In a city, there’s a certain tempo to life.
Some of that is daily, such as the whoosh in and out of traffic at the beginning and end of the workday. Some of it is seasonal: the quiet of winter, the surge of spring.
The last week of August is one of the slowest times of the year, as my walk to work this morning demonstrated. Traffic was sparse, lessening my daily flirtation with death by crossing Forster Street by at least 50 percent. There were few people on the streets, save for a scrum of folks huddled at tables, enjoying a morning coffee and some friendly company outside of Little Amps, a block from the Capitol.
As I walked up lonely State Street, my predominant thought was this: Rest up, Harrisburg.
Yes, it’s all quiet now — heck the mayor hasn’t even had a press conference in three whole days — but this late-summer swoon won’t last long. As always, as the weather cools, the humans will return to their regularly scheduled mischief. Only this time, we won’t see just the usual pickup of street life, lawmaking and commerce. I’m not one for dramatic statements, but we may be peering into one of the most important several months in the history of Harrisburg.
First of all, after a year-and-a-half, it’s make-or-break time for the city’s financial recovery plan.
If it’s make time, a tornado of activity will commence as early as next week. Receiver William Lynch has said he soon will announce his comprehensive settlement to shed assets, reduce labor commitments and get some type of break from creditors. Sounds simple enough, but what’s emerging seems to be a Rube Goldberg-type solution as Lynch tries to solve complexity by adding yet more complexity.
Lynch has discovered what former receiver David Unkovic warned us of: it may be impossible to untangle former Mayor Steve Reed’s web of financial gimmickry. In Whack-a-Mole fashion, as one issue seems to be solved, another just pops up somewhere else. Not able to unravel the endlessly complicated mess — in which Reed piled up debt in the most creative ways using every asset and resource he could lay his hands on — Lynch seems to be opting for complexity himself. (For example, recent reporting by the Patriot-News’ Don Gilliland shows what may be emerging on the parking asset front). It’s a risky strategy, but may be his only option.
Assuming Lynch announces his long-awaited, already-delayed plan, the Commonwealth Court will kick into action to approve it, and City Council will have its say before voting on enabling legislation. If Lynch succeeds on pushing this plan forward, we should have a good grasp of Harrisburg’s financial future soon.
If it’s break time, we should know that, too. So much could still go wrong as Lynch attempts to put the final pieces into place. We know that the reluctance of the firefighter’s union and the city’s principal creditors to make concessions have long been stumbling blocks. Spiking interest rates, as well as the plan’s sheer weight, with so many players involved, could collapse it, as well. If agreements can’t be reached, Lynch will have to throw up his hands and do what he’d rather not — turn the entire mess over to the U.S. bankruptcy court.
Layered on top of this is the city’s mayoral contest. In the coming months, there will be the usual horse race aspect to it, as well as numerous debates, forums, campaign events, negative mailings, accusations and financial disclosures, which will make for a continual flow of drama and news for the next 10 weeks. But, once the dust settles in November, Harrisburg will have new leadership that promises a clear break from both Reed and Thompson. While I have my own ideas of who would serve Harrisburg best, any of the candidates, I believe, would be a monumental improvement over the city’s self-destructive past, allowing Harrisburg to enter a new era with renewed hope.
As if these events weren’t enough, Attorney General Kathleen Kane has vowed to investigate the city’s financial crisis, particularly as tied to the incinerator debacle. Chances are that no definitive actions (such as any indictments) will emerge this year, given the lengthy amount of time that public corruption probes usually require. But, assuming the investigation takes root, expect to hear rumors (accurate or not) and gossip of who’s saying what to whom. You could expect no less in this hothouse of a town.
So, get ready, Harrisburg. It’s the proverbial calm before the storm. Take a break, have a nap and enjoy a little peace of mind for the next week or so. The summer’s quiet that I experienced today on the city’s streets will not last much longer.
