Cox On 4 State House Committees

State Representative Jim Cox (R-129 has assigned to serve on four standing House committees during the 2013-14 legislative session — the Commerce, Professional Licensure, Game & Fisheries, and Labor & Industry committees.

“These committees play a significant role in reviewing legislation that greatly impacts our economy,” Cox said. “From determining company behaviors to deciding who is licensed to work in certain sectors and how employers and employees will get along, the legislation I will be reviewing will help chart our economic future. Each of these committees deals with a segment of our Commonwealth that greatly contributes to our economy. I’m excited about the important work ahead.”

The state House Commerce Committee vets legislation regulating the behavior of Pennsylvania companies.

The House Professional Licensure Committee reviews legislation that establishes rules governing the licenses required to engage in certain professions in the Commonwealth.

The House Game & Fisheries Committee deals with legislation that affects hunters, fishers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The House Labor & Industry Committee handles legislation dealing with employee-employer relations and the Commonwealth’s unemployment compensation system.

“While I am pleased to serve on these committees, they will not detract from my main focus, which is replacing school district property taxes,” Cox said. “I plan to reintroduce the Property Tax Independence Act and work with the grassroots taxpayer groups that are pushing for it to be enacted into law.”

Cox On 4 State House Committees

Cox On 4 State House Committees

Cryptowit

By William W. Lawrence Sr

Pxum rb cqn vxwnh xo trwpb; bruena rb cqn vxwnh xo pnwcunvnw; kjacna rb cqn vxwnh xo ynjbjwcb; mnkc rb cqn vxwnh xo bujenb
Wxav Oajwi

Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth’s sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won.
Louisa May Alcott

U.K. Has More Violence Than U.S. And Crime Is Dropping Here

Reader Tom C submitted the below video in which the narrator points out that violent crime has dropped dramatically since 1992 — the murder rate has been halved — and that violent crime is three times as high in England than the United States.

One thing the narrator didn’t note is that it is far, far, far more easier to carry a concealed handgun here than it was in 1992.

Cryptowit

By William W. Lawrence Sr

Fyn gs hugy mnuhx ugiha nbimy qbi uly qcffcha ni vyul lcxcwofy uhx lyjliuwb zil nby nlonb’m muey, uhx mi yulh migy lcabn ni lydicwy qbyh nby pcwnils cm qih.
Fiocmu Gus Ufwinn

Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.
Jack Kerouac

Kudos To Will Bunch

The pointless death of Aaron Swartz  inspired Philadelphia Daily News “extremist” liberal columnist Will Bunch to fire a broadside at Barack Obama, yesterday, Jan. 15.

The reality is that . . . he’s
also expanded the power of the presidency at the expense of the public . . . Sometimes
alarmingly so, Bunch wrote.

The reality of the Obama administration so far is that the folks who
promised in 2009 “most transparent administration in history” have instead turned down Freedom of Information requests at a much higher rate than the oft-criticized Bush administration,
have continued to classify documents at an alarming level, and even
made unsuccessful attempts to water down a key FOIA provision and to
keep White House visitor logs a secret, Bunch wrote.

The administration that pledged to undo the excessive secrecy of the Bush years has seen its Justice Department prosecute six people under the Espionage Act
who’ve tried to blow the whistle on government corruption, including
unlawful torture  — which is double the number prosecuted under all
past presidents put together, Bunch wrote.

The presidency that surged into office
four years ago promising to wipe away the moral stain of the Iraq War
years has instead chosen to conduct the cornerstone of its
anti-terrorism — drone strikes against purported terrorists on a “kill
list” — in utter secrecy; Bunch wrote.

Hey Will, welcome to the Tea Party.

Actually, if one clicks on the link to his article in the first paragraph one will see that Bunch includes a few obligatory digs at the Tea Party referring to it as “radical extremism” without defining the term.

Maybe Bunch ought to attend a Tea Party meeting and try real hard to keep an open mind as he listens to the issues they address.

Still, kudos for standing up for freedom.

Cryptowit

By William W. Lawrence Sr

Yjwsl lzafyk sjw fgl suugehdakzwv tq lzgkw ozg qawdv lg ljwfvk sfv xsvk sfv hghmdsj ghafagf.
Bsuc Cwjgmsu

Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.
Dante Alighieri

Sandy Hook Whackjob Conspiracy Theory

A telling decline in our culture, manners, necessary trust in institutions and general human decency is that a conspiracy has developed claiming that the Sandy Hook Massacre did not occur and that actors played the part of grieving parents.

Ignoring it is a bad idea. One of the good guys from the tragedy is already getting harassing phone calls for his “role” in “the conspiracy.”

The video at this link spells it out.

Sandy Hook Whackjob Conspiracy Theory

Sandy Hook Whackjob Conspiracy Theory

Non-profits Get Year Extension On Games Of Chance Report

The deadline for nonprofit organizations and charities to submit annual and semi-annual reports as part of the updated Small Games of Chance Act has been extended for a year, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) Licensees now have until Feb. 1, 2014, to submit the reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue as required by Act 2 of 2012. The previous deadline was Feb. 1, 2013.

Under the law, eligible organizations with proceeds in excess of $2,500 in a year will be required to file the reports electronically in 2014 for the preceding calendar year. Some of the required information includes the number of W-2G forms issued, the total gross winnings reported on W-2G forms, total prizes paid, and the amount of proceeds used for public interest purposes.

The delay in the reporting deadline applies only to the annual and semi-annual reports. Licensees are required to continue to maintain other records as outlined in the law. The Small Games of Chance law was updated last session to give nonprofit organizations the ability to increase prize limits for their small games of chance.

More information regarding reporting requirements can be found on my website by clicking on the “Small Games of Chance” graphic link on the left-hand side. Questions may be directed to the Department of Revenue at 717-787-8275.