Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

August Jobs Report a Stark Reminder  By Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its August jobs report that indicated only 142,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy, marking the lowest amount of job growth in 2014. Perhaps worse, only 62.8 percent of the working aged population is currently employed. During the week of September 12th, 315,000 Americans applied for unemployment aid, an increase of 11,000 claims from the previous week and more than all summer. As the economy continues to creep along with marginal growth, more people continue to feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction. A recent POLITICO poll indicated that 57 percent of likely voters disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the economy. Unfortunately, we are caught in the president’s second term slump, where international crisis has risen to the forefront, while Americans continue to struggle at home. While President Obama cannot bear ...

To the Editor: Although there are several important issues facing the General Assembly in the fall and winter, I am urging my colleagues to give priority to making sure minors can’t purchase electronic cigarettes. Earlier this year, I introduced Senate Bill 1055. My legislation would make it crystal clear to Pennsylvania residents and retailers that e-cigarettes should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. Most Pennsylvanians don’t realize that the laws that apply to the sale of traditional cigarettes do not apply to electronic cigarettes. My legislation would fix that. As electronic cigarettes have grown in popularity, particularly among individuals trying to switch from regular cigarettes, I worked on this legislation to make sure that minors cannot get their hands on this product. Right now, many retailers might not know how to monitor and regulate the purchase of e-cigarettes at their stores. This legislation is direct and to the point so that there can be no am...

On November 11, our nation thanks and honors our veterans. It’s a day to express our gratitude for the many sacrifices that veterans and their families have made in defense of our country and freedom. This week, as the nation celebrated Veterans Day, the Senate took action to boost the employment prospects of veterans and to ensure that veterans get the resources, support and job training they need when they return home. The economic challenges facing veterans today are significant. Nearly 100,000 veterans in Pennsylvania are unemployed. Nationally, the number of jobless veterans is close to 900,000. Among those veterans who have left active duty since September 2001, the unemployment rate is 12.1 percent, significantly higher than the unemployment rate for other veterans and the broader population. A new report from the Joint Economic Committee, which I chair, found that Post-9/11 veterans also face a higher poverty rate than veterans of earlier wars. In 2010, the poverty rate ...

By BOB CASEY US Senator I joined a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation that will crack down on China’s currency manipulation. This week, the Senate passed the legislation by a bipartisan margin of 63-35. By confronting China on its currency cheating, we will create jobs in the United States. China has kept its currency – the yuan – artificially low for years to make it easier to export their products to the United States and other parts of the world. The result is a massive and growing U.S. trade deficit with China that is costing our country millions of jobs. Consider these facts: The U.S. trade deficit with China grew from $83 billion in 2001 to $273 billion in 2010, largely because of the undervaluation of the yuan. A report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) finds that the U.S. trade deficit with China has resulted in the loss of 2.8 million jobs over the past decade (2001-2010), including almost 107,000 jobs in Pennsylvania. EPI also found that if the ...

Following is a letter Bradford Regional Airport Director Tom Frungillo sent to business and community leaders in the region: As many of you have read of the ongoing debates concerning the FAA reauthorization bill and the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Senator Casey’s staff has reached out to us regarding the Essential Air Service (EAS) language in the compromised FAA extension and it very encouraging. The Senator is still very much in support of the continuation of this important program for our region and the other airports at risk in the Commonwealth. Senator Casey has been stalwart in working hard for Pennsylvania. Please encourage your business contacts and friends to FLY BRADFORD! and support Senator Casey and Representative GT Thompson throughout this funding debate of our commercial air service program. Also it’s important that you let Senator Toomey know we disapprove of his position on Essential Air Service (EAS). EAS is n...

By US Senator Bob Casey Friday, we learned that the economy added 117,000 jobs in July. Better than many forecasters predicted, but not enough to bring down the national unemployment rate below 9 percent. Unfortunately, the modest job growth is consistent with the GDP data released at the end of July, which showed the economy grew at an annual rate of less than one percent during the first half of 2011. The recovery has slowed and we need to ensure it regains momentum. It’s critical that we focus on jump-starting job creation and reducing the unemployment rate. Nearly 14 million Americans, including 479,000 in Pennsylvania, remain out of work and more than six million of these workers have been jobless for six months or more. As Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, I held a hearing on Friday to better understand our country’s employment challenges. We heard from Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall, who oversees the federal government’s jobs data. Although Cong...

It was only several years ago that many Pennsylvanians first heard the term Marcellus Shale, and very few understood what impact it would have on our state. That has certainly changed, as this fast-growing industry brings both opportunities and challenges to our communities and a great deal of healthy debate about how to best harness its potential. The Marcellus Shale currently ranks number one as the fastest growing natural gas production enterprise in the United States, and sixty percent of it is in Pennsylvania. The shale region has the potential to supply most of the energy needs for the Northeast for the next 100 years – that's the good news. But we also face a variety of physical, environmental and regulatory challenges as we manage this world-class resource. Because of shale's economic potential, there are many wide-ranging opinions on if and how much we should regulate this industry. Some have proposed taxing the drilling companies and using the money to close our state...

The following letter was sent to WESB/WBRR Monday morning: The police officers of the City of Bradford Police Department would like to clarify some misleading facts that have appeared in The Bradford Era. We are not doing this to get into a war of words with anyone, nor will we make any further comments regarding these issues. First is the issue of concession asked for by the city. Yes, we have rejected insurance concessions offered by the city in the past couple of years. The last concession offer made by the city was on December 17, 2010. Representatives of our bargaining unit were told by the city clerk and city solicitor that they needed an answer by December 18, 2010. Department representatives were also told that the insurance was not the main concern of the city, but that a retirement package was. A retirement package of 2 years post-retirement benefits for any officer age 55 years or older was offered to our department. Representatives were also told that the officer had to be ...

Joe Scarnati, because of the strong arm of the Just for Jesus Ministry, amended SB 1161 – known as the Scarnati Amendment. This bill is now signed into law. It states that when a murderer or someone with a similar offense is released by the Department of Corrections to a facility in the community, the municipal officials may hold a public hearing to give the community an opportunity to express itself and ask questions. Then, Mr. Scarnati had the audacity to violate the law, one that he is taking public credit for and sent a letter, along with four other people to Judge Creany in Cambria County, trying to influence the judge to remove Ernie Simmons from the Just for Jesus facility in Brockway, when the law now says that Ernie and the community has a right to a public hearing. Mr. Scarnati’s arrogant ways and actions are showing him to be so comfortable in his position that he can blatantly violate his own amended law, oath of office and ignore the Constitutional rights of a human being....

I would like tp thank HERO Radio and Zippo for the tickets I won on the radio. It was awesome! The seats, the race, everything! I'm sending a picture of Marcus Ambrose parked in front of us when the race got red flagged. Really cool the Zippo car won! Thanks again, Joe Reynolds You're welcome. We're glad you had fun -- and we think it's cool that the Zippo car won, too!

Health Care Reform Law is Unconstitutional We can all agree that health care reform is necessary. As Pennsylvania's attorney general, I have made health care a priority. In 2009 alone, the attorney general's Health Care Section assisted more than 4,700 consumers and saved Pennsylvanians more than $4.2 million. In addition to providing such direct services to consumers, I believe we must work together in a bipartisan fashion to develop legislative solutions instead of engaging in mere rhetoric. I believe we need meaningful health care reform in this country and that Pennsylvanians deserve access to quality health care. However, it is my belief that the Health Care Reform law as written is unconstitutional, and Congress has exceeded its authority by requiring citizens to purchase government-approved health insurance. Those who fail to comply with the mandate will be punished with an annual tax penalty. This analysis is shared by my colleagues who have joined me in filing a lawsui...

New Table Games Act a Bad Gamble The new table games law is a bad gamble for Pennsylvania. It was pushed through following the governor’s threat that he would lay off state workers if a bill wasn’t signed by the first week of January. The political process should not operate that way. There are too many holes in the legislation, especially when it comes to special interests. There is still no measure in the bill prohibiting lobbyists and licensed gaming entity representatives from having a financial interest in a casino. Allowing lobbyists and their immediate family to have a financial interest can lead to corruption and it is inconsistent with the lobbying disclosure law, which is intended to prevent contingency basis lobbying. Under the law, lobbyists cannot receive pay or bonuses contingent upon legislative or administrative action. Why should lobbyists have the ability to exploit a loophole to enrich themselves and their families at the expense of taxpayers? In Philadelphia, there ...

While I believe that much has been accomplished over the past couple of years, there was an issue of great concern that needed to be corrected. Quite frankly, and more specifically, this issue needed resolved. Happily, and justifiably so, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rendered a decision that I have been requesting for some time. This past week they ruled that the state constitution does not forbid a governor from employing and paying our state employees during a budget impasse. This decision validates something that I have stated time and time again during the budget process. Unfortunately, for the past two years this governor has used these types of threats and tactics to garner additional pressure from state employees. While I am not satisfied with the timing of the completion of the final 2009-2010 budget, there was no need to jeopardize the livelihood of Pennsylvania families during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It was simply a failure of the Govern...

After signing a stop-gap state budget last month to pay state employees, Gov. Ed Rendell is back on the road again, making his case for higher taxes and higher spending...and predicting dire consequences if his demands are not met. In addition to hundreds of unemployed state workers, the governor's individual executive decisions are having dire consequences right now because he alone chose to blue line or eliminate funding in the stop-gap budget to hold dozens of vital programs and community services hostage to up the ante on his bid for increased taxes. For example, many child care providers serving low- and moderate-income families across the state are at risk to shut down due to the lack of state support. As a result, parents who can't find alternatives may be forced to quit their jobs and collect unemployment or even welfare to care for their children. Students heading off to Penn State, Pitt, other state-affiliated colleges or state-owned universities, and community colleg...

By Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Brockway) and Rep. Marty Causer (R-Turtlepoint) As both lawmakers and fathers, we want our children - and all children - to have every opportunity imaginable to succeed in school and in life. That is precisely why our state budget must invest wisely in public education while at the same time being responsible to the taxpayers who foot the bill. In a recent editorial, area school superintendents complained of the lack of education funding as a result of the budget impasse and what they consider to be inadequate state funding for their schools overall. We share their frustration regarding the lack of a final budget; however, we disagree with their views on the appropriate level of funding in these challenging economic times. The only way to give the school districts the additional $300 million they want is through a significant tax increase, such as the income tax hike Gov. Ed Rendell has been pushing over the last few months. (Never mind that only half of the mon...

By Senator Lisa M. Boscola How much do you trust big corporations today? Do you really believe that Exxon Mobil has absolutely nothing to do with the rising price of gasoline? Do you trust that big drug companies aren’t ripping us off when the same pills we take cost 50 percent less in other countries? Do you believe that AIG executives really deserved million-dollar bonuses after they bankrupted the company and took a taxpayer-financed bailout? If our country’s current financial mess taught us anything, we’ve learned the hard way that greed is really the driving force behind a lot of corporate decisions. Corporations exist to make as much profit as possible, so you shouldn’t expect any corporate executive to tell you the truth as long as telling a lie is more profitable for his company. I hope you keep that in mind over the next seven months. Because the people who run your “friendly neighborhood power company” are going to take a lot of the money you pay them to keep our lights ...

Op-Ed by Senator John N. Wozniak Balancing the state budget is, in a sense, balancing the concerns and needs of a very diverse Pennsylvania citizenry. It requires members of the Legislature to do a lot of their own research, to gain an understanding of disparate issues, and perhaps most significantly, to gather as much input as possible from the people of the commonwealth. That process is now underway in Harrisburg. Rarely has the budget demanded more difficult decisions than this year. Governor Rendell made a very good opening bid last month in the annual state budget negotiation. There was a lot to like about the proposal he introduced on February 4 – no broad tax increases in a period of great economic distress, more money for education, and progress on health care. It also caused enormous disappointment, much of it understandable yet unavoidable. Pennsylvania, like the majority of other states, has been plunged into a financial hole this year by the worst recession in most of our l...

Editor's Note: This letter concerns the conflicting opinions of Bradford Mayor Tom Riel and McKean County District Attorney John Pavlock. I am appalled that I seem to be a "red herring" between these to "warring" public officials. While Mr. Riel has a legitimate complaint with 1 or 2 local law officers for instigating a false complaint against him in an apparent attempt to keep Mr. Riel from office, a complaint in which I was approached to be a part of, Mr. Pavlock doesn't seem to have a legitimate complaint concerning me. Then why am I being dragged through the mud? I don't fit any description given by any witness concerning the Crosby Mini Mart robbery of Lewis Run. I do not have gray hair. I do not and have not had a beard. I do not have an acne-scarred face. I have never confessed to anyone, especially a Pennsylvania State Trooper, of my guilt to any crime. I find it ridiculous that I be the center of attention here. I have a past record. I never sai...

Note: Sorry I didn't post this earlier. With days off, etc., the letter didn't make it to me until today. As a City of Bradford tax payer and member of the Police Department I feel some facts need to be given about the current financial situation of the city and the police department. I want to stress that these facts are not meant in any way to represent the views of the Fraternal Order of Police or any other members of the department other than myself. These facts are also being stated as a tax payer with knowledge and not as a police officer. During the last contract negotiations I along with two other representatives met with representatives of the city, one of which was John Peterson. During these negotiations the police officers agreed to concessions partially because John Peterson stated the insurance premiums were expected to raise 17 to 25% in 2008 and were expected to continue rising within those percentages. His anticipated increase fell within the range of the 23% t...

As many of you know, this will be my last term in Congress. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you as your Representative, and while I am proud of the work we have done in Washington, I am still saddened that personal responsibilities have led me to the decision to retire. My deepest concern now is to see that the work we have begun here on behalf of the people of the Fifth District does not come to a stop. I have been inclined to remain an observer in this race, but after talking with all the candidates, some several times, it became obvious to me that I could not stay mute. While there are fine candidates in the field, only one stood out for his ability, his dedication to his community over a long period of time, and for his understanding of our critical issues. That is why I am endorsing Glenn Thompson as the best person to take my seat in the next session of Congress. Glenn Thompson has the commitment to be your Congressman. Instead of spending large amounts of money...