Senate Gets State Budget 2013

Senate Gets State Budget 2013— Members of the House voted last week to send to the Senate a $28.3 billion budget proposal for the 2013-14 fiscal year, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). The plan does not increase taxes and focuses on education, public safety, health and human services, and the environment.

House Bill 1437 would do the following: Increase funding for basic education by $100 million; allocate funding for more than 300 new state troopers; add $7.2 million to the Department of Health to restore funding for health disease line items such as diabetes programs, epilepsy support, ALS support services and bio-technology research; and allocate $4 million in funding for county conservation districts.

Lawmakers have until June 30 to adopt a final budget. For the latest budget updates, visit PAHouseGOP.com.

Senate Gets State Budget 2013

Victims Voice Bill On Governor’s Desk

Victims Voice Bill On Governor’s Desk — A bill to give crime victims a voice during the parole process of an inmate is now on the governor’s desk, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

House Bill 492 would change the Crime Victims’ Act to allow a victim or victim representative to appear personally before the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and provide testimony in connection with an inmate’s application for parole. The bill would make it clear that the decision of victims or their representatives to appear and be heard by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole is up to them, not the board. Additionally, the bill would allow victims or their representatives to appear by any electronic means made available by the board, such as video conference, if they elect to do so.

If signed by the governor, the law would take effect Sept. 1.

Victims Voice Bill On Governor’s Desk

6 Buses Of WWII Vets Get Day Of Honor

6 Buses Of WWII Vets Get Day Of Honor — The flags hung, today, June 15, from arches of fire truck ladders on interstate overpasses from Springfield, Pa. to  Washington D.C. were to honor a group of World War II veterans as was, in a way, the evening snarl on Sproul Road in front of Saint Kevin’s Church.

About 150 elderly veterans and a matching number of guardians were treated to a special day by Honor Flight Philadelphia and Boy Scout Joseph Blaisse of Troop 315 in Newtown Square, who had taken on getting a bus of veterans for an Eagle Scout project.

He succeeded.

Honor Flight is a national non-profit organization founded in 2005 to give aging or terminally ill veterans a day of honor in Washington D.C. The Philadelphia hub was started in 2011 by Springfield resident Andrew Schiavello. This was its sixth trip.

The trip left and returned to Saint Kevin’s escorted in the a.m. by police and escorted home in the evening by motorcyclists from Warrior’s Watch. Upon leaving the buses they were greeted by Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, the Eagles Swoop, the Phillie Phantic, and the Chick-fil-A mascot. They walked between rows of well-wishers who numbered in the hundreds down a a red carpet to the church hall where they were treated to a delicious banquet of homemade food and a floor show featuring the Manhattan Dolls.

Mike, the caterer,  manged to give the church hall with bleachers and sports banners, an ambiance that would be the envy of most restaurants.

The Springfield Press and the Delaware County Daily Times had reporters and photographers on the scene as did most of the local TV stations.

The Delaware County Patriots had many in attendance for the greeting and at least one member as a guardian.

A special thanks to Saint Kevin’s as the guardians’ cars filled the church lot causing forcing many of those attending its popular 4 p.m. Saturday mass to park in the street. No complaints were heard, albeit many of the parishioners expressed support for the event.

6 Buses Of WWII Vets Get Day Of Honor

One-for-Four Equals Legitimacy

In my opinion, most sane, mature Americans would not abolish the Constitution. Most certainly they would not fool around with the Bill of Rights—those first 10 precious guarantees of individual freedom.

There are of course attempts to attack one or the other sections of the Bill—most notably the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right of citizens to arm themselves, and the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly…

Minutes after some madman uses a firearm illegally in this country, there is normally a well-organized chorus assembled to sing out the evils of the tool he misused, while excusing his temperament, demeanor, or lack of basic humanity.
And should we ban (or even condemn) a religious movement because of its dogmatically-held beliefs—beliefs that may run counter to pop culture or the trending political bias?

My answer would be to judge the person for his action, regardless of the tool being used or the doctrine espoused. Indeed, Article Three of the Constitution establishes our judiciary and levies the authority to apply the law and to issue punishment.

Seems simple: The courts decide what (if any) crime has been committed and what price must be paid by whom. The government attorney states their case and the accused’s attorney states theirs. Beneath it all is a battle for rights—rights of the accused, rights of the public to be safe in their homes, rights of the individual to hold onto and profess solemnly-held spiritual beliefs.
Thank God (and our Founding Fathers) for that Bill of Rights. And here’s more good news…the expense of hiring a judge, jury, attorneys—that can be paid for from our taxes. Even the accused can be represented by government-funded counsel.

And if all else fails, there’s always the ACLU. How they work can be illustrated by two recent examples.

The ACLU defended religious freedom when they joined with the Council on American-Islamic Relations in 2011 to sue the FBI for allegedly violating the civil rights of Muslims in Los Angeles by hiring an undercover agent to infiltrate and monitor mosques there.

So the Administration (our Administration) excludes mosques from being monitored for terrorist support and encouragement. But they keep a close eye on those fanatical Christians, even though, according to Investor’s Business Daily, independent surveys of American mosques reveal about 80 percent preach violent jihad or pass out violent literature to worshippers. Perhaps the ACLU believes that literature is not quite as violent as the Sermon on the Mount.

The ACLU also is considering defending the right to assemble (I guess) by instituting litigation against the City of Wildwood, New Jersey, which recently passed an ordinance that would ban what they see as indecent dress on their boardwalk—clothing that is worn so loose that undergarments or even bare bottoms are displayed.

It’s comforting to know that the ACLU uses its donations to defend our rights, especially the right to preach violence against innocent law-abiding citizens, and the right to walk about in public with your gochies (or more) exposed.

Does it make anyone else wonder what the hell this outfit thinks is important?

(Jim Vanore is a former newspaper editor, middle school teacher and Philadelphia police officer. The article above is excerpted from his website, Good Writers Block.)

Mosques Were Exempted By Obama Spymasters

Mosques Were Exempted By Obama Spymasters — If you were among those wondering how with the Obama Administration’s  surveillance of just about everybody in the United States they missed the Boston bombers, well it turns out they were exempting mosques.

Since October 2011, mosques have been off-limits to FBI agents reports Investors Business Daily. No more surveillance or undercover string operations without high-level approval from a special oversight body at the Justice Department dubbed the Sensitive Operations Review Committee.

And the names of the chairman, members and staff are kept secret says IBD..

The panel was set up under pressure from Islamist groups who complained about FBI stings at mosques.

Hat tip Bob Guzzardi

Mosques Were Exempted By Obama Spymasters

Mosques Were Exempted By Obama Spymasters

Deadline Now Dec. 31 For Rent Rebate Program

The deadline to apply for the state’s 2012 Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is being extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based on their rent or property taxes paid in 2012. The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18 years or older with permanent disabilities.

Income eligibility limits are set at the following levels, excluding 50 percent of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits:

• $0 to $8,000, maximum $650 rebate (homeowners and renters)
• $8,001 to $15,000, maximum $500 rebate (homeowners and renters)
• $15,001 to $18,000, maximum $300 rebate (homeowners only)
• $18,001 to $35,000, maximum $250 rebate (homeowners only)

Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income, property tax or rental information required to process claims quickly and accurately.

Claimants who already applied for Property Tax/Rent Rebates may check the status of claims online by visiting this link. Rebate checks will be mailed out starting July 1 to those who have already submitted applications.

As of May 31, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue had received 506,518 rebate applications.

Contractors And Philadelphia Permits

Contractors And Philadelphia Permits — Just had an interesting conversation with a contractor that segued from the fatal June 5 demolition gone bad in Philadelphia to his recent experience in trying to get a permit in the city.

He noted that he waited hours in line to be told the work had to be approved by the planning commission first despite the planning commission telling him otherwise. He went back to his clients who told them they never bothered with permits when doing improvements.

He said “expeditors” in the city get paid up to $25,000 to make speed up the process when necessary.

So those feeling some hate towards the developer might be wise to direct at least a little in the direction of the inherent corruption of the city’s government.

We will note that the city did not force Richard Basciano, known one-time as the “porn king of Times Square” to hire a stoner with a long rap sheet to run the backhoe.

Contractors And Philadelphia Permits

Contractors And Philadelphia Permits

Area Men Are Senate Interns

Congratulations to Wesley Wright of Media, and Joe Liss of Cheltenham who who will be summer interns in the office of Sen. Pat Toomey.

Wright will be working on armed services, foreign relations, intelligence and veterans’ affairs issues. He graduate of Penncrest High School, Wesley is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina studying political science and English. In addition to public service, he has interests in music – he plays guitar – and enjoys attending concerts in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Liss, a graduate of Cheltenham High School, will be working on health issues. He attends the University of Virginia where he studies economics and writes for the student newspaper.  He is also beginning a Masters in Public Policy at UVA’s Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is interested in journalism and Philadelphia sports. He is an avid Eagles fan.

Wesley Wright, Joe Liss Toomey interns

Congratulations to Wesley Wright of Media, and Joe Liss of Cheltenham who who will be summer interns in the office of Sen. Pat Toomey.

Case For Corbett’s Tax Reform

By Nathan A. Benefield

Pennsylvania’s small business owners face a daunting challenge: How can you invest and expand your business while paying the second highest corporate tax rate in the country?  If you can believe it, combined with the federal tax rate, Pennsylvania businesses pay the second highest tax on their profits in the entire industrialized world.

And the sluggish economy isn’t making things any easier.  The good news is that Governor Corbett has proposed tax reform to alleviate some of this burden and make Pennsylvania more competitive. This reform plan will boost the economy—growing jobs and raising personal income across the state.

A new analysis sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation and conducted by economists at the Beacon Hill Institute demonstrates exactly how the Governor’s tax reform plan will put Pennsylvania on the path to prosperity. Specifically, the plan examines the Governor’s call for reducing the state’s corporate income tax.

The report finds that if these reforms pass this year, the state would see over one billion dollars in additional business investment by 2018.  More investment means more jobs.  The analysis concludes that more than 1,200 additional private sector jobs would be created in five years as a direct result of these tax reforms.  And as investment grows in future years, job growth would accelerate.

Increased employment and investment also lead to wider benefits for families.  Based on our projections, Pennsylvania’s real disposable income would grow by $460 million as a direct result of business tax reform.

This is a real stimulus.  Businesses would be able to invest more and expand their operations, in turn creating additional tax revenue and more jobs and income for the working Pennsylvanians who have suffered in recent years.

Given these benefits, tax reform is a no-brainer.  That’s why Pennsylvania isn’t alone in pursuing this path.  This year, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, and North Carolina have all considered comprehensive tax reform, with each state taking a slightly different approach.  Moreover, in recent years, other states of varying political persuasion—ranging from Washington to Texas to Ohio—have also taken proactive steps to improve their economies by reducing or eliminating onerous corporate income taxes.

The timing couldn’t be better.  Pennsylvania consistently lags the nation in job and income growth.  Contrary to its nickname, the Keystone State ranks among the 10 worst states for businesses, according to a survey of business leaders by CEO Magazine, and 39th in state competitiveness, according to the Beacon Hill Institute.

Unfortunately, some fail to see the benefits of tax reform and suggest we hold off on cutting tax rates. Due to lower than expected tax revenue collections for the state this year, some lawmakers are calling for higher taxes to “invest” in their own spending priorities.  Others suggest we need to increase tax credit programs—that benefit some businesses, but not all—to make it easier for businesses to compete in Pennsylvania.

If creating jobs is our top priority, these ideas need to be scrapped in favor of broad tax relief.  Tax increases impede economic growth, while tax relief unleashes it.  Ending targeted tax breaks and corporate welfare programs would allow Pennsylvania to lower its tax rate for everyone.  To realize these economic benefits even more quickly, lawmakers in Harrisburg should look to accelerate the Governor’s tax reductions.

At a time of heightened partisan bickering, sensible reforms like this are worth pursuing, especially when the benefits are so clear.  Tax reform will give Pennsylvania a competitive edge over its neighbors while encouraging business investment and job growth.

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Nathan A. Benefield is director of policy analysis with the Commonwealth Foundation (CommonwealthFoundation.org).