The Harrisburgh City Council put this burden on the city, the state of PA did not force them to do it:
Unfortunately, the Harrisburg Authority and the Mayor are intent on building a new incinerator in its place, rather than pursue recycling and waste reduction as a cleaner, financially-sound, job-producing alternative. On December 31st, 2002, Harrisburg City Council passed Mayor Reed’s 2003 budget, a budget with a $6 million deficit that needs to be balanced by the end of the year. Reed and his Harrisburg Authority hoped to plug this budget hole by having the City Countil vote to guarantee a $125 million bond for the Authority to build a new incinerator. In return for putting more Harrisburg taxpayer money on the line to cover the Authority’s bad credit rating, the Authority would kick back the money needed to balance the City’s budget. Unfortunately, on November 5th, 2003, the City Council agreed to back that bond.
