PathWays PA Policy Blog

On Friday, May 3 from 9AM-12PM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center , Room 119A located at 1101 Arch St in Philadelphia there will be a discussion on local taxes. It will be the subject of a half-day symposium featuring tax-policy experts, business and community leaders, government officials, and a group of bi-partisan city and state elected officials. A first panel discussion, moderated by Steve Highsmith, host of NBC 10's weekly program, NBC10 @Issue , will focus on Philadelphia's tax structure, tax policy, and various ideas for changing them. The second panel discussion, moderated by Sandy Shea, editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News , will provide perspectives on political aspects of tax policy choices. RSVP

The Foster Child Opportunity Act seeks to ensure that abused and neglected immigrant children have an opportunity to obtain the legal immigrant status to which they are entitled prior to aging out of the foster care system. Immigrant children involved in the child welfare system are often eligible for special forms of immigration relief, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) but early identification is critical given that a child can lose SIJS eligibility once the court terminates jurisdiction over the youth. More often than not, court and child welfare officials are unaware of immigration relief options available, leaving these children at risk of deportation at any time and drastically limiting their educational and work opportunities when they "age out" of the system. Sign-on here . The deadline is 6PM tomorrow! Email Shadi Houshyar atshadih@firstfocus.net to sign your organization on to the letter.

More than 100,000 children in PA are lifted out of poverty each year by the federal Earned Income Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits (EITC and CTC). The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) help working families make ends meet by both rewarding work and recognizing the additional expenses of raising children. These tax credits have a strong history of bipartisan support and have been praised and expanded by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. The EITC and CTC have an incredibly beneficial impact for children, families and the economy. Protect these essential tax credits and ask that 2009 enhancements to the credits be made permanent by adding your name to our sign-on letter. Read the letter and add your name.  For more information about the 2009 enhancements and the economic impact of these credits in Pennsylvania, check out PCCY's fact sheets.

The Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1406) is a smoke-and-mirrors bill that offers a pay cut for workers without any guaranteed flexibility or time off to care for their families or themselves. The bill's supporters claim H.R. 1406 would give hourly workers more flexibility and time with their loved ones by allowing them to choose paid time off, rather than time-and-a-half wages, as compensation for working more than 40 hours in one week ("comp time"). But the irony is that workers will only get more time with their families after they've spent long hours away at work. And there is nothing in H.R. 1406 that guarantees that workers will be able to use the comp time they have earned when they need it. The next step for the bill is floor consideration, which is expected in the second week of May. Please read the letter and sign on in opposition .

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) can help you dispose of unused prescription drugs in a safe way. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. It's happening Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It connects you to various drop-off locations where you can dispose of old prescription drugs. With Prescription Take-Back Day, you can dispose of your old medicine the safe way. In the four previous Take-Back events, the DEA in conjunction with other state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription drugs. Visit the DEA Got Drugs? website or call 1(800) 882-9539 for locations.

MomsRising and the AFL-CIO invite you to a special tweetchat to talk paid sick days! The #WellnessWed chats are a great way to engage a grassroots audience, answer questions, and raise the profile of paid sick days campaigns at a particularly timely moment because as you all know: In the last three months, Portland, Oregon passed a paid sick days ordinance as did the Philadelphia City Council. New York City is close to becoming the largest city in the country to pass a paid sick days bill. State legislatures, including Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont, and more, are also taking up this important measure. The Healthy Families Act, which would set an important minimum national standard, has been re-introduced in Congress. You are invited to be partners, advocates and champions, share resources, updates, lessons learned and more. Please join MomsRising on Twitter at #WellnessWed on Wednesday, April 24 at 2 PM!

On May 8, join PathWays PA to share in wine, cheese, and chocolate at the Historic Duportail House. The event honors Rita Forjohn and features a Silent Auction and a performance by Lights Out!

Late last week, the House of Representatives blocked a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This was a blow to everyone who has worked so hard on policies to help close the wage gap. But it's not over yet! That's right - there is a way to force a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro put forward what's called a "discharge petition" and all we need to do is get 218 Representatives to sign it in order to release the bill for a vote. Please contact and urge your Representative to stand up for fair pay by signing the "discharge petition" on the Paycheck Fairness Act.  Woman who works full time, year round, made 77 cents for every dollar earned by her male counterparts. That 23-cent wage gap translates into more than $400,000 in lost wages over a woman's lifetime. Your voice can help make the change!

The Census Project will have a one-hour briefing call on Friday, April 19 at 1:30 p.m. via toll-free number at 213-493-0800, pass code 112918#. The project will review the administration's budget request and update stakeholders on Census Project plans to support the Obama budget. They will also talk about bills already re-introduced by Representative Poe and Senator Paul to make the American Community Survey voluntary. On these points, the Census Project also wants to remind you about the sign-on letter that we have circulated backing the administration's Census Bureau budget. To sign your organization onto the letter, contact jason.shevrin@gmail.com by COB on Wednesday.

Please join us at Ruby Tuesday's at the Springfield Mall from April 18-April 20 or at the Granite Run Mall from April 25-27. Give this flyer to your server to make sure that 20% of your bill is donated to PathWays PA!

The health care law offers Pennsylvania $43 billion over the next ten years to expand health care coverage to 700,000 working people. Opponents of health care reform are spending big bucks to get lawmakers to leave that money on the table instead. Tell Harrisburg: Don't Leave the Money on the Table. Stand up for health care reform by joining an event in: Delaware County , Bucks County , Scranton , Lehigh Valley , State College , Erie , Philadelphia , or Pittsburgh and pledge to call your lawmakers on tomorrow.

From our friends at the National Partnership for Women and Families Last week, National Partnership Senior Advisor Judith Lichtman testified on Capitol Hill as the only voice of opposition to the so-called "comp time" bill. Despite its name, the Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406) is an empty promise — a smoke-and-mirrors bill — that offers neither the flexibility nor the support that working families need. That's why we must urge Congress to look beyond the misleading name and assess this partisan legislation for what it really is: a bad idea. The “comp time” bill claims to give hourly workers more time with their families by allowing them, through an agreement with their employers, to choose paid time off as compensation for working more than 40 hours in a week. In reality, it would give workers less time, less money and less flexibility. It would erode overtime protections guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. It would mean a pay cut for wor...

Your legislators need to hear from you about the importance of investing in quality early childhood education and afterschool programs! Come tell your story about: The CHILDREN and the difference that a quality early education and afterschool programs make in their lives.  The TEACHERS, STAFF and the critical role their skills and expertise play in a quality program.  The CHALLENGES (subsidy waiting lists, health insurance, staff turnover, unmet needs of Keystone STARS, and Pre-K Counts).  The SUCCESSES that investing in quality produces (early brain development, school readiness, family economic success, connections to community, and saving in future social service costs). Register here no later than Wednesday . If you have any questions, please contact Suzann Morris at suzann@dvaeyc.org or (215) 893-0130.

Our taxes make human needs programs possible - like SNAP and WIC benefits, Medicaid and Medicare, Pell Grants and public education, and low-income housing - possible. They are investments in our common good. Participate in a "Tax Day" email action or in-person action today: Email Action -Please tell your Senators and Representative to work for a budget that increases taxes on the wealthy and on profitable corporations, and that does not cut vital programs that prevent hardship and allow our economy to grow. Your voice is needed. Click here to send an email to your members of Congress.  In-Person Events - Take action alongside thousands of people around the country at in-person events to demand that our budget policies reflect our community priorities. Click here to find a "Tax Day" event near you .

Join the discussion on Tuesday, April 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at CCP in the Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28, for Honoring Our HERoes: Giving Service for Your Service. There will be a panel discussion and reception sponsored by The Links, Incorporated, Philadelphia Chapter , in partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia Veterans Resource Center . The panel will discuss the challenges of women veterans and the process of successfully transitioning from military life. This event is open to males and to spouses of women veterans. please RSVP: women.veterans.links@gmail.com For more information, contact 215-751-8462 or sbachovin@ccp.edu .

As Congress debates a plan to reduce the deficit, one thing is clear - deficit reduction should not fall on the backs of low-income working families. Yet that is exactly what happened in a budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21. The House plan makes a number of changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) that could end up costing working families billions. The EITC and CTC help working families make ends meet by both rewarding work and recognizing the additional expenses of raising children. Together, the credits bring $3.6 billion into Pennsylvania's economy each year. Nearly 900,000 families benefit from the EITC and 1.5 million from the CTC. Sign onto the letter supporting EITC. Follow "EITC Helps me" on Facebook

On Friday, May 3 from 9AM-12PM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 119A located at 1101 Arch St in Philadelphia there will be a discussion on local taxes. It will be the subject of a half-day symposium featuring tax-policy experts, business and community leaders, government officials, and a group of bi-partisan city and state elected officials. A first panel discussion, moderated by Steve Highsmith, host of NBC 10's weekly program, NBC10 @Issue, will focus on Philadelphia's tax structure, tax policy, and various ideas for changing them. The second panel discussion, moderated by Sandy Shea, editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, will provide perspectives on political aspects of tax policy choices. RSVP by April 22 here

Planned Parenthood invites you to join in a day of action next Monday, April 15 at 9:30AM in Harrisburg!  Groups will be meeting with legislators to discuss bills that could potentially be harmful to women's health, such as SB3 , HB818 and HB742 . These bills could make it more difficult for women to receive proper reproductive health services under the new federal exchanges that are being by the Affordable Care Act. Register to join Planned Parenthood at the Capitol Building and share your voice in the fight for women's health!

From our friends at the Women's Bureau, US Department of Labor Today is National Equal Pay Day and the EEOC seeks to heighten awareness of gender-based wage discrimination. Equal Pay Day is held annually in April to signify the point in the year that a woman must work to earn what a man made the previous year. According to the most recent data, women earn only 77 percent of what men earn in a full-time annual salary. Today, from 1:00 - 2:00 pm, the EEOC will participate in a live twitter chat to discuss the pay gap between women and men. The Equal Pay Tweetchat, using the hashtag #talkpay , is sponsored by the National Women's Law Center, with these distinguished guests: U.S. EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien Jocelyn Samuels, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD) Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) During the chat, EEOC, along with other organizations, will answer questions o...

PathWays PA's Self Sufficiency team wants to remind you to take advantage of our free tax preparation service. Our basic tax preparation service provides free tax filing for households whose income does not exceed $51,000. We also want to reach tax filers who are disabled or who do not speak English as their first language. Our goal is help tax filers access their Earned Income and other tax credits. We are offering a number of service locations , including SEPTA's Suburban Station where you can drop off you tax forms to be done while you are at work, or you can make an appointment .

The Philadelphia City Council will be holding a veto override vote on Councilman Greenlee's paid sick days bill this Thursday. It is our last chance to provide paid sick time to all Philadelphians. Please come and show your support at City Council beginning at 10AM! Listen to Marianne Bellesorte of PathWays PA fight for Paid Sick Days this morning on WHYY Radio Times! Call City Council members at: 888-376-5807 to voice your support for the bill. You can also tweet your support at #paidsickdays!

The U.S. Department of Labor  Women's Bureau Region 3 office is offering a Green Guide Workshop for Women in Philadelphia on Tuesday, April 30 at the Free Library of Philadelphia located at 1901 Vine St.  The Women's Bureau Green Guide is a comprehensive manual designed to assist women with job training as they enter nontraditional jobs. The guide offers women resources and information they need to so they can succeed in the emerging green economy. Attend this FREE event!