Warwick Township - $11,000 for traffic advisory message reader board
Landis Valley Association - $15,000 for marketing program for the museum
Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-99) $45,000
Earl Township - $10,000 for Railroad Avenue/Route 322 improvements/traffic light
East Earl Township Police Department - $10,000 toward blood alcohol/DUI testing equipment
Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company -$9,000 for lighting and communication equipment for a command vehicle
Fivepointville Ambulance Association - $5,000 for public access defibrillator program
Pequea Valley Public Library - $5,000 for books/library resources
Terre Hill Borough - $6,000 for community park improvements
Rep. David Hickernell (R-98) $60,000
Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission - $5,000 toward shade tree placement
Columbia Consolidated Fire Department - $5,000 toward purchase of emergency responders and training
Columbia Borough - $5,000 for Rivertownes PA USA
Donegal Girls Soccer Booster Club - $5,000 toward Donegal soccer field
Elizabethtown Economic Development Corp. - $5,000 for Manufacturing and Business Assistance Program
Northwest Emergency Medical Services - $5,000 toward bariatric loader purchase
Elizabethtown Borough - $5,000 for Elizabethtown Community Fair
Rheems Fire Department - $5,000 for training pad lighting
Londonderry Fire Company _ $5,000 for emergency responders and training
Middletown Area Chapter of the American Red Cross -$5,000 for emergency responders and training
Rep. Scott Boyd (R-43) ($64,500)
Lampeter-Strasburg School District - $5,000 to build two community softball fields
United Disabilities Services - $10,000 for operating costs for training dogs
West Lampeter Township - $5,000 to purchase and install park benches in new park
West Earl Township - $5,000 to install warning lights in front of Farmersville Fire Company
Rock Ford Foundation - $5,000 for renovations to exhibit/education area of the barn
Akron Borough - $5,000 for Tasers and equipment for police
Keystone Wildfire Crew - $9,500 for money to repay loan used to purchase new fire truck
Upper Leacock Township - $10,000 for building new pump house for community pool
Conestoga Valley Community Center -$10,000 for working capital and renovations to the community center
Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-100) $115,000
ALS Association of Philadelphia - $10,000 for purchase of new equipment and upgrade equipment for patients with ALS (jointly supported by other House members)
Christiana Borough - $15,000 for library building renovations,
Quarryville Fire Company 1 - $10,000 for purchase of hybrid vehicle,
Southern Regional Police Commission - $10,000 toward renovations of building,
Lancaster Farmland Trust - $10,000 toward purchase of a hybrid vehicle
Anabaptist Heritage Center of Lancaster County - $10,000 to develop a center in Lancaster County to provide information and attractions for tourists,
Highville Fire Company - $5,000 for purchase of computer equipment,
Providence Township EMS - $5,000 to purchase new equipment and furniture for day room and lockers,
Southern End Community Association - $40,000 for renovations to community park and community center
Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) ($490,800)
Brecknock Township - $20,000 for public recreation
Atglen Borough - $15,000 for public infrastructure
Honey Brook Township - $20,000 for public infrastructure
East Hempfield Township - $25,000 for public infrastructure
Upper Leacock Township - $20,000 for public recreation
Earl Township - $20,000 for public infrastructure
East Lampeter Township - $20,000 for public recreation
Christiana Borough - $15,000 for public infrastructure
Warwick Township - $25,000 for public safety
West Hempfield Township - $25,000 for public recreation
Elizabeth Township - $15,000 for public infrastructure
Akron Borough - $15,000 for public recreation
Adamstown Borough - $15,000 for public safety
Terre Hill Borough - $15,000 for public infrastructure
New Holland Borough - $20,000 for public safety and recreation
Columbia Borough - $15,000 for public safety (Rivertownes USA)
East Cocalico Township - $16,800 for public safety
East Earl Township - $20,000 for public infrastructure
West Fallowfield Township - $15,000 for public infrastructure
West Cocalico Township - $20,000 for public infrastructure
Penn Township - $20,000 for public safety
Honey Brook Borough - $15,000 for public infrastructure
Earl Township - $10,000 for public safety
West Earl Township - $20,000 for public recreation
Rapho Township - $20,000 for public recreation
Ephrata Borough - $24,000 for public safety and recreation
Denver Borough - $15,000 for public safety
Sen. Gib Armstrong (R-13) ($949,500)
Boys and Girls Club - $25,000 for Youth Employment Training Program
City of Lancaster/Tabor - $25,000 for Eastern Market Plaza/intersection improvements
Daniel's Den Playground - $30,000to build a playground designed for individuals with disabilities
East Petersburg Borough - $12,000 for security cameras
Jessica and Friends Community - $25,000 upgrades to new group home
Keystone Wildfire Crew Inc - $15,000 toward new truck
Lancaster Convention Center -$500,000 needed to complete project construction
Lancaster County Historical Society -$20,000 for sidewalks along President Avenue
Lancaster/Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 - $25,000 adult program for high school dropouts
Lancaster Science Factory - $25,000 exhibits
Lower Windsor Township, $23,000 for purchase of thermal imaging equipment
Manheim Township Ambulance - $25,000, for two new ambulances
Millersville University, - $25,000 for Chinese program
Providence Township - $25,000 for new dump truck/pole barn
Puerto Rican Community of Lancaster - $25,000 for wheelchair lift
Quarryville Fire Company 1 - $25,000 for rescue engine and equipment
Southeast Lancaster Health Service - $20,000 dental equipment and ultrasound
Southern Regional Police - $10,000 to renovate building
Springettsbury Township - $20,000 to make three parks comply to American Disabilities Act
West Willow Fire Company -$24,500 for firehouse equipment and renovation of bays
York County Economic Development Corporation - $25,000 to launch a workforce development effort
Rep. Mike Sturla (D-96) ($1,409,685)
Assets Lancaster - $10,000 for Spanish entrepreneur program
City of Lancaster - $14,685 for film series; $250,000 for planning initiatives in the Northeast and
Southwest quadrants; $20,000 for recycling bins in the Northeast quadrant
Crispus Attucks - $27,000 for architectural planning
James Street Improvement District - $75,000 for Shreiner/Concord Cemetery
Lancaster Investing in a Vibrant Economy (LIVE) - $202,000 for program operations
Lancaster Cemetery - $10,000 for equipment
School District of Lancaster - $30,000 for Reynolds Middle School basketball and tennis courts; $43,000 for Dropout Prevention Program
Housing Development Corp. - $10,000 for playground upgrades
Schreiber Pediatric Center - $30,000 for medical records department
United Disability Services - $17,000 for modifications to disabled city residents' homes
Demuth Foundation - $65,000 for capital improvement program
Philhaven - $10,000 for parent-teacher program
Tabor Community Services - $13,000 for residential lighting on East King Street
North Museum - $40,000 for re-accreditation and the Arctic Adventure exhibit
Spanish-American Civic Association - $250,000 for improvements at Ann Street facility
East King Improvement District - $10,000 for litter receptacles
Lancaster Museum of Art - $15,000 for exhibit presentation
YWCA - $28,000 for windows
Puerto Rican Cultural Center - $250,000 for construction
Chip Smedley is a staff writer for the Sunday News. E-mail him at csmedley@lnpnews.com.
