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State Representative

DAN MOULPRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

HARRISBURG, PA

PERMIT NO. 529

Serving the 91st Legislative District

FALL 2009

Date: Thursday, December 10thTime: 11 am - 2 pm

and

4 pm - 7 pm

Location: 30 W. Middle StreetGettysburg

Please join meand my s

taff for our ...HOLIDAY

OPEN HOUSE

Pennsylvania finally has a state budget, but it is farfrom perfect and leaves many issues unresolved. Thebudget took far too long to settle going more than100 days beyond the state-mandated deadline of June30. During the impasse, day care centers, libraries andcommunity services that rely on state funding were af-fected, and some people lost their jobs.

In light of the fact that our prior fiscal year endedwith a $3.2 billion budget deficit, I was determined toreduce spending. I supported sensible budget plansthat cut spending below the previous years level yetpreserved funding for essential government services.I also rejected attempts to impose major increases inthe Personal Income Tax (PIT) and sales tax, which Ibelieve would have had a detrimental effect given thecurrent economic climate.

Just as most of you spend according to what youmake, I believe the state must do the same, and have abalanced budget in place by June 30 each year. Thereis no excuse for delays, and vital services should notbe subject to a line-item veto that serves to pressure

the Legislature to pass a budget that is not in the bestinterest of Pennsylvania citizens.I did not vote in favor of the budget because the

$27.8 billion plan overspends, burdens Pennsylvanianswith $500 million in new or increased taxes, and reliestoo heavily on stimulus funding and one-time revenue.It also drains critical state reserve accounts, leavingthe state without a safety net going into the 2010-11fiscal year. One of the casualties of our tough economictimes is the annual calendar that many of you haveenjoyed receiving.

Because of my mothers passing, it was necessaryfor me to cancel my town hall meetings in October. I

hope you can all stop by and visit me at my districtoffice during my Holiday Open House. I hope to seeyou there!

Happy Holidays!

Dear Neighbor,

Moul Planning Event Honoring

Our VeteransNext year I will be hosting an event in honor of our

military veterans. If you served in the U.S military andyou live in the 91st Legislative District, please contactmy office at (717) 334-3010, and tell us how we maycontact you. I am looking forward to meeting andhonoring those who served our great country.

RepMoul.com

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While most Pennsylvanianswere relieved when Gov. EdRendell ended a more than 100-day-long stalemate by signing astate budget into law, I voted nodue to the tax hikes and exces-

sive spending in the final budgetagreement.

Tax Hikes

The budget includes a 25-cent-per-pack increase in thestate tax on cigarettes and cre-ates a new tax on little cigarsat $1.60 per pack. The statespending plan also calls for a

$374 million tax on Pennsylva-nia employers at a time whenthe Commonwealths workersand job creators are reelingfrom the international economicrecession.

In addition, the budget in-cludes a tax on Medicaid Man-aged Care Organizations(MCOs).

At various points during the

budget process, the governorcalled for both a Personal In-come Tax (PIT) increase and anexpansion of the state Sales andUse Tax (SUT). The General

BUDGET PROCESS TOO LO

Assembly was able to block bothof the governors broad-based taxincreases.

Draining the Reserve Accounts

Budget negotiators balancedthe state spending plan, in part,by draining several reserve ac-counts. The Commonwealth hadbuilt up a $755 million Rainy DayFund that is intended to help thestate pay for unanticipated ex-penses. That fund will be com-pletely depleted during the cur-rent budget year.

The budget also calls for de-

pleting the $708 million HealthCare Provider Retention Accountand taking $100 million from theMCare Fund. Both of these fundsare used to help cover the cost ofmedical malpractice for the healthcare industry.

Furthermore, $150 millionwould be taken from the TobaccoSettlement fund, which receivesmoney from a federal lawsuit and

allocates those funds for tobaccoprevention and statewide healthcare programs.

By draining the states reserveaccounts, nothing will be avail-

able next year. This could be dev-astating in the event the economydoes not turn around. Given thefact that state revenues are al-ready $160.2 million short for theyear, this is a serious concern.

Federal Bailout Dollars

The American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA), which,among other things, providedfederal dollars to subsidize statebudgets.

The Pennsylvania state budgetincludes more than $2.6 billion infederal bailout money. Added to

the nearly $25.2 billion in statedollars in the final budget, thismeans the Commonwealth willspend approximately $27.8 billionin the current spending plan.

Due in part to the extensiveuse of federal dollars for educa-tion, school districts in the 91stLegislative District received largeincreases in funding within thestate budget. Although I am an

advocate for education, this levelof spending cannot be maintainedonce the federal money runs outin a couple of years, which meanstaxpayers will have to make upthe difference. This, in my opin-ion, is not an ideal situation.

2010-11 Budget Process

We will be working on the

2010-11 budget in less thanthree months, and we mustfollow our constitutional obli-gation to get a state budgetpassed on time.

There are several legisla-tive proposals currently be-ing circulated that might helpexpedite the process and putmeasures in place to hold theGeneral Assembly more ac-

countable. Those initiativesshould be coming beforethe House and Senate in thenext few months.

RepMoul.com

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NG, TOO COSTLY

Table Games Threaten Equine Industry,

Promise No Tax Relief

The original slots legislation passed in 2004 was sold to us onthe promise of property tax relief. After five years, we have seenlittle in the way of meaningful relief. Now the state is planning toexpand gaming to include the legalization of table games. Thisis bad policy for Adams County, the states equine industry andPennsylvania taxpayers.

A percentage of slots revenue supports the horse racing indus-try in the Commonwealth. Adding table games to the mix will hurtthe states equine industry by drawing people away from slots.As slots revenue declines, so does the financial support for theequine industry. This will also have a detrimental impact on all ofthe businesses that support the industry and the jobs those busi-

nesses provide.I am not against table games to bring in added revenue to theCommonwealth. However, it must be done responsibly. Proposalsunder consideration now would shortchange Pennsylvania in termsof the states share of proceeds and licensing fees. They also ig-nore the basic premise on which legalized gambling was originallyapproved property tax relief.

Moul expresses his support for a group protesting the state budget impasse

on the Capitol steps in August.

RepMoul.com

Arts Funding Announced

Congratulations to the following Adams Countycultural organizations on receiving grants from thePennsylvania Council on the Arts:

Adams County Arts Council Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra The Gettysburg Review The Majestic Theater

Welfare Reform

Sorely NeededState Auditor General Jack Wag-

ner recently released a report onfraud and inefficiencies within thePennsylvania Department of PublicWelfare (DPW), and PhiladelphiaDistrict Attorney Lynne Abraham hascharged DPW employees and othersin multiple cases of alleged welfarefraud.

Welfare spending accounts formore than one-third of the entirestate budget. It is responsible for ad-ministering programs and funding for

our states most vulnerable citizens,including children, the elderly and dis-abled citizens. These precious dollarsmust be guarded so that monies goto qualified recipients. Welfare frauddrains these resources.

Wagner has so far uncoveredmore than $600 million in lossesto fraud, and earlier this year 12people, including nine DPW employ-ees, were arrested on charges theystole $500,000 from the Low-IncomeHome Energy Assistance Program(LIHEAP), which provides heatingassistance to low-income people.

Few safeguards presently exist toprotect the state and taxpayers fromthese abuses. I believe that significantsavings may be achieved by closingloopholes to ensure the integrity ofthe welfare system. I support effortsto verify the identity and eligibility ofthose who receive public assistance

and other measures to ensure thatstate money is going to those forwhom it is intended.

One measure would empowercounty assistance offices to reportcases of suspected fraud directlyto the Office of Inspector General.This would give personnel, who arelocal and have direct contact withwelfare recipients, the opportunity toreport applicants who provide falseinformation in order to receive public

assistance benefits such as MedicalAssistance, cash assistance or foodstamps.

Commonsense measures arenecessary to protect your tax dollarsand to enable us to continue to servethose who are truly in need.

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Constituent ServicesMy staff and I are here to serve you.

If you need help with any state-related matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

REPMOUL.COM

District Office 30 West Middle Street / Gettysburg, PA 17325 / 717-334-3010 / Toll Free 1-866-646-4915Harrisburg Office G-32 Irvis Office Building / PO Box 202091 / Harrisburg, PA 17120-2091 / 717-783-5217

CONSUMER ALERT

Beware of Propane Price Gouging

When it comes to buying propane in Pennsylvania, youwould do well to shop around and become an informedconsumer.

Propane, which is made from oil and gas, is producedat two refineries in the U.S. Prices for propane shot up

last year in response to higher oil prices and increaseddemand on domestic energy sources. However, as marketprices for oil and gas decreased, many propane retailersdid not follow suit. In many cases, prices remained highand consumers were expected to bear the cost.

Last winter, as oil and gas prices fell, my propanedealer was still charging me almost $4 dollars per gallon.Whats worse, the statewide average price per gallon ofpropane at that time was $2.79! Upon further investiga-tion, I found that I was paying surcharges and fees that Ihad never agreed to.

In order to ensure you are not paying too much for pro-pane, consumers must do their homework. You can check

the average retail price for propane in Pennsylvania on theU.S. Department of Energy Web site at www.energy.gov.Also, be sure to check your local yellow pages. You will finda listing of propane retailers who serve your area. Comparecosts and see if youre getting your moneys worth.

If you do not own your own fuel tank, companies thatdeliver propane will provide a tank in which to store yourfuel. This is not free, however. The price of your fuel willinclude an additional amount to cover the cost of the tankrental. Those fees may add substantially to the per gallonprice you pay.

You should also know that, as a practice, companieswill not put fuel in a tank owned by another company,therefore limiting your delivery choices to the companythat owns the tank. To avoid this and the tank rental fees,and to afford yourself the flexibility to purchase fuel at thelowest possible price, you can negotiate with your currentprovider to purchase your tank at a depreciated price. Youwould also do well to avoid signing lengthy contracts withyour provider.

I encourage you to challenge the prices and fees youare being charged. If the cost seems too high, check theU.S. Department of Energy Web site to compare pricesin your area.

Complacency is expensive, but being an informed

consumer will save you money.

Applications Available for Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

Applications forPennsylvanias Property Tax/Rent Rebate program are still available. Eligible participants can receivea rebate of up to $650 based on income and rent or property taxes paid in 2008. The program benefits eligible Pennsylva-nians who are at least 65 years old, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and persons 18 years or older with disabilities.Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income, property tax or rental information required to process claimsquickly and accurately. The application deadline has been extended to Dec. 31, 2009.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications are available by contacting my district office at (717) 334-3010 or by visiting myWeb site at www.RepMoul.com.To check the status of a rebate, individuals can visit my Web site and click on WheresMy Property Tax Refund? To check the status of your rebate, you will need your Social Security number, date of birth andanticipated rebate amount. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is one of many initiatives supported by the PennsylvaniaLottery, which dedicates its proceeds to support programs for older Pennsylvanians. Since the program began in 1971, morethan $4 billion has been paid to qualified applicants.

Wine a GrowingAgribusiness

in Adams CountyThe wine industry is growing in Pennsylvania and a

good example of that growth can be seen right here in Ad-ams County. Franklin Township is home to three winer-

ies -- Adams County Winery, Hauser Estate Winery andthe brand new Reids Orchard & Winery. Wineries play animportant role in the countys agriculture and tourism in-dustries, complementing our many local fruit growers andcreating jobs.

I had the occasion to tour two of these wineries duringthe recent harvest. The tours are being featured on Ad-ams Community Television (ACTV) over the next coupleof months.

Moul gets a lesson on the aging process in winemakingfrom winemaker Michelle Oaks on a recent tour of HauserEstate Winery.

Moul and Adams County Winery co-owner John Krambwatch as a fresh load of grapes is being prepared forproduction.