What They're Promising: Fattah on funding CCP

A look at some of the latest proposals issued by major candidates in Philadelphia's May 15 mayoral primary.                                                      

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) promised yesterday to increase the city's share of funding for Community College of Philadelphia, launch a "reenrollment center" to help adults finish college, and expand the city's anti-illiteracy agency with a new, well-publicized office.

Fattah outlined the steps as part of his proposed workforce-development policy. He said a barrier to job growth was the fact that most Philadelphia adults do not have college degrees.

Also: He proposed a 10-year tax credit for employers who add jobs. To get a partial break on the city business privilege tax, firms with 100 or more workers would have to add at least 25 jobs and invest $5 million; those with 100 or fewer workers, at least five new jobs and $1 million. The credit would equal the combined wage taxes generated by the new hires.

Price tag: $15 million over four years, on top of the $22.4 million the city now provides annually for the community college. Costs for the other items in the agenda are undetermined or minimal, the Fattah campaign said.

Where he'd get the money: Proceeds from leasing Philadelphia International Airport to a private firm, which Fattah has previously proposed and which he says would generate a total of $2 billion. He says the proceeds would also help fund early-childhood education.

Pro and con: Hard to argue with expanding education as a workforce-development goal. Some critics favor more permanent cuts in city business taxes to spur job growth. Others warn that city workers' growing pension and health-care costs cast a long shadow over any promise of a tax cut.

The full text: Read Fattah's proposal at www.phillyforfattah.com/policy_center_detail.asp?service-id=706786314.

   - Tom Fitzgerald