Vol. II No. 204 (364)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
December 20, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Saving UC
STATE REP. BILL KELLER is leading an effort to bail out Penna.’s beleaguered Unemployment Compensation fund, battered by years of recession. Story page 3
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Dec.15City’s Christmas Crèche dedication at NEC of Love Pk., 16th & Arch, adjacent to Christmas Village, 3 p.m. Carols by St. Francis Xavier School students. All invited. Dec. 15Berean Institute Christmas Open House at 1901 W. Girard Ave., 5-9 p.m. For info (215) 763-4833. Dec. 15Christmas Celebration in 6300 block Germantown Ave., 6-7 p.m. Corporate and community donations welcome! For more info, to make a donation, A. Neal (215) 438-1768 or A. Alexander (215) 844-9345. Dec. 15Join Stephanie Singer for an evening of political comedy at “This Is the Week that Is”, 1812 Productions’ yearly political satire. Tickets, $20, cover cost of theater ticket, plus a donation of any size (from $1 up to the legal individual maximum of $2,600). For info John Barber (484) 4690633. Dec. 17Volunteers needed to help wrap gifts for Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s Christmas Holiday Party for Homeless. Join her in City Hall Rm. 401, 9 a.m. Call to sign up (215) 686-3418. Dec. 17Phila. Federation of Young Republicans hosts Christmas Party at Liberties, 705 N. 2nd St., 3-7 p.m. Tickets $20. Dec. 17Committee to Elect Brett Mandel
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hosts Auld Lang Syne cocktail reception at 2303 Lombard St., 6-8 p.m. Contributions $100 to $1,000. For info www.brettmandel.com. Dec. 17Black Professionals Christmas Party at African American Museum, 7th & Arch Sts., 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $50 includes live music, entertainment. For info Earl Harvey (267) 244-3860. Dec. 17N.W. Futures PAC Christmas Bash at 5547 Germantown Ave., 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $20. BYOB. For info Derek S. Green, Esq., (216) 2054988. Dec. 20Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell hosts City’s homeless at her annual Christmas Party at Pennsylvania Convention Ctr., 3-7 p.m. Dec. 20State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts Winter Wonderland Open House at Sayre HS, 58th & Walnut Sts., 5 p.m. Clowns, facepainting, magic show, childsafety, constituent services. Santa will come with gifts for children. Free but must RSVP for ticket (215) 879-6615. Dec. 22State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts Winter Wonderland Open House at HS for Future, 4021 Parkside Ave., 5 p.m. Clowns, face-painting, magic show, child-safety, constituent services. Santa will come with gifts for children. Free but must RSVP for ticket (215) 879-6615.
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House Approves Bill To Help Pa. Pay Back UC Debt To Feds House lawmakers have approved legislation that would give Pennsylvania more flexibility to issue bonds in order to pay back the billions of dollars it owes to the federal government in unemployment compensation debt, according to State Rep. Bill Keller (D-S. Phila.), who voted for the bill.
ity. It also would establish a 90-day amnesty program for unpaid contributions by employers and overpayments to claimants, as well as give the State greater flexibility within the UC Fund to pay debt service on the bonds.
“It is urgent we get this bond issue done so that we can Keller, Democratic chairman repay the federal government of the House Labor & Indus- for the contributions they try Committee, said Pennsyl- made during our periods of vania’s Unemployment high unemployment,” Keller Compensation Trust Fund has said. “Paying back that borrowed $3.8 billion from money will allow us to turn the federal government since our focus toward a long-term 2009 in order to pay unemsolution for our Trust Fund ployment-compensation ben- insolvency problems.” efits to the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians Keller successfully amended who lost their jobs as a result the bill to allow PEDFA to offer the bonds through a of the recession. The federal government required the State competitive sale or through a to start repaying the borrowed private sale, but would remoney beginning in January, quire the authority to look at a competitive sale first. Keller which triggered and interest said a competitive sale would tax on employers to help offer more accountability to make those payments. the public. “This is, by far, The bill (SB 1310) would the largest bond issue that any allow the State to seek up to state has authorized for repay$4.5 billion in bonds to repay ment of federal unemployfederal loans through the ment loan debt,” Keller said. Pennsylvania Economic De“We need to ensure there are velopment Financing Author- appropriate opportunities for
the Commonwealth to receive and review impartial proposals and that we will deal with underwriters who offer a fair and reasonable price. “Without my amendment, PEDFA and the Dept. of Labor & Industry would have the ability to negotiate this billion-dollar bond sale on their own with the underwriters of their choosing, and no public vetting. A competitive sale may generate the best offers for the Commonwealth,” he said. According to Keller, Texas issued $2 billion in bonds; Idaho issued $200 million; Illinois will issue bonds for $2.4 billion; and Michigan is working on legislation to borrow up to $3.2 billion. House Democratic lawmakers tried to offer amendments that would help shore up the UC Fund by getting more Pennsylvanians back to work, including grants to employers for on-the-job training, and more money for the State’s Industry Partnerships and Job Training programs. Their amendments failed largely along party lines.
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Keller said lawmakers should not consider the bond issuance legislation the ultimate fix. “There is a lot more work to be done to strengthen Pennsylvania’s strained Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund,” Keller said. “The Trust Fund solvency problem exists because Pennsylvania has been stuck in a time warp when it comes to addressing the long-term needs of our unemployment compensation system.” Keller said the fund is insolvent because Pennsylvania has failed to modernize the taxable wage base on which
employers are taxed, currently at $8,000. The State also has failed to lift arbitrary caps placed on the fund in the 1980s to limit the amount of money that could be generated to it. Employers also received significant UC tax breaks in the 1990s during good economic times, so the fund was not prepared to cope with bad economic times, he said. According to Keller, 43 states have a higher taxable wage base than Pennsylvania’s base of $8,000. SB 1310, as amended by the House, now goes back to the Senate for consideration.
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65,000 More Pennsylvanians Get Access To Health Care The Pennsylvania Democrat Party is pleased to highlight news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing the Affordable Care Act continues to significantly increase the number of young adults who have health insurance. Before the Affordable Care Act, more young Americans lacked health insurance than any other age group – accounting for more than one in five of the uninsured. Going without insurance put the health and finances of millions of young people at risk. Contrary to the myth that young people don’t need health insurance, one in six young adults has a chronic disease like cancer, diabetes or asthma. Studies show that nearly half of uninsured young adults reported problems paying their medical bills and others forwent regular care, like checkups or recommended screenings, due to cost. President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act to put affordable, quality health insur-
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
ance back within reach of all Americans. Young adults can now stay on their parents’ plan up to age 26.
the benefits of President Obama’s health reforms that we fought hard to pass last year.”
Originally, HHS projected 1.24 million young adults would gain coverage in 2011 as a result of this part of the law. The actual numbers far exceed initial expectations. The CDC recently announced that 2.5 million young adults now have health coverage, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
DHS Commissioner Recognized With Leadership Award
with a new accountability system and child placement has dropped while permanency has grown. I am proud of the work our DHS team has done and that Commissioner Ambrose is receiving well-deserved recognition for her advocacy and leadership.”
The 2011 Excellence in Leadership Award is a part of the Dept. of Human Services Casey Excellence for ChilCommissioner Anne Marie dren Awards. These awards Ambrose has been honored with a 2011 Casey Excellence celebrate the contributions of in Leadership Award from the alumni, birth parents, foster parents, kinship caregivers Casey Family Programs In Pennsylvania, that means Board of Trustees. This is the and for the first time, child an estimated 65,000 young welfare leaders. Candidates first year for the Excellence Americans have access to are nominated via a letter and in Leadership Award, which health care because of the then rated by the Casey rerecognizes distinguished new law. work, exceptional leadership, view team who decide the winner. “We often think young people and relentless dedication to are invincible, but the reality the constituent group she “I am truly honored to be seis of course they are not, and serves and leadership in imlected for this award. It is a the ability to have adequate proving the child welfare sys- validation of all the hard health insurance as they start tem. Commissioner Ambrose work we have done as an their careers or finish up their is one of four recipients of the agency to improve the safety education means they are able Excellence in Leadership and well being of the children to pursue their dreams, and Award. and families we serve,” said begin their careers without Ambrose. “I also want to the financial burden of paying “Our Administration has been thank Casey Family Proand remains committed to for health insurance they grams for their ongoing supgiving our young people the can’t afford, or worse, going best chance for a bright future port of the agency. Their without it and risking cripknowledge and expertise and the Department of pling medical bills if someHuman Services is critical in have been invaluable in helpthing happens to them,” said ing us navigate through many this endeavor,” said Mayor Congressman Chaka Fattah. of the important changes we Michael A. Nutter. “Under “We are very excited that are making.” 65,000 young people in Penn- Commissioner Ambrose’s watch, DHS was reorganized The awards ceremony will sylvania are already seeing • PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM
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take place in Seattle, Wash. on Jan. 19, 2012 and is sponsored by the Casey Family Programs. The Casey Family Programs is the largest na-
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tional foundation focused solely on foster care and improving the child-welfare system.
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