"Now I've got to deliver."

The congressman seemed to share the mayor's enthusiasm for the project and vowed to do everything he possibly can to convince Congress that "Impact Warren" is worthy of federal funding.

"This is the best, most unified and visionary proposal I've seen come out of any community I've seen in northwestern Pennsylvania," said English on Friday. "I'm excited with the opportunity to be a partner."

Then English turned away from the map he had been studying, looked up and down the riverfront and said to no one in particular, "Now I've got to deliver."

English termed "Impact Warren" a "well developed concept I could sell to the Congress. I think it's great that you guys, as a community, have forged a united front. I will do everything in my power to help."

By combining housing, transportation and community development components, said English, the project designers have created "the type of unified approach that Congress is supporting."

English seemed particularly interested in plans for a small convention center and nearby 100-room riverview hotel.

If "Impact Warren" becomes a reality, English predicted, "It will make Warren enormously attractive to certain types of entrepreneurs, those who are tired of large scale communities. Warren will be a community that will attract people to settle."

Noting the project takes advantage of two of Warren's basic strengths - riverfront beauty and a vital downtown - the congressman told Phillips, "This is precisely the kind of development I think will work. All of the elements seem to be here."

With federal appropriations hearings to begin in February, English said that before that time he plans to sit down with Phillips and others involved with "Impact Warren" and Congressman John Peterson "so we can strategize how we can make this a priority."

Earlier Friday, English was at the Warren County Court House, where he renewed his pledge to continue to oppose new taxes or tax increases by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reform.

English said, "You can count on me one hundred percent to oppose every attempt to raise taxes. You can take it to the bank."

The ongoing war on terrorism, said English, should not be used as an excuse to increase or create new taxes.

The anti-terrorism effort, said English, should be financed in the same manner other necessary expenditures are supported, by going temporarily into debt.

"I believe it's worth doing," said English. "We need to make the commitment that's it's not going to be an excuse to go to the well again."

While current economic conditions have decreased federal revenues, English said projections are, "We should be back to a surplus by 2005 or 2006."

English said he also supports reform of the federal tax code to eliminate "tax avoidance," which he termed "a drag on the economy." Tax avoidance, he said, costs the government up to $450 billion in revenue annually.