Schwartz Continues TV Blitz

Not content with a number of television appearances yesterday, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz will appear on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" on Thursday at 8:30.

Santarsiero Opposes Castle Doctrine

from the inbox:

State Rep. Steven J. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifSantarsiero, D-Bucks, today voted against legislation known as the Castle Doctrine bill, which would expand a person's right to use deadly force in certain situations.

The bill was approved 164-37 by the House and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Santarsiero said he voted against the bill because it did nothing to make residents safer, but could well increase the risk of deadly force being used against law-abiding citizens.

"This bill does not offer any real additional protections to potential victims of crime, but rather considerably increases the likelihood of deadly force being used when it is unwarranted," Santarsiero said.

To prove his point, Santarsiero noted that the bill would allow for the use of deadly force if someone were to simply walk onto another person's deck or patio without invitation, based on the 1973 Pennsylvania Superior Court decision, Wedlcraft Equipment Co. v. Crum and Foster Insurance. The court decision determined that "force" does not require that any particular degree of force be used, something Santarsiero said is troubling considering the bill would expand the definition of one's dwelling to include a deck or patio.

"When I asked the author of the bill about such a situation while in debate on the House floor today, he misstated Pennsylvania law on what 'forced entry' -- a trigger under the bill -- meant. State law defines forced entry as an act as simple as opening an unlocked door," Santarsiero said. "As a result, the simple act of walking onto an open deck or patio constitutes 'forced entry' under Pennsylvania law and could, therefore, trigger the use of deadly force under this bill. That's unacceptable," he explained.

Santarsiero noted that the only provision of the bill that he supported was a clause that would exempt those who lawfully defended themselves from an attacker from civil liability for the consequence of that defense. To address the issue, he stated that he will introduce a separate bill that provides for such a liability shield.

Civil War on Ancestry

Ancestry.com is allowing free access to their Civil War records this week, until the 14th (or thereabouts). You can not only find abbreviated service records but sometimes a physical description (height, complexion, eye and hair color). As one of my family's historians I have fairly complete files on my ancestors. Rummaging through ancestry.com this weekend I didn't find any new Civil War soldiers in my background but I did find out more about the ones I knew we were related to. It's fascinating. One infobit -- not only did my father live 20+ fewer years than his Civil War ancestor, but he was nearly 5" shorter. From old photos it looks like those tall guys married short women and diluted the stock ....

Allyson Schwartz Television Blitz

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, usually low key in regards to media, was on a television blitz today. She appeared on MSNBC this afternoon (you tube video of her appearance), then later she was CNBC's The Kudlow Report, MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, and also on PCN's "On the Issues" (I hope to watch that online and report on it later this week). The topic du jour was health care.

Delco Candidate on Petition Forgeries

from the inbox:

M. Kendall Brown [Democratic candidate for Delaware County District Attorney] and victims of longtime GOP loyalist Paul Summers demand that the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office let the victims in the Pat Meehan petition scandal have their day in court and resentence Summers based on the full scope of his crimes.

Early last week Summers pled guilty to being involved in forging signatures appearing on the nominating petitions last year for Republican 7th District U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan. In spite of the hundreds of fraudulent signatures proven by the Lentz for Congress campaign, Summers plea agreement acknowledges only seven counts of forgery and seven counts of false signatures. As a result, Summers is now sentenced to two years probation and fined $1,400--$100 for each count.

Contrary to Pennsylvania law, victims in the case were not notified about the proceedings and were not given their chance to explain how having their identities stolen impacted them. Now Brown is demanding that the victims have their day in court and that Summers’ punishment be more severe based on the merits of the case.

Assorted News Links

A few things that caught my eye from twitter and other news sources today:

"Taxing the Rich," by Nancy Folbre, Economix (New York Times blog) 4/11/2011, excerpt:

Would higher rates be unfair? The top 1 percent has increased its share of total income to more than 20 percent today from about 10 percent in the 1960s.

Those who believe that income can be generated only by brilliant innovation, bold risk-taking and hard work may conclude that this group has simply grown more productive over time. It seems more likely that changes in the structure of the global economy have delivered rich windfalls to those at the top.

Would higher rates be inefficient? Many argue that lower tax rates on the rich encourage more effort and more investment. If true, much depends on where this effort and investment goes. The development of new credit derivatives didn’t help most American taxpayers. It forced them to lend money to bail out big banks.

"Do More With Less," by Digby 4/10/2011, on Eric Cantor and the safety net (that he says fewer people need and that's why we should do away with Medicare and Medicaid).

"Conservative Economists Criticize 'Off The Deep End' Republican Budget," by Brian Beutler, tpm.com, 4/11/2011, excerpt:

While the government teetered on the brink of a shutdown last week over short term funding, economists across the ideological spectrum weighed in on the GOP's long-term plan with negative reviews. The biggest shock came from high-profile economists with GOP leanings, who also criticized it on the merits.

"Corbett's cuts look a little too lopsided," By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/10/2011.

"Legal Intelligencer / On shale policy, DEP head should have known better," excerpt:

Those types of political/policy issues come up all the time when new governors are sworn in. But the item that's really pushed a lot of people over the edge was the recent news that the Department of Environmental Protection is requiring inspectors to have the DEP's secretary, Michael Krancer, sign off on any notice of a violation related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling. Prior to that, inspectors could issue citations without having to get prior approval from DEP head honchos.

One source well-versed in Pennsylvania political influence told us there's only one reason for such a policy move: to protect favored people from enforcement. Other lawyers we spoke to said there's a second reason: to discourage inspectors from trying to issue citations in the first place. Because who wants the boss reviewing every single decision they make? A policy like that can quickly have a chilling effect.

"Pa. legislative staff size makes for budget target,' by Mark Scolforo, Morning Call, 4/09/2011

Hypocrisywatchpa.com has a list of donations from the Students First PAC, a pro-educational voucher group, to various Pennsylvania political campaigns, totaling over $6 Million.

Mercury Testing Available Tuesday

from the inbox:

On Tuesday April 12th, Pennsylvania Legislators, their staff members, and concerned citizens will be invited to submit hair samples to test the levels of toxic mercury in their bodies. At least one in 12 and as many as one in six U.S. women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk of birth defects, including neurological and developmental disorders, and learning disabilities.

Coal-fired power plants emit toxic mercury into our air where it rains down into our rivers and streams, then makes its way to our bodies via contaminated fish. Every stream, river, and lake in Pennsylvania is under a consumption advisory, with residents urged not to eat more than one meal a week of fish caught, due largely to mercury pollution. In December of 2009, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a decision in PPL Generation v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision in the case The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in favor of PPL Generation put an end to state efforts to regulate mercury from coal fired power plant Pennsylvania, Therefore it was left up to the USEPA to begin a process to enact new federal mercury regulations. That process is underway now.

At Tuesday’s event, legislators and staff members will gather in the East Rotunda of the Capitol to clip a small piece of hair and submit it to a University of Georgia laboratory to be tested for mercury exposure. The Sierra Club is sponsoring similar events in more than 20 cities across the nation. Citizens across the nation are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact a strong safeguard for mercury and other air toxics that would clean up our air and keep Big Coal and other corporate polluters from making us sick.

Parsing Presidential Language

In the April 4 issue of the New Yorker Adam Gopnik reviews The Most Human Human by Brian Christian. Gopnik references his Philadelphia boyhood and visits to the Franklin Institute.

Of interest to the linguistically intrigued is this note on presidential speech patterns:

The two best Presidential communicators of recent decades had distinctive vocal previses that did a lot of their talking for them: Ronald Reagan's "Well ..." mean "Despite your attempt to antagonize me, I'm still going to appeal to plain old placid common sense," while Obama's "Look ..." means "Forgive me if I sound impatient, but if you'll actually examine the facts in the case you'll see I'm right."

Interesting.

Grey's Anatomy Star Former Philly Teacher

According to Walter Scott's "Personality" column in the April 3 issue of Parade, Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams used to be a Philadelphia high school teacher. He is quoted as calling it a "the most rewarding experience I've ever had, but it was exhausting, too."

Speak out on Shut Down at NCC

from the inbox:

Friday, April 8, 10:00 to 5:00 at the National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center, in partnership with WHYY, and in keeping with its mission to inspire active citizenship, will record visitor opinions about the potential government shutdown. Clips will be shown on WHYY’s www.newsworks.org and on the Center’s blog, Constitution Daily, at http://blog.constitutioncenter.org, which also will feature daily posts about the issue. In addition, visitors to the blog will have the opportunity to contact their state and federal representatives. To follow the conversation on the Center’s Twitter feed, @ConstitutionCtr, use #shutdown.

This opportunity is an extension of the Center’s recent event, “Can We Talk? A Conversation about Civility and Democracy in America,” which brought together leaders from such fields as history, government, communications, and political philosophy to discuss the role of dissent and protest throughout American history, and the degree to which dissent can and should be civil. Webcasts of the event can be found here.

PLEASE NOTE: In the event of a government shutdown, the National Constitution Center WILL be open to the public. As a venue for nonpartisan discussion and debate, the Center offers the ideal place for citizens to come together during this crucial moment in our nation’s history.

Buying Dermot Mulroney

Penn President Gutmann will get an award and you will have the opportunity to buy a day with Dermot Mulroney. Want the details? Philadelphia’s Support Center for Child Advocates will honor University of Pennsylvania President Dr. Amy Gutmann with the 2011 Judge Lois G. Forer Child Advocacy Award for her extraordinary career of service to children and families at the Annual Benefit Reception on Wednesday, April 13. The Award Ceremony kicks off Support Center for Child Advocates’ Annual Benefit Reception at 5:00 PM at the Crystal Team Room (100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia), followed by a Silent Auction. Tickets are available online at www.advokid.org.

The Event will also recognize nine 2011 Distinguished Advocates: Anne M. Aaronson from Dilworth Paxson LLP; Christopher E. Dunne from Cooper Morrison & Dunne; Richard J. Gelles, Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice; Ira Harkavy, Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships; Dolores Miller, author and poet; James H. Steigerwald from Duane Morris, LLP; Leslie A. Sudock, solo practitioner; and Marjorie and Michael Thackray, honored caregivers.

Where does Dermot Mulroney come in? The ‘Day on the Set with Dermot’ including round trip airfare and a chance to be an “extra” in the film will be auctioned off at the reception.

Notes on the Likely Government Shutdown

As of this writing the government is scheduled to shutdown tomorrow. CNN has prepared a chart showing what would be open and closed during a shutdown. Here are a few things I've learned via twitter over the past day or two.

The Senate passed a bill that would stop congressional pay if the government shut down. From "No Budget No Pay for Congress":

S388, Co-Sponsored by Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, would stop Members of Congress and the President from getting paid during a government shutdown. Under current law, their paychecks are not affected in the event of a shutdown.

The Stabenow legislation would close that loophole and make sure elected officials are living by the same rules as everybody else. In addition, the legislation would not allow back pay for lawmakers and the president for any days worked during a shutdown.

Pennsylvania's Sen. Bob Casey wrote an op-ed in favor of stopping lawmaker's pay.

The bill was voted down in the House. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi points out that while Congress voted to keep their own pay in a voted along party lines with Republicans opting to continue being paid, they also voted along party lines not to continue military pay during a shutdown. Yes, most Republicans voted to keep their own pay but to cut off troops in the field and their families at home. From Pelosi's web site:

In addition, Democrats believe elected officials should not receive their taxpayer-funded paycheck if they can’t do their jobs and keep public services up and running. The Senate has already passed legislation to prevent Members of Congress from being paid, but last Friday Republicans in the House voted down a Democratic Motion to Recommit that if Republicans force a government shutdown, Members of Congress and the President would not get paid by a vote of 188-237.

Democrats are also committed to supporting our troops, veterans, and their families–they should not have to pay any price for a Republican forced shutdown. Today, Rep. Owens offered a Motion to Recommit to ensure that our troops will get paid. Republicans, with the exception of Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), voted down the motion 191-236.

One of the main sticking points seems to be the Republican insistence on defunding Planned Parenthood. I hope the Democrats stick to their principles on this one. Planned Parenthood provides basic health services for many women (including me in my college and immediate post-college years).

Pennsylvania's Energy Firsts and Obama's Visit

Throughout US history Pennsylvania has played an important role in energy innovation. Arguably the "most important" and one of the first working oil wells was the Drake Well near Titusville (see "The Drake Well" on the Paleontological Research Institution's oil history page). The first operational nuclear power http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifplant in the US was in Shippingport, Pennsylvania in December 1957 (see "Nuclear power" on wikipedia). There is an interesting description of Pres. Eisenhower's dramatic long-distance groundbreaking in the construction of the plant, and his remarks on that occasion in the March 28 New Yorker ("The Nuclear Risk," by Elizabeth Kolbert).

Again, with wind energy, Pennsylvania is taking the lead. The Gamesa plant in Bucks County is the only East Coast wind turbine facility (see Susan Phillips "The wind beneath their wins," Newsworks, 4/06/2011). Pres. Obama stopped by the Gamesa plant today. (see Thomas Fitzgerald, "Obama visits Bucks plant," philly.com 4/06/2011).

Before the visit the White House sent out background information:

The Obama Administration has taken major steps to encourage investment in domestic renewable energy manufacturing capacity, and the jobs that go along with it. Through the 1603 renewable energy grant program, the Administration has bolstered the market for wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable electricity technologies; over the last two years, this program has supported more than 7,000 renewable energy projects representing more than $21 billion in investment, and the addition of nearly 10 gigawatts of renewable electricity generation capacity. The Administration has also provided $2.3 billion of tax credits to expand clean energy manufacturing capacity. The Administration’s FY 2012 budget calls for continued investment in both of these important programs. In addition, the President has proposed a Clean Energy Standard that would double the share of energy America generates from clean energy sources over the next 25 years, providing a long-term incentive for investment in renewables and other clean energy sources.

Taken together, these programs have supported investment and job creation at clean energy companies like Gamesa, the first overseas wind manufacturer to set up full production facilities in the United States. Gamesa currently employs about 900 workers in North America, including 800 in Pennsylvania. Over the last five years, Gamesa has invested more than $220 million in Pennsylvania alone. Over the past 3 years, the company has purchased more than $900 million of U.S.-sourced content and services. Those investments spread across 45 states.

Gamesa opened its Offshore Wind Technology Center in Virginia in February 2011 in partnership with Huntington Ingalls Industries, successor to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. About 50 people now work at the facility where they will jointly design Gamesa’s first generation of offshore wind turbine, the G11X-5.0 MW machine, the first US designed offshore wind turbine. The team will install the first two turbines --- one onshore and one offshore for comprehensive validation testing --- by the fourth quarter of 2012 in the Mid-Atlantic region.

In 2009, the company upgraded its two U.S. manufacturing facilities to begin production of the new G90-2.0 MW wind turbine, which features a longer, lighter blade. The company has installed over 2,400 megawatts at 24 wind farms in 11 states, and has another 900 megawatts currently under construction in United States, all of which are expected to go operational by the end of 2011.

New NAACP Report on Education vs Incarceration

On April 7th the NAACP will release a report, Misplaced Priorities: Under Educate, Over Incarcerate," which states, in summary:

Misplaced Priorities tracks the steady shift of state funds away from education and toward the criminal justice system. For instance, in Houston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, more than 65 percent of the lowest-performing schools are in neighborhoods with the highest rates of incarceration. Researchers found that over-incarceration most impacts vulnerable, often minority populations, and that it destabilizes communities. The report offers recommendations that would help policymakers downsize prison populations and shift the savings to education budgets.

Some national and local statistics in the report are:

o The United States has five percent of the world’s population but locks up 25 percent of the world’s prisoners.

o During the last two decades, state spending on prisons has grown at six times the rate of spending on higher education (127 percent:21 percent)

o In the city of Philadelphia alone, imprisoning people from 11 neighborhoods cost taxpayers $290 million, while the school district has a $197 million windfall. The state of Pennsylvania spends about 33K per year per prisoner, compared to about 4K per college student annually.

o Of Philadelphia’s 35 lower performing schools, 22 (66%) are clustered in or near areas with the highest incarceration rate. By contrast, of the city’s 28 higher performing schools, 21 (75%) are in areas with the lowest incarceration rates.

The report also has some interesting graphics, juxtaposing school performance and incarceration rates in the city.

Economy League Receives Grant

from Monday's inbox:

The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia announced today that the US Economic Development Administration http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif(EDA) awarded a $150,000 grant to the League's World Class Greater Philadelphia initiative.

The EDA is an agency under the US Commerce Department charged with promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. World Class Greater Philadelphia is a multi-year initiative to help make the Philadelphia region a world class place to live, work, and play by the year 2026 -- the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This grant supports work to develop and implement a program to anticipate challenges that the region may face in the future and prioritize collaborative, proactive responses to them.

"World Class Greater Philadelphia is a strategy to develop consensus around the things that need to be done, no matter what the future looks like, to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for all stakeholders - residents, institutions, businesses, government-- in the Greater Philadelphia region," said Steve Wray, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia.

Foundational research on how Greater Philadelphia is perceived nationally and internationally was completed in 2009. In spring 2010, the Economy League convened 17 roundtables throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware of diverse groups of business, nonprofit, government, labor, and community leaders to discuss their priorities for the region's future. That fall, the distillation of those roundtables informed a two-day scenario planning workshop led by Conshohocken-based strategy firm Decision Strategies International. And at the end of April, the Economy League will publish the scenarios and begin a second series of roundtables to develop a set of focused priorities -- or success factors -- key to advancing the region toward world class status.

"We're thrilled to have the support of the US Economic Development Administration in the form of this generous grant," said Gerard H. Sweeney, co-chair of the World Class Greater Philadelphia project and President and CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust. "The grant provides further validation of the importance of the World Class Greater Philadelphia initiative, as well as the value the project holds in the strategic planning of the region's future."

Additional co-chairs are Steven M. Altschuler, MD, President and CEO of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Jane Pepper, former head of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; and Wendell Pritchett, JD, PhD, Chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden.

Schwartz on GOP 2012 Budget

from the inbox:

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, Vice Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Republican budget proposal. Today the Pennsylvania Congresswoman is participating in the Budget Committee markup of the proposed Republican Budget for fiscal year 2012.

“The federal budget is a statement of our priorities and our values as a nation. We need sensible, responsible and targeted plans to fix the nation’s budget challenges. To succeed, the solution must include strategic spending cuts, smart tax policy reform and future economic growth. We should not fix our budget problems by failing to meet our obligations to our seniors, our children, or our future.

“The Republican budget proposal ends Medicare as we know it and slashes Medicaid by $1 trillion. Every day, 48 million seniors count on Medicare for their lifesaving medications, doctor visits and hospital care. And six million seniors and disabled Americans depend on Medicaid for their long-term or nursing home care.

“Risking the health security of our seniors is the absolute wrong approach to solving our nation’s budget problems. Privatizing Medicare means no more guaranteed health benefits; higher premiums for less coverage; discrimination based on income, illness or age; and more uncertainty if serious illness or need for long-term care occurs.

“The Republican budget proposal fails America.

“Privatizing Medicare and capping Medicaid won’t reduce costs; it just shifts the financial burden to our seniors and our families.

“Slashing spending from education, innovation and infrastructure won’t foster economic growth; it just makes us less prepared to compete in the global marketplace.

“Tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans won’t reduce our deficit; they just add to our already mounting debt.

“This budget is a blatant attack on our seniors, children, middle class families and future economic growth.

“We can—and must—do better.”

New Lubrano Column in the Inky

Alfred Lubrano, who worked on the series of articles about hunger in Philadelphia, has a new column in the Inquirer. The subject is fatherhood. The initial offering "Fathers can be good at mothering, too" appeared in today's paper. He has an excellent point when noting that fathers in the media are often portrayed as incompetent bumblers. It does such a disservice to the wonderful fathers out there. The more men like Lubrano speak out about their parenting the more it will become the norm and expected behavior. I don't think anyone doubts that a father's involvement in his children's lives benefits both. The notion that parenting is a shared or gender blind role takes some of the pressure off moms, and I'm all for that. I also live with a fantastic father and know how much work is involved. Good luck to Lubrano on his new venture.

Update on Adult Basic Suit

A few updates in the lawsuit over the closure of Pennsylvania's Adult Basic health program (adapted from press release). The Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan and Conboy law firm is handling the case.

There are now 38 plaintiffs, up from the original three.

The firm filed an injunction asking the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to forbid the Pennsylvania Department of the Treasury from spending any of the Tobacco Settlement Fund money the state is slated to receive on or about April 15, 2011 until the court has had an opportunity to rule on the adultBasic class action suit.

AdultBasic was created to allow low-income workers to purchase health care insurance at a minimal cost. The suit states that by illegally zeroing out tobacco settlement monies from their intended and mandated purpose, Gov. Corbett and the Pennsylvania Legislature violated the Pennsylvania Tobacco Settlement Act and the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Tax Cut Calculator

from the inbox:

With Tax Day approaching, the White House has put together a Tax Cut Calculator and a Tax Cut Checklist that will help taxpayers understand how they are benefitting from some of the more than 40 tax cuts signed into law by President Obama.

This Tax Cut Calculator looks at the bipartisan tax cut compromise that President Obama signed into law at the end of 2010, and shows individuals and families how they are benefitting from these tax cuts in 2011. The Calculator shows the benefits of the Payroll Tax Cut, which is providing a larger paycheck for millions of workers across the country right now. It also illustrates how families can benefit from three Recovery Act tax cuts that the President fought to extend – the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit. This Calculator can be found on WhiteHouse.gov and can also be used for broadcast and embedded on websites. Instructions for embedding are included below.

The AOTC, EITC and Child Tax Credit are also benefits that families and businesses should keep in mind when filing this year’s tax returns.

Below is some background information on the tax cuts included in the Calculator. In addition, as families complete their taxes for 2010, a checklist is included that shows the Recovery Act tax cuts Americans may be eligible to claim on their tax returns.


BACKGROUND

Pennsylvania Impact:

· 6.7 million people in Pennsylvania Benefit from the Payroll Tax Credit

· 372,000 Pennsylvania Families Benefit from the American Opportunity Tax Credit

· 353,989 people in Pennsylvania had their Unemployment Benefits Extended

Last December, thanks to a historic bipartisan agreement signed into law by President Obama, millions of people in Pennsylvania are benefitting and will continue to benefit from several tax credits. The Payroll Tax Credit is currently benefitting 6.7 million people in Pennsylvania who will see $4.8 billion in tax relief this year. Families will continue to be eligible to claim key Recovery Act tax cuts in 2011 and 2012 that they are now claiming for 2010. These tax cuts include the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which will help 372,000 families in Pennsylvania afford college, as well as expansions of the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit that will provide larger tax cuts to 15.7 million families with about 29.1 million children.

· The Payroll Tax Cut: The law signed by the President creates a new Payroll Tax Cut that is boosting paychecks for 6.7 million people in Pennsylvania throughout 2011 by reducing the payroll taxes they pay on their wages from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. Nationwide, this provision will benefit 159 million workers, and provides a typical family earning $50,000 with a $1,000 tax cut this year.

· The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC): Families in Pennsylvania will receive $856 million from the AOTC – an average of $2,300 per family – to help pay for college. President Obama created the American Opportunity Tax Credit as part of the Recovery Act, and extended it through the end of 2012 as part of the bipartisan tax compromise. For more information on the AOTC, click here LINK.

· Child Tax Credit: The bill that the President signed not only extended the $1,000 child tax credit, but it also continued Recovery Act provisions that made it available to more families. In total, extending the Recovery Act expansions of the Child Tax Credit that the President fought for will increase tax credits for 11.8 million families, with families with one child receiving up to $1,000 more and some families with two or more children receiving nearly $1,500 more.

· Earned Income Tax Credit: The bill extended expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit for married couples and families with three or more children. In total, the Recovery Act provisions the President fought for in the bill he signed will benefit 5.8 million working families with 12.5 million children.

Don’t Forget: The new Tax Cut Calculator focuses on the tax compromise the President signed into law to provide tax cuts for workers and families in 2011. But when completing their tax returns for 2010 this April, taxpayers should not forget about the following Recovery Act tax cuts they may be able to claim:

þ American Opportunity Tax Credit: The Recovery Act created a new college tax credit that provides up to $2,500 for each of four years of college to help cover the cost of tuition and other educational expenses. Learn more about the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

þ Child Tax Credit: The Recovery Act made more families eligible for the Child Tax Credit, and increased the value of the credit for certain families. Learn more about the Child Tax Credit.

þ Earned Income Tax Credit: The Recovery Act expanded the amount that filers with three or more children could receive as a result of the Earned Income Tax Credit and increased the level at which it begins to phase out for married couples. Learn more about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

þ Residential Energy Credits: Under the Recovery Act, Americans who made some types of energy-efficient upgrades to their homes last year can get 30 percent of what was spent back - up to $1,500 - this tax season. Learn more about the Residential Energy Credits here.

þ First-Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit: First-time homebuyers who purchased by April 30, 2010 and settled by September 30, 2010 may be eligible to collect a credit of up to $8,000 with no payback requirement. Learn more about the First-Time Homebuyer Credit.

þ Making Work Pay Credit: Over 110 million working Americans qualified for the Recovery Act’s Making Work Pay Tax Credit, which saved individuals up to $400 per year and married couples up to $800 per year in 2009 and 2010. Even though you probably received the benefit of this credit in your paychecks from adjusted tax withholding by your employer, you must still claim the credit on your tax return. Learn more about the Making Work Pay credit.

For families across the country, these tax benefits mean more money in their pockets and give them incentives to make energy saving home improvements, purchase a new vehicle or buy a home. That isn’t just good for working families – it’s also good for the economy overall. Those purchases are helping drive economic growth and provide more clean energy, manufacturing and construction jobs for working families right here in the U.S.

Proposed Pennsylvania Public Integrity Commission

from the inbox:

Well-publicized scandals in recent years involving elected officials throughout Pennsylvania have prompted a bipartisan, bicameral group of state lawmakers to take action. State Reps. Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery), Curt Schroder (R-Chester), Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) and Eugene DePasquale (D-York), along with Senators Ted Erickson (R-Delaware/Chester) and John Yudichak (D-Carbon/Luzerne/Monroe), are sponsoring legislation to create a Pennsylvania Public Integrity Commission (PIC) to crack down on corruption and restore public confidence in their government officials.

“This legislation is a critically important part of our bipartisan efforts to restore the public’s trust in our state government,” said Shapiro. “Establishing a Public Integrity Commission is vital to improving transparency and will help eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in our Commonwealth.”

“Pennsylvania government has a long history of corruption and it has taken an enormous toll on the public’s confidence in their elected leaders,” said Schroder. “It is time to take control of this situation. By establishing a Public Integrity Commission, we can hold public officials accountable for their actions, and perhaps even deter ethical wrongdoing before it starts.”

The lawmakers unveiled their plan at a news conference this morning at the state Capitol. Companion bills in the House and Senate would establish an independent government agency responsible for monitoring and investigating the actions of public officials throughout the Commonwealth to determine whether they are engaging in unlawful activity in connection with the public office they hold or for which they work.

House Bill 1200 and Senate Bill 625 call for the creation of a seven-member PIC with professional investigatory staff to respond to complaints and seek out corruption where it exists. To help insulate PIC members from the political process, they would be nominated by a committee consisting of law school deans, district attorneys and good government advocates. Of the 15 nominated, the governor would choose seven, subject to confirmation by two-thirds of the state Senate.

The PIC would replace the current state Ethics Commission, absorbing its budget and responsibilities, and assuming an expanded role. The PIC would employ trained, certified law enforcement personnel with the authority to enforce laws related to public corruption. The commission would have the power to subpoena records and witnesses relevant to an investigation. It would also possess the authority to grant immunity and compel testimony – authority not now available to the state Ethics Commission.

“This legislation adds muscle to existing efforts to investigate corruption and to more strongly discourage such activity,” said Erickson. “The minority of public officials who engage in unlawful activity taints the concept of representative government throughout the Commonwealth. Public officials, and the citizens they represent, need to know that unethical behavior will bring about a thorough investigation and clear consequences. The Public Integrity Commission would have the power to do just that.”

“Unfortunately, the actions of a few have tainted people’s perception of state government,” Vereb said. “As a former cop, I realize the importance of having an agency with law enforcement powers to investigate ethics violations and government corruption. The PIC is a step in the right direction to change the business-as-usual attitude of Harrisburg.”

“If we do this right, then we will fight to instill a culture of integrity and openness,” Yudichak said. “And we will work to back our reform proposals with the resources necessary to implement them.”

“I commend the bipartisan nature of this group,” DePasquale said. “While we are aware we have real problems and real differences, this coalition stands strong on one issue – and that is regaining the trust of the people of Pennsylvania.”

Shapiro represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. For more information, visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.