There is a push underway to privatize Chester's water authority — but not to rescue the system, a well-run and award-winning one at that. 

Instead, it's an attempt to bolster the municipality's beleaguered finances, a move desirable because of the hundreds of millions of dollars a sale would command, and one made possible by special-interest legislation enacted by state lawmakers five years ago.

While a sale would mean a big municipal payday, Stefan Roots, a community blogger and Chester City Council candidate, told The American Prospect magazine consumer rates could triple overnight, adding, "That’s a lot to ask for a poor community."

While this level of private-sector interest in public utilities might seem unusual, it isn't — especially since Pennsylvania lawmakers made such sales more appealing to buyers and distressed sellers alike. 

THE CONTEXT: In 2016, Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law Act 12, which allowed public utilities to be sold at fair market value rather than their depreciated value, The American Prospect reports. A subsequent change struck out a prohibition on sales of public utilities by distressed municipalities. Bidding for Chester's strategically located water system started soon after.

In 2019, an alternative option emerged in the form of a $60 million bailout of Chester by the Chester Water Authority. In exchange for paying off the city's debt, Chester would agree not to sell the water system for the next 40 years. Aqua, a private water company, promptly sued, and the city of Chester also had misgivings. A whirlwind of litigation ensued.

The web of interests here is tangled but, again, not unusual. And that's partly because, as The American Prospect notes, Pennsylvania's sheer volume of municipally owned utilities and distressed municipalities make it "a public-utility privatization petri dish," with hard lessons learned already. Just look at Pittsburgh. 

VISION BOARD: Amtrak's wish list includes new or improved connections from Allentown and Scranton to NYC, Reading to Philly, Pittsburgh to Cleveland, and Erie to Buffalo, Detroit, and Toronto by 2035, City Paper reports. Amtrak announced the push hours after President Joe Biden unveiled his big infrastructure pitch.

FIXER UPPER: A section of the Pennsylvania Capitol that hasn't been overhauled in more than a century is about to get a renovation, completing a project that began in the 1980s. The governor’s 10-room office suite is getting a $1.48 million overhaul, per PennLive, with work expected to last through next winter and no special budget allocation needed.

SELFIE SZN: Cherry blossom photo ops are coming fast. The northeastern rite of spring is due to peak any day now in the Philadelphia area. Sandi Polyakov, head gardener of the Japan American Society of Greater Philadelphia, told The Inquirer to expect the climax on April 10, with blooms happening over the next two weeks. Just remember: They go quickly.

FILLING GAPS: Pitt School of Medicine alum Ala Stanford is countering the racism embedded in America's health-care system during a pandemic that has highlighted stark racial disparities anew. With her Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, Stanford does pop-up COVID-19 testing and gets the word out with Instagram, TikTok, and plenty of dancing, Pitt Med magazine writes.

BEER HERE: Pennsylvania is home to three of the top breweries in the country, PhillyVoice reports. The U.S. Brewers Association unveiled the top 50 brewing companies based on sales, and had Pottsville's Yuengling at the No. 1 craft brewery spot, Downingtown's Victory at No. 8, and Hershey's Tröegs at No. 20.