Miccarelli Spring 2010

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RepMiccarelli.net

Spring 2010

ursday, May 139 a.m. to 11 a.m.

605 East Chester PikeRidley Park(Miccarellis district offi ce parking lot)

A mammography screening van pro-vide by Fox Chase Cancer Center willbe stationed at my district offi ce parkinglot to provide mammogram screeningfor qualified individuals. All participantsmust make an appointment.

Screening Requirements: Must be age 0 or older. Must provide name and address of

one of your doctors. Must provide prescription

from your doctor. May not be breast-feeding or have

breast-fed within the lastnine months.

Must not have had a breast cancerdiagnosis within the past twoyears.

Must not be under treatmentfor breast cancer.

Must not have had a mammogramin last 12 months.

Must be able to board the van andstand while being examined.

Contact Debra Resnick at the FoxChase Cancer Center to schedule an ap-pointment or for more information at(215)214-1682.

Legislation Would Ban Texting, Hand-Held

Cell Phones While Driving

I recently supported legislation designed to increase public safety by banning the useof hand-held cell phones and texting while driving in Pennsylvania. House Bill 2070 hasnow cleared the House of Representatives and is under consideration in the state Sen-ate.

e legislation originally included a ban on all texting behind the wheel and a prohi-bition of cell phones for drivers ages 16 and 17. However, an amendment was added tothe bill to expand the ban to include all hand-held cell phones for drivers of all ages.

Much of the outcry for a ban on hand-held cell phones comes from the motoringpublic themselves who see such distractions causing crashes and endangering peopleslives. We all know that texting while driving is dangerous and cell phone use hindersones ability to pay full attention to the road ahead.

e ban includes any in-teractive wireless communi-cation device. Exceptions willapply to operators of emer-gency vehicles and volunteer

emergency responders whoare responding to an emer-gency and are engaged in theperformance of their offi cialduties.

According to Pennsylva-nia Department of Transpor-tation statistics, since 2003,397 crashes in Pennsylvaniahave been recorded wherehands-free phones were acontributing factor, while6,877 crashes listed hand-held phones as a contributing factor. According to a 2009poll, 85 percent of Pennsylvanians favor a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones whiledriving.

In addition to the cities of Philadelphia and Harrisburg, a number of states have al-ready enacted cell phone while driving bans.

ose who are found in violation of the legislation will face a fine of $50. Fines woulddouble to $100 if the offense occurs in a school zone, active work zone, highway safetycorridor or emergency response area. A portion of the fines will be used for public aware-ness and education programs for distracted driving.

Cell phones with hands-free devices will still be permitted to be used by drivers.

Save

the

Date!

Breast

Cancer

Screening


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State Representative Nick Miccarelli

Expanded Gambling Will Bring Much-Needed Jobs,

Boost Economy

Citing the economic impact the addition of table games will have on Harrahs in Chester and PhiladelphiaPark in Bucks County, as well as the creation of hundreds of new jobs in the region, I voted Jan. 6 in favor ofallowing table games at Pennsylvanias 1 casinos.

e addition of table games at the slots casinos in Pennsylvania represents more than putting in blackjack,

poker and roulette tables. is legislation is also about finding another way to meet an existing revenue shortfalland to make our state more competitive. Each day, we lose thousands of both residents and visitors who go toAtlantic City and Las Vegas instead of Pennsylvania. is keeps the money in Pennsylvania while meeting atremendous financial need.

Under the bill, Category 1 and Category 2 licensed slot machine facilities can operate up to 250 table gamesat any one time, while Category 3 licensees could operate up to 50. Licensees approved by the PennsylvaniaGaming Control Board to operate table games would pay a one-time fee of $16.5 million. e fee for Category3 licensees would be $7.5 million.

In total, 14 percent of table games proceeds will benefit the Commonwealth, 1 percent will benefit the localmunicipality and another 1 percent will benefit the local county.

e inclusion of table games at our states casinos has the potential to create more than a thousand jobs

statewide. Harrahs in Chester is expected to add 300 jobs with the addition of table games.In addition, several changes were made to reform the gaming industry. It is expected that the table gameswill be implemented at Pennsylvania casinos in the next few months.

Pennsylvanias Financial Difficulties Continue in 2010

It is hard to believe, but Pennsylvania lawmakers are already starting to work on the 2010-11 fiscal yearbudget. From the looks of things, we are in for another extremely diffi cult year. As of the end of January, Penn-sylvania was $374 million behind projections for revenue collections, and January marks the 21st consecutive

month the state has failed to meet these revenue projections.Compounding our economic troubles are empty state savings accounts, like the Rainy Day Fund, federal stim-ulus funds that are set to expire at the end of next year, a looming spike in the employer contribution of the publicpension system, and the governors indication the state will end the fiscal year with a significant budget gap.

I am hopeful that in the next few months we can work together in the General Assembly and with the gov-ernor to create a state budget that adequately funds needed services and programs while keeping spending undercontrol.

Following is a breakdown of the priorities the governor outlined during his budget address in early February:

Spending: e governor has proposed a $1.2 billion increase in spending using $26.27 billion in state dol-lars and an additional $2.76 billion in federal stimulus funds. It is important to note that $800 million of thesefederal funds have not yet been approved, so there is no guarantee we will actually receive these dollars.

Sales Tax Expansion: e governor is proposing a reduction of the sales tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent,but would expand the tax to cover 7 items and services that are currently exempt food, clothing and prescrip-tion medicines would still be tax exempt. He would place the extra revenue raised from this tax in a reserveaccount called the Stimulus Transition Reserve Fund to help offset the termination of stimulus funds in 2011.

Basic Education: e governor is calling for 7.28 percent increase in basic education funding. We have notseen a breakdown of this $5.88 billion in education spending, which would be allocated among the states 500school districts, but I will advocate for fair distribution to the schools in the 162nd District.

Budget Cuts: e governor is calling for reductions to the budgets of the Department of EnvironmentalProtection ($3.8 million cut), the Department of Health ($7 million cut), the Department of Agriculture ($5.million cut), the Department of Labor and Industry ($3.1 million) and the Department of Conservation andNatural Resources ($1 million cut).

Budget Increases: e governor would increase funding for basic education, county child welfare pro-grams, mental retardation services, services to senior citizens, the state police, the Department of Corrections,the Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Department of Military and VeteransAffairs.

I will continue to bring you the latest budget news, and I would be happy to answer any questions you mighthave. Feel free to contact my offi ce or e-mail me at [email protected].


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Call Now to Schedule

Free Income Tax

Assistance for

Low-Income Individuals

and Families

Apply Now for State

Education Assistance Grants

tudents seeking state higher education assistancegrants for the 2010-11 academic year may now beginsubmitting applications.

Need-based Pennsylvania State Grants are pro-

vided to qualified Pennsylvania residents through thePennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency(PHEAA) and do not have to be repaid. Studentsmust complete and submit the Free Application forFederal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered.

Individuals with Internet access may file theirFAFSA electronically at www.PHEAA.org/FAFSAor atfafsa.ed.gov. Completing the FAFSA online re-duces errors and speeds up the processing time.

May 1 is the deadline for the PennsylvaniaState Grant, but families should contact the schoolsheir student is interested in attending, as many have

earlier financial aid deadlines.Federal, state and institutional student aid pro-

grams have varying deadlines. Be sure to submit acompleted FAFSA prior to the earliest deadline forawards for which the student may be eligible.

For more information on FAFSA Workshops,PHEAA grants or for an application, visit my Website at RepMiccarelli.netor contact my district of-fice. My staff is available to assist in filling out anynecessary paperwork.

College Savings Plans

for Parents

With the costs of higher education increeach year, Pennsylvania government is takinin helping to keep expenses in check.

rough the state Treasury Dep

Pennsylvanias 529 College Saents and other family memways to save for the everwith obtaining a college degrplan (GSP) and an investmenition increases typically vary froaverage projected increases have bepercent, which far outpace national in

e GSP is helpful for families wh

keep pace with tuition inflation while thment plan gives college savers the choice offerent investment options, from conservative togressive.

Grants and scholarships can often help studentsmeet their needs, but they are not a guarantee to be-ing able to pay for a higher education. Saving, evena small amount, is better than borrowing moneywith large interest payments.

More information for both the GSP and the in-vestment plan are available by visiting my Web siteat RepMiccarelli.netand clicking on nowU Col-lege Savings.

My district offi ce will be offeringfree income tax filing assistance from2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March19. Assistance is available for those in-dividuals and married couples earningless than $50,000 in 2009.

is free service, provided by Path- Ways PAs free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, providesfree basic income tax preparation ser-vices to help tax-filers access their

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) andother tax credits without incurring highpreparation fees. All of PathWays PAsax preparers are IRS trained and certi-

fied and the services are completely freeof charge.

All financial information is kept pri-vate and confidential. Residents inter-ested in using the service are asked tocontact the district offi ce at (610) 534-1002 to schedule an appointment.

Applications Now Available

for Property Tax/Rent

Rebate Program

Applications for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate programfor 2009 are now available by contacting my offi ce or visiting

my Web site at RepMiccarelli.net. My staff is also available toassist residents in filling out the forms.Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650

based on their rent or property taxes paid in 2009. e pro-gram benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 years orolder, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18years or older with disabilities.

Eligibility income limits for homeowners are set at the fol-lowing levels, excluding 50 percent of Social Security, Sup-plemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1benefits:

$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 claimsquickly and accurately. Applications are due by June 30.

Serving the People of the 162nd Legislative District

CollegeCorner

College


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62nd Legislative Distric

605 East Chester PikeRidley Park, PA 19078Phone: (610) 534-1002Fax: (610) 534-1710

In Harrisburg06 Irvis Offi ce Building

PO Box 202162Harrisburg, PA 17120-21Phone: (717) 787-3472Fax: (717) 787-8215Monday -Friday9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 249 a.m. 11a.m.

605 East Chester PikeRidley Park

(Miccarellis district offi ce parking lot)

Take this opportunity to do a little springcleaning and bring documents containingyour personal information, such as your birthdate, Social Security number, bank accountinformation, or credit card number, to beshredded and recycled.

By shredding documents that containpersonal information, you are protecting

yourself from becoming a victim of identitytheft. is service is free, simply drive or walkup with your papers on April 24, and watchthem go through the shredder.

Check It Out!

RepMiccarelli.net is just a click away foryour convenience. e Web site provides resi-dents with 24-hour access to upcoming events,state forms, press releases, legislation, stateagency links, and student homework sites. Youcan also read Rep. Miccarellis biography ande-mail the district offi ce any questions or con-cerns you may have. Check it out at RepMic-carelli.net

Residents Learn About Available Ser-

vices at District Office Open House

Upon my return from a tour of duty in Iraq, I hosted an open house in the dis-trict offi ce on Jan. 9.

It was important for me to touch base with the residents I serve and spread theword about the many services my district offi ce provides.

ose services include:

Free notary service

Drivers license and vehicle registration applications and renewals.

Assistance with PennDOT paperwork.

Copies of birth and death certificates.

PACE and PACENET applications for seniors.

Property Tax and Rent Rebate forms and applications.

Voter registration forms and absentee ballot applications.

State tax forms.

Student aid applications.

Free state maps, state park information, and PA Vacation Guides.

Copies of legislation.

Referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters.

District offi ce hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;Tuesdays and ursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to the district offi ce, I also offer a mobile offi ce in Sharon Hill toprovide more convenient service to residents in the surrounding towns of that areaof the district. e offi ce is open from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Wednesday ofevery month. It is located in the Sharon Hill Borough Hall at 250 Sharon Ave.

Free

EventFree

Shredder

Event!

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

NICK MICCARELLI

Sign Up Now to

Receive Electronic

Newsletters

I have been investigating alternative wayso communicate with you that are informa-ive, environmentally conscious and cost ef-

fective. You are currently receiving my printed

newsletters through the mail, and althoughconstituents tell me they are worthwhile,hey are costly to mail. Using improved tech-

nology, electronic communication is an ef-fective tool to keep you informed. Via e-mail

and the Web, I am able to communicate withyou at a much reduced cost.

To accomplish this goal, I am offeringyou the option of receiving future newsletterfrom my offi ce in an online format. If youdlike to make this switch, please take a mo-ment and log onto my Web site at RepMic-carelli.com and click the Have Your News-letter Delivered Online icon. A simple formwill be there for you to complete.

Documents

Miccarelli Spring 2010