Independent, Effective, Working to Make a Difference. Summer 2011

Inside Stories: Creating Jobs through PA WORKS PlanEasing Our Tax Burden • Restoring Economic Development Funding

Boscola Asks Tough Questions About Aging Pipelinesllentown was recently the site of a heart-breaking tragedy that devastated a

local row house neighborhood andkilled five people.

Experts believe the explosionwas caused by a leak in an 83-year-old cast-iron gas main. Because thisaging underground gas main hadno shut-off valves, it took utilityworkers – working in freezingtemperatures and dangerousconditions – five hours to stem theflow of gas.

Sadly, this was no isolated flukeincident. Similar explosions haveoccurred in other parts of the state.

A With an estimated 2.5 million milesof underground gas and liquidpipelines, we cannot continue toplay Russian roulette with anantiquated infrastructure that posessuch a dangerous and deadly threat.

I recently co-hosted a localhearing on how we can preventfuture disasters and begin rebuildingour infrastructure. With so manylocal workers struggling to find jobsand make ends meet these days, this problem could represent anopportunity to both rebuild ourinfrastructure – and get people back to work.

Jobs Should be the Top PriorityOver the past several months, I have continually stressed the need to work

more aggressively to bring more jobs to Pennsylvania. Even though we are struggling with a very difficult budget process this year, we must continue to focus our efforts on creating jobs.

In that effort, I have used my chairmanship of the Democratic Policy Committee to focus hearings on various aspects of helping businesses succeed, and creating jobs.

I have also co-sponsored a legislative package, called PA Works, which would help get more people to work and help the state emerge from the recession.

PA Works would create more than 28,000 jobs while actually saving state taxpayer dollars. This plan would also leverage $2 billion in private investment to help put people to work, cut business taxes and help small businesses be more competitive,

rebuild the state’s aging infrastructure, foster the growth of promising new clean and green energy industries and retool worker training programs.

I also hope to use my new position as co-chair of the Senate Economy, Business & Jobs Caucus to try to generate greater economic investment and job creation.

The best answer to this recession is jobs. I will continue to focus my efforts on that goal.

Around the 18thDistrict • Aroundthe 18th DistrictAround the 18thDistrict • Around The 18th District

& Beyond

Around

� Senator Boscola helps students at St. AnneSchool set a new Guinness World Record forthe longest ice cream sundae. The newrecord was set at 150 feet long, which beatthe old record by nearly 20 feet.

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Lehigh Valley Health Network,along with Senator Boscola, hosted afree flu vaccination clinic in Pen Argyl.Pictured are Senator Boscola alongwith members of the LVHN staff.

Senator Boscola hosts adelegation of leaders fromRussia visiting the UnitedStates as part of the OpenWorld Program.

� Eric Bellis of Portland and KendallOhrwashel of Nazareth recently metSenator Boscola at her Harrisburgoffice. Eric and Kendall were beingrecognized for the 2011 PrudentialSpirit of Community Awards.

� Senator Boscola meets with smallbusiness owners at the Greater PoconoChamber of Commerce Expo.

As we work toward a final statespending plan, I will continue myefforts to steer dollars towardeducation and proven job creationprograms and away from theCorrections Department.

In my review of budget proposalsoffered by both Gov. Tom Corbett andthe House Republicans, I have towonder where our priorities are.

In the same budget bills thatwould make drastic cuts to our publicschools and put the dream of collegeout of reach for so many bright andpromising children, I cannot believethese plans are calling for an 11percent funding hike for the state’sswelling prison system.

If we are truly serious about“sharing the pain” of this year’s budget

PA Budget:Where are our Priorities? Where is the Shared Sacrifice?

cuts, then I think we need to take atougher funding stance on programsand services that benefit those whobroke our laws and victimizedinnocent citizens. We need to invest in our children and our future, not criminals.

� PA NEEDS A PERSONAL INCOME TAX CUTIn March, I introduced legislation

that would cut the state’s personalincome tax from 3.07 to 2.97 percent.

My bill would provide somebadly needed relief to familiesstruggling to absorb rapidlyescalating utility bills, gasoline costsand grocery bills. It would also helpbusinesses, our economy and jobmarket by putting additional moneyback into taxpayers’ pockets.

Over 84 percent of corporationsin Pennsylvania pay the personalincome tax rather than corporatetaxes. If we are serious aboutstimulating business developmentand job creation, then we need toimpact all businesses, including themultitude of small businesses,partnerships and sole proprietorships.

To date, our state’s surplus hasgrown to $540 million. I can’t thinkof a better way to spend our surplusthan putting money back into ourtaxpayers’ pockets. After all, it is your money.

Also, our economy is a consumereconomy. By empowering consumerspending, we help our businessesand economy continue to grow.

apply table games revenue forproperty tax relief.

Combined with additionalcasinos coming on line, mylegislation would help make moredollars available to help limit or cutproperty taxes.

� HELPING SENIORS TO COPE WITH ESCALATING PROPERTY TAXESAs we all know, property taxes

can be extremely burdensome tohomeowners, particularly our seniorcitizens. Many seniors live on fixedincomes and have trouble payingthese sometimes yearly increases intheir tax bills. Many own their home,yet have to pay hundreds of dollarsevery month just to stay there.Because of this, I have renewed

my call and introduced legislationthat would freeze property taxes forour seniors. My legislation wouldprohibit any increase in propertytaxes on seniors who are age 65 orolder and have lived in their homefor at least five years. Many of our seniors have to

choose between buying necessitiessuch as food and prescriptions andpaying their ever-escalating propertytaxes. Our seniors should be ableto enjoy their golden years withoutfear of being forced to sell theirhome due to property tax bills.

� MORE PROPERTY TAX RELIEFWhile Pennsylvania’s casino slots

have already generated $1 billionannually for property tax relief, Ibelieve more should be done tolimit and cut property taxes.

When the legislature legalizedtable games at casinos, I wasdisappointed to see that the newlaw earmarked table games revenuefor the state’s General Fund.

In my view, all casino proceedsshould be used to lower propertytaxes. To this end, I have introducedSenate Bill 160, which would also

Easing Our Tax Burden

Dear Friend,As your state Senator, I want to

update you on my work to ensure thatwe have a strong and bright future notonly here in the Lehigh Valley andPocono Mountain areas, butthroughout all of Pennsylvania.

During this legislative session, Ihave sponsored a bill that providesmore money for property tax relief byallocating table game revenues forproperty tax relief, as well as one thatholds the line on property tax increasesfor our seniors. I have also recentlycalled for a cut to our personal incometax rate. I just think the best way to getour economy moving again is to putmoney back into your pockets, notgovernment’s pockets.

While this budget year certainlyhas presented us with many challenges,I am pleased to see my colleagues areintent on cutting wasteful spendingand avoiding any tax increases as ameans to balancing the budget. Wehave to cut with precision . . . gettingrid of programs that are not workingand investing in those that are.

While making sure we hold theline on taxes, we also need to getpeople back to work. You can readabout a plan I endorsed called PAWORKS, which leverages publicdollars with private investment. Thesepublic-private partnerships are provensuccesses which maximize tax dollars while still encouraging privateinvestment.

As always, I appreciate and valueyour input and am ready to serve you.Please contact one of my offices withany issues you may have with stategovernment or if I can assist you in any way.

Sincerely,

not work in ATM machines located inthe Pennsylvania casinos due to PGCBregulations, debit cards for unemploymentbenefits will work in those same ATMs.

In May, I attempted to amend anunemployment compensation bill inthe Senate to ban this access at casinos.Unfortunately, due to the powerfulgaming lobby, the amendment wasvoted down. But be assured I willcontinue my fight to limit where theseimportant benefits can be accessed.

have introduced a bill to prohibitthe use of unemployment benefit debit cards at Pennsylvania casinos.Unemployment benefits are meant

to provide jobless people with thenecessities of life and to pay their billswhile seeking a new job. These bene-fits should not be easily accessible at casinos.

According to the PennsylvaniaGaming Control Board (PGCB), whiledebit cards for welfare recipients will

Banning Gambling with Unemployment Dollars

I

one new program called Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance(PREP). He then proposed cutting theirfunding by 23 percent.

Another cut to economic develop-ment programs presented by theGovernor is his cut to the Ben FranklinPartnerships. The Governor proposedcutting this program by 15 percent.

For every dollar spent on programssuch as the Small Business Develop-ment Centers, the state receives sixdollars back in the form of increasedtax revenues. Similarly, for every dollar

Boscola Works to Restore Economic Development Dollarshile we all know we need to cut some programs in stategovernment in order to make

ends meet, we have to be careful wedo not cut those programs that give usa return on our investment. In additionto restoring some funding for basic andpost-secondary education, we need to also restore funding for economicdevelopment programs that have aproven track-record of creating jobs.

In February, Governor Corbett proposed consolidating four existingeconomic development programs into

W spent on the Ben Franklin Partnerships,the state receives $3.50 in return. This ismoney invested in our future viability.

It is unconscionable that the pro-posed budget cuts this funding while atthe same time increases the Correctionsbudget by 11 percent. I have contactedthe Senate Appropriations Committeeand informed them of my intent torestore funding for all of these programswhen the budget bill reaches theSenate. In these economic times, wecannot afford to underfund proven,successful job creation programs.

n January, my colleagues unanimously elected me to chair the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.I am thrilled with this leadership post because it will

provide me the means to advance legislative issues that are important to you, the people I represent. The PolicyCommittee researches issues and develops the Caucus’ legislative policy.

I will continue to advance bills that cut taxes, curb utility rate hikes and make government more open and accountable.

Since I became Chair, the Committee has held six hearingsthroughout Pennsylvania on issues ranging from job creation to gas drilling. We have heard from small business owners, labor leaders, local government officials and economic experts on how we can bring more jobs to Pennsylvania. I look forward to making this committee very active and workingto make our state’s economy stronger and more vibrant.

IPolicy Committee Chair

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 603STATE SENATOR

LISA M. BOSCOLASenate Box 203018

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3018

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