Rep. Miccarelli 12/09

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RepMiccarelli.net

Winter 2009

Join Us Jan. 9 in Welcoming Home

Rep. Miccarelli

e offi ce of state Rep. Nick Mic-carelli will be hosting an open housefrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9, to welcome home Rep. Mic-carelli from his tour of duty in Iraq.

During the open house light re-freshments will be served and resi-dents will be able to learn about themany district offi ce services availableto them.

Please join us for this wonderfulcelebration!

2009-2010 State Budget Wrap Up

e offi ce of state Rep. Nick Miccarellihas made every effort to keep residents in-formed of state government activity. As acontinuation of that effort, we wanted toprovide you with a summary of the recent-ly agreed upon 2009-10 state budget.

As you may know, this years budgetprocess presented unprecedented chal-lenges due to the global economic down-turn. e General Assembly attempted tocraft a spending plan that struck a balancebetween providing essential services forresidents when they need them the most,and protecting the scal well-being of theCommonwealth by not overloading tax-payers with onerous spending commit-ments that current revenue streams may not be able to support.

Heres an overview of the nal plan:

Tax Hikese budget includes a 25-cent-per-

pack increase in the state tax on cigarettesand creates a new tax on little cigars at

1.60 per pack. e state spending planalso calls for a $37 million tax on Penn-sylvania employers at a time when theCommonwealths workers and job creatorsare reeling from the recession.

Due to the insistence of House Repub-licans, efforts to include an increase in thePersonal Income Tax or the Sales and UseTax as well as a severance tax on naturalgas harvested in the Commonwealth weredefeated.

Draining the Reserve AccountsBudget negotiators balanced the state

spending plan, in part, by draining several

reserve accounts. e Commonwealthhad built up a $755 million Rainy Day Fund that is intended to help in the eventof unanticipated expenses or economicdownturn. Using all that money this yearis a concern if state revenues dont improve

in the next few months.e budget also calls for depleting the708 million Health Care Provider Reten-

tion Account and taking $100 million fromthe MCare Fund. Both of these funds aredesigned to help defray the cost of medicalmalpractice insurance, as those skyrocket-ing costs have prompted many doctors andspecialists to retire early or take their prac-tices to other states.

Furthermore, $150 million would betaken from the Tobacco Settlement fund, which receives money from a federal law-suit and allocates those funds for tobaccoprevention and statewide health care pro-grams.

Federal Stimulus Dollars After being sworn into offi ce, President

Barack Obama and the Democrat-con-trolled Congress in Washington, D.C.,acted swiftly to approve several bailoutmeasures. One of those was the AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which, among other things, provided fed-eral dollars to subsidize state budgets.

e Pennsylvania state budget includesmore than $2.6 billion in federal stimulusmoney. Added to the nearly $25.2 billionin state dollars in the nal budget, thismeans the Commonwealth will spend ap-proximately $27.8 billion in the currentscal year.

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Te Offi ce of State Representative Nick Miccarelli

Due in part to the extensiveuse of federal dollars for educa-ion, school districts across the

state received increases in funding within the state budget.

2010-11 Budget ProcessNegotiations on the 2010-11

budget will begin in less than twomonths, and the Legislature mustfollow its constitutional obliga-ion to get a state budget passed

on time. ere are several legisla-ive proposals currently being cir-

culated that might help expedite

he process and put measures inplace to hold the General Assem-bly more accountable. ose ini-iatives should be coming beforehe House and Senate in the next

few months.

State Budgetcontined from page 1

Proposals Aim to Reform State Budget Process

In the wake of the budget impasse of 2009, several ideas have been put forth to ensuresuch a long stalemate doesnt happen again.

One proposal is to create a bipartisan Speakers Commission on Budgetary Reform.e commission would be charged with setting budget timelines and identifying appropri-

ate consequences if deadlines are not met. Performance-based budget principles would be

adopted, and rank-and-le lawmakers would have more input into the nal plan.Other reform proposals are outlined below:

House Resolution 460 would institute a Committee of the Whole process toresolve a budget impasse in the future. is would allow for open debate of various budget issues on the House oor.

House Bill 936 would automatically extend the prior years budget if nonew state budget is enacted by 12:01 a.m. on July 1.

House Bill 937 creates a more denitive timeline for future state budgets.If deadlines are not met in the House or Senate, the daily pay for each

member in that chamber would be docked until action is taken.

House Bill 1629 proposes salary forfeitures by the legislature, as well as thegovernor, his cabinet and the secretary of the budget, when a budgetimpasse goes past July. Salaries would not be restored retroactively.

House Bill 1751 would ban the act of leveraging roll call votes for promisesof legislative favors, hiring of staff, grant approvals and capital projects.

State Seeks Owners of $1 Million in UnclaimedProperty from the 162nd Legislative District

Residents are encouraged to check and see if the states Bureau of Unclaimed Property has money for them.

According to the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, more than $1 million in unclaimed property is waiting to be claimed by current and former residents of the 162nd Legislative District.

e most common types of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, stocks and dividends,uncashed payroll checks, uncollected utility deposits, unredeemed gift certicates and items in safedeposit boxes. In fact, unclaimed property is any nancial asset that has been left inactive for a period

of approximately ve years.Offi cials are cautioning individuals to be wary of services or nders who charge fees to help locateunclaimed property. Finders often charge the maximum amount allowed by law, up to 15 percent of the propertys value, for using the same online-databases that individuals can use free-of-charge.

To check if you have unclaimed property, please call Miccarellis district offi ce at (610) 53 -1002or go to www.PATreasury.com .

For more information on unclaimed property or for help processing a claim, visit Miccarellis dis-trict offi ce or call the Bureau of Unclaimed Property toll-free at 1-800-222-20 6.

e Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has launchedits 511 travel information system, 511PA.

e Federal Communications Com-mission designated 511 as the nationwidehree-digit number for traveler informa-ion, and 35 states are already using the

system. 511PA provides free, 2 -hour in-formation that includes traffi c delay warn-ings, weather forecasts, regional tourisminformation, and links to transit agencies

and major airports. e service is avail-able by dialing 511 from cellular phones orlandlines or on the Web at www.511PA.com. Cell phone users may incur localairtime or roaming charges from their pro-vider.

Users are also able to register online toreceive personalized traveler alerts by e-mailand text message. Standard text messagingrates may apply participants should con-sult their cellular phone provider regarding

their text messaging plan.e 511PA roadway network includes

all 1,759 miles of interstate, including thePennsylvania Turnpike, as well as othermajor roadways in Harrisburg, Philadel-phia and Pittsburgh. Real-time informa-tion will be available about traffi c acci-dents, construction activities and winterroad conditions.

For more information, visitwww.511PA.com .

New PennDOT Service Provides Latest Travel Information


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Serving the People of the 162 nd Legislative District

Planning a Trip tothe State Capitol?

Tours of the state Capitol are offeredregular weekdays, every half hour from8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Weekends and most holidays, tours areoffered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3p.m.

Rep. Miccarellis offi ce is happy to helparrange a tour of the Capitol for groupsinterested in seeing what President eo-dore Roosevelt called the the handsomestbuilding I ever saw.

e offi ce can also help arrange a tourof the Pennsylvania State Museum, locatedacross the street from the Capitol. Prospect Park fourth-grade students took a tour of the state Capitol this past May.

Take Precautions to Protect Yourself from H1N1

Flu season is in full swing, and this year we are not only faced with the seasonal u butso H1N1, also known as swine u.al

H1N1 causes symptoms similar to seasonal u and can include a fever over 100 de-ees, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Ingme cases, individuals with the virus may experience vomiting and diarrhea.s

ere are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from both types of : Use a tissue to cover your cough and sneeze.

you dont have a tissue, cough or sneeze into yourIf eeve instead of your hand.sl

Keep your hands away from your face, andnt touch your mouth, nose or eyes.d Wash your hands often, using soap or an

alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Keep frequently used surfaces clean.

Another step you may want to take is gettingthe u vaccine. ere are separate vaccines for bothseasonal u and H1N1, so dont assume you areprotected from both types of u if you have only received one shot.

e Advisory Committee on ImmunizationPractices (ACIP) has identied ve targeted groupsthat should receive the H1N1 vaccine:

Pregnant women. Persons 6 months to 2 years of age. Health care providers and EMS personnel. Individuals caring for infants under 6 months of age. Individuals under age 65 with underlying medical conditions.

e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for children under 10 to receivetwo doses of the vaccine administered 28 days apart OR a minimum of 21 days apart.Individuals over the age of 10 will receive one dose of the vaccine. e vaccine is an intra-nasal vaccine spray. Parents are asked to check with their providers and/or schools, who will be responsible for administering the vaccines.

If you do get sick, you should stay home to avoid spreading the u to other people.e Department of Health recommends you stay home until youve been fever free for

2 hours (without the use of fever reducing medication). Be sure to drink plenty of clearuids, such as water, broth and sports drinks to prevent dehydration, and get plenty of

rest. If your symptoms get worse, seek medical attention immediately.For more information on the u and where to get vaccinated, contact the state Depart-ment of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH or visit RepMiccarelli.net.

Apply Now for Low-Income HomeEnergy Assistance

Program

come, family size, type of heating fuel andregion. Crisis grants are provided in theevent of a heating emergency, including

broken heating equipment or leaking lineshat must be xed or replaced, lack of fuel,ermination of utility service or danger of

being without fuel or of having utility ser-vice terminated. In most counties, assis-ance with home heating crisis situations is

available 24 hours a day. Applications are available at Miccarellis


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District Ofce Services

Volunteer InternshipOpportunities

Available

College students interested in anunpaid internship with Rep. Micca-rellis offi ce are encouraged to send

a resume and cover letter to Der-ek Staccone in the district offi ce [email protected].

Applicants should:

Have an outgoing personality.

Have a exible schedule.

Have an interest in the community and helping individuals with stategovernment-related issues.

If you need help with any of the above or with any otherstate-related matter, please do not hesitate to contact the of-ce at:

605 East Chester Pike, Ridley Park, PA 19078Phone: (610) 534-1002

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.aturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

*Sharon Hill Mobile District Offi ce available from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month. It islocated in the Sharon Hill Borough Hall at 250 Sharon Ave.

Or in Harrisburg, Monday -Friday 9 a.m. to :30 p.m.:406 Irvis Offi ce Building, PO Box 202162Harrisburg, PA 17120-2162Phone: (717) 787-3472

RepMiccarelli net

Safe Driving Reminders

In order to help ensure greater safety on the roadways, there area few Pennsylvania state laws worth highlighting: Headlight Use

Motorists are required to turn on their headlights any timeheir vehicle wipers are in continuous or intermittent use due to

weather or other conditions, such as fog or mist. Drivers whofail to follow the law face nes and fees approaching $100 peroffense. Snow and Ice Removal

Motorists must completely clear snow and ice from their vehicles before driving or facesevere nes if snow or ice they failed to remove causes injury or death to other motorists orpedestrians. Drivers who fail to follow this law face nes of $200 to $1,000 per offense. Steer Clear

Drivers must move over or slow down when they come upon an emergency scene, traf-c stop, or disabled vehicle. e law applies any time an emergency vehicle has its lightsashing and where road crews or emergency personnel have tried to warn motorists withlighter ares or posted signs. Failure to follow the law carries a ne of up to $250, and nes

for other traffi c violations committed in these areas will be doubled. If the violation leadso a worker being injured, a 90-day license suspension could result.

During Senior Rally Day in Harrisburg on June 2, Frank Williamson and Dolores and JohnCallahan from Glenolden stopped by Rep. Miccarellis offi ce. Tey are with the Pennsylvan

Association of Senior Centers.

Senior Rally Day

Emergency NoticationSystem Available

Residents wanting to receive infor-mation on their cell phone, throughe-mail or on their pager about severe weather, health threats and other emer-

gencies can sign up for AlertPA. Alert-PA is an emergency notication system where users can choose the type of no-tices they want to receive, as well as how they want to receive them.

Simply go towww.pa.gov and click on Alerts & Advisories to sign up.

Interested individuals are cautionedto be fully informed of services the sys-tem provides and any responsibilitiesplaced upon them, such as the paymentof text messages not included in theircell phone plan.

Documents

Rep. Miccarelli 12/09