A Few Specter News Notes

Pennsylvania’s junior Democrat in the Senate has been in the news lately, in places you might not have noted, so here’s a quick round up:

“Lawmakers’ travel reports understate true cost,” by Brody Mullins and T. W. Farnam, Wall Street Journal July 3-5, focused on Specter, as an example of what reports do and do not reveal. Here’s an excerpt:

On Christmas Day, Sen. Arlen Specter flew to Europe and the Middle East for 11 days of meetings with government officials.

The travel-disclosure form the Pennsylvania Democrat filed for the trip reported the seven-country tour with his wife, an aide, and two military officials on a private military jet cost $571 a person, or a total of about $2,500.

The real cost was far higher, in excess of $70,000, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.

We also learn that “Specter pays for his wife’s share of accommodations out of his own pocket” and that Specter spent less on food and accommodations than his aide did.

Next up, from the June 29th Roll Call, “Colleagues Help Fill Specter’s Coffers,” by Shira Toeplitz. We find out that:

Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) has received about $70,000 so far from his Democratic colleagues in the Senate since he announced he was switching parties in April, according to a source familiar with the donations.

And last, but not least, the latest issue of Politics Magazine has an interview with Specter’s campaign manager, Chris Nichols. Interesting stuff. He notes that he is a GOP consultant whose client became a Democrat; he did not sign up a Democratic client. When asked about Sestak he notes that in 2006 the current congressman benefited from having Rendell, et al, clear the path. Behind a subscription wall (and you can't copy and paste from the online zinio version) so you'll have to find a copy and read for yourself.

Braddock Mayor Fetterman on C-Span Tomorrow

From the inbox:

C-SPAN Washington Journal Summary
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
8:30-9:00 AM JOHN FETTERMAN
Mayor of Braddock, PA (D)

Mayor Braddock will discuss his upcoming testimony before the Senate Committee hearing on "Moving America toward a Clean Energy Economy and Reducing Global Warming Pollution: Legislative Tools."

Specifically, he will discuss the impact that a commitment to clean energy will have on Braddock, PA, where old steel mills can be repurposed to manufacture wind turbines, as well as "carbon sequestering" and the need for further research.

Debt-Related Garnishing = Bankruptcy

In an AP story by Mike Baker, "Bankruptcies low in states that don't seize wages," the writer notes:

States that allow debt collectors to seize consumers' wages have sharply higher bankruptcy rates than neighboring states that prohibit or strictly limit the practice, an Associated Press analysis has found.

Pennsylvania features positively in the article:

While bankruptcy rates vary for many reasons, the five states that prohibit or strongly limit wage seizures — North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida and Texas — all have drastically lower rates than their neighbors, with particularly striking differences along borders, where economic conditions are similar but bankruptcy rates are not.

In our fair commonwealth wages can be garnished for child support and unpaid taxes but not for consumer debt.

Interesting.

A Few Consultant Sign-Ons

I've been reading the Campaign Insider blog and it has a "sign ons" section which lists which candidates have signed what consultants. Most of this has been reported elsewhere, but just in case, here's the PA notes from June:

Tom Knox's campaign for governor has signed Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates for Opinion Research

Doug Pike, a former Philadelphia Inquirer editorial writer, has brought Neil Oxman on board as an adviser. Oxman, along with former Politics columnist Doc Sweitzer, co-founded the Campaign Group, which will produce Pike's television and radio ads. Pike is challenging Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania's 6th District.

Sen. Arlen Specter, whose April party-switch led to some fall out within his entourage of consultants, is now beginning to sort out his new hires. He's brought Jeff Pollack, president of Global Strategy Group, on board as his pollster and hired Mark Mellman, president and CEO of the Mellman Group, as an adviser.

Special Education Update

On Wednesday the House Education Committee approved HB704. More on that below. If you are wondering why special education is important, read "What will happen to Harold?," by Steve Volk in the March 2009 issue of Philadelphia Magazine. The boy in the article faces a number of obstacles. If he doesn't overcome at least some of them his path is set. He may or may not be one of the kids who would be served by special education, but if so the money spent now is far less than what we will spend in the juvenile justice system a few years from now and the criminal justice system further down the road.

There are kids from stable homes in good neighborhoods who don't quite fit the mold of traditional education, or maybe they just need a little fine tuning or to learn some educational coping skills. Early intervention, like an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. Identifying dyslexia, Asperger's Syndrome, attention deficit disorder, other learning disabilities or issues, and developing strategies for dealing with them, can allow those kids to succeed in school educationally and socially. There will always be those few who overcome all odds on their own, but they are few.

From Wednesday's inbox:

State Reps. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster; Barbara McIlvaine Smith, D-Chester; James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia; and Keith McCall (D-Carbon) were among the 65 co-sponsors of legislation approved today making the state’s special education funding formula more equitable and strengthening accountability for effective investment of new funding.

Representatives Roebuck and McIlvaine Smith were among the 22 Education Committee members approving the legislation. House Bill 704 aims to close the state’s share of the $380 million adequacy gap over a period of six years and to base state funding to school districts on a district's five-year average of actual students enrolled in special education.

“I am proud to see the House Education Committee today approve House Bill 704," Rep. Sturla said. "We are one step closer to providing comprehensive accountability and equitable funding for all special education students."

The bill also provides increased funding to districts that do well including students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools and general education classrooms. In addition, the bill considers a school district's level of poverty and whether a school district's current tax effort demonstrates a commitment to adequately funding its educational programming.

The legislation is based on the results of a 2009 report on the adequacy of state funding for special education in Pennsylvania which found that 391 school districts out of 500 have inadequate levels of spending for special education, and that $380 million in new funding is needed annually to achieve adequate funding.

In addition to achieving funding adequacy, the proposed legislation would establish new accountability requirements by requiring a district's special education plan to explicitly include a budget and benchmarks for investing special education dollars in programs and services aimed at improving student outcomes.

The legislation would also direct the PA Department of Education to measure a school district's performance against published performance indicators, and it would authorize PDE to provide enhanced monitoring and technical assistance to school districts.

More than 35 special education advocacy groups throughout the state support the legislation. For more information on the advocacy groups and to see the full state funding report go the Web site: reformspecialedfunding.org.

Keeping Up With PA Budget News

While I haven't been writing about the state budget process I've been reading about it. If you want to keep up at home, here are some good resources to follow:

the Capital Ideas blog, http://mcall.typepad.com/capitol_ideas/

On Twitter follow:

http://twitter.com/Capitol_Ideas

the #pabudget tag on twitter: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23PABUDGET

Or you can play along at home:

From our friends at Keystone Progress:

"Can you balance the Pennsylvania state budget?"

That's the question asked by a new online game with a serious purpose. "You Budget PA" (www.youbudgetpa.org )is a game that allows anyone to try to balance the Pennsylvania state budget by making choices about increasing revenue or making cuts in programs.

Pennsylvania is facing a budget deficit of historic proportions. This shortfall could get in the way of protecting our quality of life and building a strong future for all Pennsylvanians--if we let it.

As our state lawmakers wrestle over what to do, Keystone Progress wanted to give Pennsylvania taxpayers the opportunity to weigh the same options: Which programs do I cut? What's more important, education for kids or health care for low-income families? What's the right balance? Governor Rendell's budget proposed some major cuts. The Republican-led Senate passed a draconian budget that slashed many programs. But with a $5.8 budget hole, it's clear that belt-tightening isn't enough. There will also need to be some new sources of revenue to fulfill the constitutional requirement of a balanced budget.

After participants balance the budget, they will have the opportunity to send their solutions to their legislators.

Give it a try. Then send your solution to your lawmakers.

Responding to Rumors

It’s the end of the political fundraising quarter so the fundraising letters and emails have been arriving with some regularity. One, from 8th district congressman Patrick Murphy, caught my eye. It stated:

Among the most startling of these recent attacks is the crass attempt to tie me to the scandal surrounding the CIA’s Congressional briefings on torture.

That seemed odd since Murphy only took office in January 2007. However, I found an article in a Bucks County paper that did just that:

Eighth District Congressman Patrick Murphy has attended two CIA briefings at the center of a firestorm between the agency and the Speaker of the House, who said she was lied to about waterboarding.

An unclassified chart released by the CIA describes 40 briefings for lawmakers over a period of several years on enhanced interrogation techniques. Murphy, a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is listed among lawmakers in attendance on Jan. 16, 2008. The topics included “Videotape Desctruction” and “Discussion of EITs, including waterboarding.”

MediaMatters’ Jamison Foser has debunked the claim (“’Democrats knew about torture’ stories are getting dumber by the minute” 5/20/2009):

The CIA briefing “at the center of a firestorm” between the CIA and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi occurred in 2002. That’s a full six years before the meetings the Intelligencer’s crack investigative unit says Patrick Murphy attending. The difference is rather significant, since the whole controversy is about whether Members of Congress knew about the Bush administration’s torture in real time.

Since at least late 2007 Murphy has been working to ensure that all U.S. government agencies and personnel followed the Army Field Manual on torture (Murphy press release 11/15/2007) In March, 2008 he voted in favor of a bill to override a Bush veto requiring the CIA to obey the Army Field Manual ban on prisoner torture.

The mention of committee meetings discussing “Videotape Destruction” likely deal with Sec. 10 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, which requires videotaping or otherwise electronically recording strategic intelligence interrogations.

Murphy spoke to the House and said, in part, concerning amendment No. 32 printed in House Report 110-666, on May 22, 2008 (Congressional Record, p. H4796):

Madam Chairman, as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, I saw American heroes at their finest, gaining vital intelligence the right way. We have all seen images of what happens when young soldiers are left without clear leadership at the top. Simply put, the treatment of detainees is a strategic imperative to every serv ice member wearing the uniform and every American we took an oath to support and protect.

In the first Gulf War, over 100,000 Iraqi soldiers surrendered to American forces because they knew that they would be treated humanely by the American forces. Thousands who did not hide behind street corners with RPGs or IEDs.
The treatment of detainees is what set America apart as a global leader, and it is how we begin to restore the reputation squandered by President Bush and the tragedy of Abu Ghraib.

Madam Chairman, there is nobody in this chamber who supports the vigorous interrogation of suspected terrorists more than me, but it must be done the way that reflects the greatness of America and in a way that protects our fighting men and women. Madam Chairman, this amendment helps do just that.

One of my heroes, General Colin Powell, once said: The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.

Will this amendment fix all our problems? Of course not. But it certainly is a start. I urge my colleagues to vote for the gentleman's amendment.

And later (p. H4797)

Madam Chairman, I have great respect for the gentleman from California, and that he is also a paratrooper. But, Madam Chairman, I would suggest that those were my same concerns. In that letter we address those concerns that the Under Secretary said; that in forward operating bases in the environment, there is no mandate in this bill that would require them to videotape the interrogations. It is only at the strategic level in theater, only where they go.

In my case in al Rasheed, Baghdad in 2002, 2004, Madam Chairman, we would interrogate them at a forward operating base, then we would bring them up to the Baghdad airport, then they would go to somewhere else. It would only be at that higher level, not at the forward operating base. And we put that language in this bill to address those exact concerns.
So although I respect greatly the service and the commitment of the gentleman from California and his concerns, those concerns were addressed in this bill. And that is why I support our amendment.

This doesn’t sound to me like someone who was in favor of enhanced interrogation techniques, and the committee discussion on videotaping, if it is anything like Murphy’s comments in the Congressional Record, were on the side of accountability.

HB 704 Update

House Bill HB 704, which establishes a formula for special education funding, is scheduled to come up for a vote in the House Education Committee on Wednesday (tomorrow). Stimulus money would cover funding for the first two years.

The bill has more than 60 co-sponsors and bipartisan support.

There is a similar bill in the Senate, SB 940.

Eachus, Barletta, and Pensions

Pensions and retirement monies are touchy subjects. Messing with them is tricky. A mistake can mean people's savings are wiped out. Those with a 401(k) can track their investments and have some control over where and how the money is invested, or at least a choice of funds. Those with traditional pensions are dependent on those who collect and invest the money.

While this is a little out of my geographic area, the topic is one that is sure to be in the news over and over again.

Pensions are a timely topic in Hazleton, and a source of friction between Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta and State Rep. Todd Eachus (D-116).

The most recent episode started in 2003:

But in 2003, when Hazleton started purchasing insurance and buying back vacation and sick days from retirees with pension money, the Auditor General's Office declined to clear the practice in advance.

By going ahead with the practice, the city gambled, Eachus said. In 2006, the Auditor General's Office performed an audit that called the practice improper.

Eachus can't understand why the city didn't stop then, although Barletta told him he had limited options for balancing the budget without spending pension money.

From the pension fund, the city transferred $429,000 in 2007, $462,000 last year and will transfer $500,000, according to this year's budget (Jackson 6/29).

There are a few possible solutions:

To stave off bankruptcy, the city must win an appeal to Commonwealth Court or persuade the state Legislature to enact a law removing Hazleton's obligation.

Two years ago, a bill to rescue Hazleton sailed through the state Senate but died in House Finance Committee without a vote.

Barletta said the bill would have to be reintroduced this year, and he said he has worked with House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, to revive the bill. (Jackson 6/24)

The bill was written in such a way that it only applied to Hazleton. In 2007, Barletta asked specifically for Eachus to help move the bill along and Eachus wrote a letter to the chairman of the committee where the bill was parked, asking that it be moved along (Tarone, 10/08).

It isn’t the first time Barlett and Eachus have reached different conclusions on public finance. From 2005:

The City of Hazleton will unilaterally exempt Social Security and pension income from the new Emergency and Municipal Services Tax.

Mayor Lou Barletta and City Administrator Sam Monticello announced the decision Monday afternoon.

“We had our solicitor review the situation and investigate how the city could handle it,” Barletta said. “That's not the way the law is written, and I don’t think it’s clear whether it’s correct or not under the law. But that’s what our suggestion is.”

“We’re doing this on our own,” Barletta added. “We’re not going to wait for Harrisburg to confuse the matter any more.” (Tarone, 2/16)

Later in that article:

Saturday night, state Rep. Todd Eachus, D-116, said he wasn’t certain of what “income” was, as defined under EMST -- though he added it was “not the intent of” legislators to include Social Security and pensions.

The current situation has led to an exchange of letters between the mayor and the state representative, and interviews with the local paper. Written earlier this week:

"When's the city going to get it?" Eachus said in an interview Wednesday. "I want to be helpful to the mayor, but in the end he has to be responsible to the city."

Eachus said the mayor and the city council that approved the budget containing the withdrawals are responsible for the obligation.

"While I'm happy to try and find the legislative solutions, (the mayor) is asking me to change the law because he broke it," Eachus said. (Jackson 6/29)

Sources:

Jackson, Kent, and Tom Ragan, “Eachus, Barletta at odds over pension obligation,” Citizen's Voice, The & Sunday Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA)-June 26, 2009

Jackson, Kent, “Hazleton loses appeal in $2.5M pension case,” Citizen's Voice, The & Sunday Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA)-June 24, 2009

Tarone, L. A. “News,” Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)-October 8, 2007

Tarone, L. A. “News,” Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)-February 16, 2005

Endangered PA Malls

Found on Yahoo Finance:

"America's most endangered malls" by Rick Newman

Three of the 10 listed are in PA:

Century III Mall, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Occupancy rate: 70 percent; sales per square foot: $200*). About 30 of the 120 stores at this suburban Pittsburgh mall have closed recently, including anchor tenant Steve & Barry's and KB Toys (both of which have declared bankruptcy), Old Navy, Ruby Tuesday's, and Macy's Furniture Outlet. The 30-year-old complex targets value shoppers but competes with nearby discounters like Wal-Mart and Kohl's. Other area malls with more upscale stores are doing better. Century's owner, Simon Property Group, may be looking to sell Century III.

Chambersburg Mall, Chambersburg, Pa. (62 percent; $234). Sales have held steady over the past year, but a bucolic location 60 miles southwest of Harrisburg makes this sleepy mall a perennial underperformer. K.B. Toys, Value City, and B. Moss closed their stores after declaring bankruptcy. Newcomers include discounters like Bolton's and Burlington Coat Factory, which are likely to generate little excitement.

Washington Crown Center, Washington, Pa. (70 percent; $265). Three of its biggest retailers--Macy's, Bon-Ton, and Gander Mountain--have suffered deep losses as consumers have cut spending. The mall's owner, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, is revamping some of its properties--but not Washington Crown Centre, one of the weakest malls in its portfolio. PREIT could end up selling some of its subpar properties, which leaves this mall vulnerable.

HHS Report on Health Insurance in PA

The Dept. of Health and Human Services has released state by state reports on the state of health insurance. You can read the Pennsylvania report here:

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/pennsylvania.html

American Clean Energy and Security Act

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), H.R. 2998 (formerly H.R. 2454).

For those interested in bills like this in the future, I recommend following dhmeiser on twitter. He was sending out notes on how various representatives were leaning and who should be contacted.

Courtesy of Mike Morrill at Keystone Progress, here is a chart showing how the Pennsylvania congressional delegation voted.


Brady (D-01) Y
Fattah (D-02) Y
Dahlkemper (D-03) N
Altmire (D-04) N
G. Thompson(R-05) N
Gerlach (R-06) N
Sestak (D-07) Y
P.Murphy (D-08) Y
Shuster (R-09) N
Carney (D-10) N
Kanjorski (D-11) Y
Murtha (D-12) Y
Schwartz (D-13) Y
Doyle (D-14) Y
Dent (R-15) N
Pitts (R-16) N
Holden (D-17) N
T. Murphy (R-18) N
Platts (R-19) N


Comments from a few representatives:

Allyson Schwartz (D-13) statement in support of the bill:

“Madame Speaker, I rise today in support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). This historic initiative will create jobs in new renewable energy industries and energy efficiency, reduce American dependence on imported oil, and decrease the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global climate change.

“The growth of these new industries will enhance the ability of the United States to produce its own energy and reduce the need for oil imports from foreign countries. We currently import nearly 60 percent of our energy needs from abroad. This imbalance makes our country dependent upon foreign countries for the fuel that keeps our economy running. It is estimated that ACES will reduce U.S. oil consumption by 2 million barrels per day by 2030.

“Growing our domestic clean energy industry and reducing our use of foreign oil will have an important tangible benefit – reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global climate change. The Nobel-Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has determined that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide, are necessary to mitigate significant environmental consequences. ACES meets this challenge by creating a framework to reduce U.S. emissions 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

“ACES accomplishes these goals while limiting costs to businesses and the consumer. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that implementing this bill would cost the average household about 48-cents per day. ACES also includes assistance for energy-intensive manufacturing industries like steel, cement, and glass to ensure that these industries remain economically competitive in the global marketplace as we strengthen our environmental laws and transitioned to clean energy and greater energy efficiency.

“I am proud that this bill includes a provision I spearheaded that will require the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to create a national strategy to reduce carbon emissions through biologic sequestration. Carbon dioxide can be absorbed from the atmosphere into plants, trees, and other vegetation through the natural process of photosynthesis. My provision would ensure that we utilize natural landscape and green infrastructure to maximize our ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere through a determined strategy for reforestation, improved agricultural practices, and urban greening.

“This important legislation defines new energy goals for our nation and enables us to lead the world towards a clean energy future. For businesses and families back home it identifies a way forward to not only reduce harmful carbon emissions but to create new economic opportunities, new “green” jobs, conservation and energy efficiency, and alternative, cleaner sources of energy. Together these actions will better ensure our nation’s security, economy, and health. I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on this important bill.”

Joe Sestak (D-07)

“I do not want to be on the wrong side of history,” said Congressman Sestak. “Fifteen EPA administrators have made clear the need to address global warming and the provisions of this bill not only make environmental sense, but also economic and strategic sense. We need to spark an unprecedented transition to alternative, clean, and renewable power, to create a new clean energy economy and halt damage to our environment. Last year’s spike in the cost of gasoline, not to mention all of the other instances in which energy prices have hurt us economically in the last three decades, provide a clear signal that the days of our reliance on fossil fuels must end. In Pennsylvania, clean energy companies like Iberdola, Conergy and Gamesa have brought hundreds of new jobs. It is time to lay the framework for far-reaching and sustainable solutions.

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act continues to move this country toward a future powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. While not perfect, it is a long needed step in the right direction. Two weeks ago, I raised concerns with Speaker Nancy Pelosi because I believed the bill did not go far enough to encourage renewable and non-emitting power sources. However, I voted for this bill because it makes real progress by investing in the transformation and strengthening of our economy, restoring the country into a position of leadership as global climate change talks start this fall in Copenhagen, and takes strides toward mitigating the negative affects of climate change. Importantly, the Act also provides protections for consumers, especially those who are the most economically vulnerable.

ACES will:
• Require electric utilities to meet 20 percent of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020.
• Invest in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy ($90 billion in new investments by 2025), carbon capture and sequestration ($60 billion), electric and other advanced technology vehicles ($20 billion), and basic scientific research and development ($20 billion).
• Mandate new energy-saving standards for buildings and appliances, and promote energy efficiency in industry.
• Reduce carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17 percent by 2020 and by more than 80 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Complementary measures in the legislation, such as investments in preventing tropical deforestation, will achieve significant additional reductions in carbon emissions.
• Protect consumers from energy price increases. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have estimated the cost per family as about the price of a postage stamp a day and energy bills for low-income families will actually decrease. According to the CBO, the bill not only will not cost the federal government, it will actually be a net revenue generator for the federal budget.

“I will continue to support efforts to transform our economy through the development of clean, alternative energy sources. This will not only position the United States better within the global economy, and put us on a stronger strategic footing, but also fulfill our moral obligation to address global warming,” said the Congressman.

“There is much more we can do. My 31 years in the United States Navy and the experience I accrued during my military career have affirmed my belief that Americans know the meaning of sacrifice. When called upon to do great things, this country not only rises to meet the challenge; it prospers. I am optimistic that we can work together to achieve real and lasting energy and environmental security, and I look forward to the fruitful years that lie ahead.”

The bill included an amendment proposed by the Congressman to require the Secretary of Energy to study how Thorium, a nuclear element, can be used to address our energy needs. The Congressman believes that nuclear energy needs to be part of our mid-term energy policy to increase domestic energy production and reduce our emissions. In addition, he understands that we must overcome nuclear waste issues. Under the amendment, Thorium could be used with or as a substitute for Uranium in nuclear reactors. Thorium-powered nuclear reactors have the potential to be more efficient and produce less than 1 percent of the waste of today’s Uranium nuclear reactors, while emitting no greenhouse gases. Using Thorium reactors do not breed plutonium, and can, in fact, be designed to “burn” plutonium into non-weapons grade material and, thus, decrease weapons proliferation. Additionally, Thorium nuclear reactors can help eliminate spent Uranium.

Paul Kanjorski (D-11)

“By no means is this energy bill perfect, but today, refusing to act was not an option. We need to begin the process of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, creating clean energy jobs in America, and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Change in our energy economy will not happen overnight, but it is clear that in this situation, the positives outweigh the negatives. The University of Massachusetts estimates that 1.7 million jobs will be created by transitioning to a clean energy economy.

“I deeply understand the real concerns regarding the additional costs for consumers and businesses that are essential to the economy, especially during these difficult economic times, and I hope that the bill which emerges in consultation with the Senate will further address these concerns. I believe that the small incremental costs associated with this bill are a small sacrifice that we can all make to ensure the well being of this country in the long-term. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that subsidies for low-income families included in the bill will result in annual savings in energy costs of about $40. Furthermore, according to a recent study released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as a result of energy efficiency measures in this legislation, all consumers’ utility bills will decrease about 7 percent in 2020.

“I commend President Obama for taking on this ambitious effort to move our country toward greater energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability, and I believe this bill is a reasonable first step toward reaching a goal that I think we all share.”

A Brief Note on Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video was one of the first, if not the first, music video to really combine film and music. Most of the early videos were just more or less studio films of the band playing. I say this as someone who remembers when MTV came on the air.

Those around at the time might remember that the "Thriller" girl had been in Playboy at some point before the video came out. I can't remember now what month and year. I was in grad school and working as a clerk in the college library's microfilm / special collections department. While most of the magazines on microfilm were self serve, some, including Playboy were behind closed doors and had to be retrieved. This wasn't for prudery but to prevent mutilation. Believe it or not there were people who would carve out the centerfolds of black and white microfilm. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Forcing people to ask for the film and return it when they were finished discouraged the frivolous and the only mildly whacky. There was such a steady stream of sheepish young men (and a few women) asking for the "Thriller" girl reel that I just kept it on my desk instead of going and getting it all the time. Quite a few people who wanted to see the pictures weren't sure what issue she was in so I memorized the month and page (lost to memory soon after the fad ended).

Jackson is one of the few musicians I've seen in concert. He could really put on a show.

WHYY Party This Saturday

It's always interesting to see what tips you over an edge or a line. About 15 Years ago I watched "Washington Week in Review," stopped after my next move, and then started up again a year or so ago. Then I stopped again when they moved it from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. During this I was briefly a supporter of public television but by no means a regular member.

But I signed up again when Chris Satullo shifted from the Inquirer over to WHYY. Perhaps it is the sense of a shared connection, having read his columns in the paper over time. Plus, he mentioned my blog in a column back in 2006.

In any event, WHYY is hosting a Summer Nights Soiree and Silent Auction this Saturday evening. You don't have to be a WHYY member to attend.

White House Updates

The Obama administration is very good at disseminating information. Every other day or so I get an email from the White House media that is targeted in some way at Pennsylvania. I'm impressed with their organizational skills. Sometimes they send items of general interest. This has been a busy week and several emails came through. I'm posting a clump of them together.

PA On Track with Stimulus Spending

Vice President Biden Applauds Pennsylvania for Meeting Recovery Act Milestone Ahead of Schedule

Pennsylvania Obligated Half of Its Highway Funds on May 20

Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that transportation projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are putting people to work and building a foundation for the country’s long-term economic strength.

As part of the Administration’s effort to infuse Recovery Act funds swiftly into the economy, states are required under ARRA to obligate 50 percent of their highway funds by June 29, 2009. Working in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation, all 55 U.S. states and territories successfully beat this deadline at least 10 days ahead of schedule.

Nationwide, to date, $19 billion has been obligated to fund over 5,300 approved for highway and other transportation projects nationwide. Of those, 1,900 projects are already underway. Already in Pennsylvania, the state has put to work $447.6 million in highway funds – or 62.3 percent – of the funds required under the Act.

“Our number one priority with the Recovery Act is getting folks back to work – and there is no better way to do that in these early days than by putting shovels in the ground and jump-starting projects like these that create jobs and boost local communities,” said Vice President Biden. “By delivering on these projects ahead of schedule and under-budget, we have been able to do even more than we expected -- create more job opportunities more quickly, with more dollars left over to put toward more projects that put people back on the job.”

As of today, Pennsylvania’s largest ARRA-funded project is the SR60 Interchange Reconstruction in Allegheny County. This $13.8 million project will include the installation of two new signals, signal work and signing in Robinson and North Fayette Townships. When completed, this project will improve traffic safety through the replacement of a cloverleaf-type ramp with a diamond-type configuration and adding a collector/distributor lane.

Across the country, many transportation projects funded by the Recovery Act are coming in under budget and ahead of schedule. Reports continue to show that contractor bids to build and repair transportation networks are coming in substantially below the original engineering estimates. In some cases, thanks to fierce competition for the work, bids are 10, 20 and even 30 percent lower than expected. That means states are able to stretch taxpayer dollars, completing additional projects and creating even more jobs.

“Every state not only met the 120-day deadline, they beat it,” said Secretary LaHood. “This is a testament to the fact that we’re putting money out there quickly and helping to get the economy back on track.”

President Obama signed ARRA on February 17, 2009, and funding was made available on March 3. ARRA funding for highway projects may be used for restoration, repair, construction, and other activities under the Surface Transportation Program. Each proposed project must be approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Governors must certify that proposed projects meet certain conditions and that the state will use ARRA funds in addition to, not in replacement of, state funding of transportation projects.

Priority is given to projects that are projected to be completed within three years, are located in economically distressed areas, or will maximize job creation and economic benefits.

Green Jobs Training Grants

During a visit to Memphis today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

“Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long term job growth and prosperity,” said Secretary Solis. “Workers receiving training through projects funded by these competitions will be at the forefront as our nation transforms the way we generate electricity, manufacture products and do business across a wide range of industries.”

Four of the competitions announced today are designed to serve workers in need of training through various national, state and community outlets: Energy Training Partnership Grants; Pathways Out of Poverty Grants; State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants; and Green Capacity Building Grants. The fifth competition, for State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants, will fund state workforce agencies that will collect, analyze and disseminate labor market information and develop labor exchange infrastructure to direct individuals to careers in green industries. Detailed information on grant opportunities can be found in each grant solicitation.

Grants awarded through this competition will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, the Labor Department is encouraging grantees funded through these competitions to align their work with other federal agencies’ Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth. Programs funded through these grants will be conducted in partnership with the public workforce system in order to prepare workers to enter careers in targeted industries.

A notice of these grant solicitations is in today’s edition of the Federal Register and is also available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and http://www.grants.gov. Dates and times for applicant virtual conferences are found in each SGA. For more information on the array of Department of Labor employment and training investments and opportunities, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

To learn more about the Recovery Act and efforts across the country to move the economy forward, visit http://www.Recovery.gov.

Simplifying College Financial Aid

MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE BY SIMPLIFYING THE STUDENT FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

“I'll simplify the financial aid application process so that we don't have a million students who aren't applying for aid because it's too difficult.” – President Barack Obama

America’s future economic strength depends on the quality of our education. Countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. President Barack Obama is calling for America to once again lead the world in college graduates. He has proposed nearly $200 billion in new scholarships and tax credits for college tuition, and Vice President Joe Biden is examining new ideas for college affordability through his Middle Class Task Force.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan outlined another key component of the Administration’s higher education agenda: its plan to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The form imposes a needlessly difficult obstacle in the path of 16 million college students and their families each year. Each student is asked as many as 153 questions, most of which have little or no effect on actual financial aid packages. Experts believe that the difficulty of the application and unpredictability of the aid awards undermine student aid’s ability to reach students who are unsure whether they can afford college. And there are 1.5 million enrolled students who are probably eligible for Pell grants but failed to apply.

In the coming months, the Departments of Education and Treasury will work together to simplify the financial aid process by modernizing the online application, seeking legislation that will eliminate unnecessary questions, and creating an easy process for students to apply by using tax data already available. The end result will be an application that requests only easily obtainable personal information. Students will be able to complete an application with only basic, personal information and a few clicks of their mouse.

THREE STEPS TO A SIMPLER APPLICATION

Today, Secretary Duncan is announcing (1) a shorter and simpler online application that skips unnecessary questions, (2) legislation to remove more than half of the financial questions, and (3) a web application that will let some families easily answer the remaining financial questions with data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

FIRST: Overhaul the Online Application. The Department of Education is making a series of improvements to the online application. Although 98 percent of students apply online, much of the online form simply reproduces the paper version rather than taking advantage of the interactive potential. Improvements to the form–which will eliminate 250 million questions a year--include:

• More Information: Since May, the Education Department has provided students instant estimates of Pell grant and student loan eligibility, rather than forcing them to wait weeks, and a link to more college information such as graduation rates.

• Skip Irrelevant Questions: Starting this summer, the Education Department will allow students who are at least 24 or married–who are automatically exempted from providing their parents’ financial information--to skip the remaining 11 questions intended only to determine whether parental information is necessary. Other improvements will allow men older than 26 to skip the question about Selective Service registration and consolidate the three questions on homelessness.

• More Improvements in January: A series of additional improvements will be implemented in January. Students with low incomes will no longer be asked for asset information, which is not used to determine their aid eligibility. Only returning students will be asked about prior drug convictions because the question does not affect first-year students. And the Education Department will work with state agencies to make it easier to answer questions that the states need but the federal government does not.

SECOND: Eliminate Questions through Legislation. Applying for financial aid is far more complicated than filing a tax return; students and their parents must answer as many dozens of questions about their income and assets that are not on the federal tax form. These questions are often difficult to verify, and they add very little to the rest of the aid formulas. The six questions related to assets, for example, only affect the awards of 3 percent of Pell grant recipients, while penalizing those families for saving for college and opening up loopholes for sophisticated applicants to game the formula.

Today, Secretary Duncan called on Congress to let students and families apply for financial aid with the information on their tax returns, without needing to gather bank statements, investment information, and documentation of any untaxed income. These changes would make the student aid application simpler and fairer, and they would open the door to using IRS data for the remaining financial questions, reducing the FAFSA to easy personal questions.

THIRD: Answer the Remaining Financial Questions with Tax Data. When applying for student aid, more than 90 percent of students and families are giving the federal government information it already has–information they provided when they filed their taxes. The answer to up to 20 financial questions–all questions that will remain if the proposed legislation is enacted–could be provided by the IRS. Students applying online will only need to provide easily available personal information.

Beginning in January, students applying for financial aid for the spring semester will be able to seamlessly retrieve their relevant tax information from the IRS for easy completion of the online FAFSA. The Departments of Education and Treasury will be working together to examine the possibility of expanding this option to all students in the future.

THE OBAMA-BIDEN AGENDA FOR COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

The simplification initiatives announced today build on President Obama’s accomplishments and commitments to higher educational opportunities, including:

• Setting Ambitious Goals for America: President Obama has asked every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training to help meet a new national goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

• Expanding Pell Grants and College Tax Credits: The Recovery Act increased Pell Grants by $500 to $5,350 and created the American Opportunity Tax Credit, a new $2,500 tax credit for four years of college tuition. The President’s 2010 Budget proposal would make these policies permanent and ensure the Pell Grant continues to grow steadily by making it an entitlement. Together, they provide approximately $200 billion in college scholarships and tax credits over the next decade.

• Modernizing and Expanding the Perkins Loan Program: The President’s 2010 Budget proposes to make this vital program available to over 2,600 additional schools and an estimated 2.7 million additional students each year. By providing an additional $5 billion in additional Perkins Loans and continuing their low five percent interest rate, President Obama hopes that the neediest of students will have access to additional federal financial resources they did not have before.

• Creating a New College Access and Completion Fund: In this 2010 Budget proposal, President Obama proposes a five-year, $2.5 billion fund to build federal-state-local partnerships aimed at improving college access and completion, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. These funds would be used to evaluate programs aimed at increasing college enrollment and graduation and to grow and bring to scale programs that are proven to be successful.

• Helping Families Save for College: The President’s Middle Class Task Force has directed the Treasury Department to investigate ways for 529 savings plans to more effectively and efficiently help families save for college.

Another Murphy in the Works

Josh Drobnyk over at Pennsylvania Avenue has some personal news about Congressman Patrick Murphy.

Two PA Items in Fast Company

Pennsylvania – related mentions in the July / August issue of Fast Company:

“Not a Micky Mouse operation” by Zachary Wilson Discusses Walgreen’s corporate health clinics and clinics in drug stores. Hal Rosenbluth, president of Walgreens Health and Wellness, has an office in suburban Philadelphia. (Blogger’s note: I think the location is Chadd’s Ford but am not certain).

On the infographic accompanying “It’s alive” by Anne C. Lee on a zero impact building, part of the exterior material is described as “cypress reclaimed from a Pennsylvania mushroom farm.”

Schwartz Teletown Hall on Health Care

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz held a teletown hall meeting this evening with around 800 constituents, primarily in Northeast Philadelphia. She spoke briefly and then took questions, with an emphasis on health care. Interestingly she also included some polls for the callers. Those on the call were in favor of taxing sugary sodas to pay for health care, and in favor of a public option for health care. My thanks to the person who let me know the call was taking place.

Frannie K. Stein in Pittsburgh

From the inbox:

On the 37th anniversary of Title IX, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and an all-star line-up of women athletes and scientists for a roundtable discussion on the landmark legislation, and he announced the award of $2.4 million in grants to 13 groups to support projects that will help high school girls gain higher proficiency in math and science.

The only Pennsylvania recipient listed is:

Pittsburgh Public Schools, for instance, will follow 348 participating female students from grades nine through 12, as they complete one of seven math-rich career and technical education programs. Pittsburgh is teaming with Smart Futures and the Carnegie Science Center’s Girls, Math & Science Partnership to develop and implement a four-year intensive program titled “Gaining Equity Through Mathematics.�

The 13 grantees and their first-year funding amounts are as follows:

Pittsburgh (Pa.) Public Schools $163,559

Sestak Co-Chair of New Caucus

There's a new congressional caucus to add to the list. Congressman Joe Sestak is a co-chair of the new House Pediatric Cancer Caucus.

More details from the Denver Daily News:

Sens. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., and former Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, will join activists for a rally at Taft Memorial Park on Capitol Hill this morning at 8:30 to raise awareness about the need to appropriate monies designated for childhood cancer research. The lawmakers will announce the formation of a new House Pediatric Cancer Caucus, and that Congress has proclaimed Sept. 12 as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.

More from Sestak:

As the parent of a child diagnosed with cancer, the Congressman spoke about the heart-wrenching, emotional experiences that every one of the more than 14,000 families with a child with cancer endures. He also noted that each day, 46 children—more than two classrooms of kids—will be diagnosed with cancer. His daughter’s experience and his concern about healthcare in general were, in fact, the main catalysts for his decision to run for Congress.

“I firmly believe that it is only through the collaboration of the government, private organizations like CureSerach, doctors, and the families affected by this devastating illness that we can come closer to finding a cure,” said the Congressman. “The establishment of the House Pediatric Cancer Caucus is a significant step forward that will give voices to thousands of sick children and represent the struggles of every family battling the disease.”

The mission of the Pediatric Cancer Caucus, which Congressman Sestak will co-chair, is to serve as a clearinghouse for information on pediatric cancer and a bipartisan forum to aid members of Congress in working together to address pediatric cancer. Its goals include increasing funding for pediatric cancer research, encouraging the collaboration between the public sector and private research organizations and supporting the training of skilled pediatric cancer specialists. As the first initiative of the caucus, the Congressman is introducing a House resolution commemorating Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day in September.

I wonder if starting a new caucus signals anything about his possible / almost for sure run for Senate in 2010. More knowledgeable minds will have to weigh in on that.