PathWays PA Policy Blog

While the 112th Congress came to an agreement last night to avert huge spending cuts and tax increases, they left more decisions to be made by the 113th Congress that will be sworn in tomorrow.  Here are some of the highlights: Debt Ceiling: Even though the debt ceiling was the impetus leading to the "fiscal cliff," it remains a problem to be solved. The 2011 deal to raise the debt ceiling was expected to be a short term fix, and, as of December 31, 2012, the United States had once again hit the debt ceiling .  According to Secretary Geithner, the US can get by at the ceiling for two months.    The last time the debt ceiling was negotiated , the United States' credit rating ended up being decreased after Congress failed to come to an agreement.  The negotiation also set up automatic sequestration (funding cuts) to federal programs. Battle lines around the latest debt ceiling talks are already being drawn. Sequestration: After the Super Committee failed to ...

As we look at the deal made by Congress late last night, including what the deal covers and what it does not, it is important to know how we got to the fiscal cliff in the first place. Debt Ceiling:  The debt ceiling originally came about to prevent Congress from having to pass a new bill every time the Treasury Department wanted to float a bond.  In 1917, the first debt ceiling was created so that bonds could be issued up to that ceiling.  The limit has been increased many times over the years, most recently in 2011 . However, in order to pass the higher debt ceiling, Congress also had to agree to spending cuts to be made by the end of 2011 .  When the Congressional Super Committee could not come to an agreement , an automatic sequestration beginning January 1, 2013, came into effect. STATUS: The deal made on January 1, 2013, does not increase the debt ceiling. However, on December 21, 2012, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced that federal bo...

Budget Secretary Zogby released the Governor's Mid-Year Budget Report which gives an overview of Commonwealth's financial state and funding programs as well as projections for the upcoming 2013-2014 budget and what programs the Governor would like to see department Secretaries focus on. The Governor has reiterated to departments that they should prepare to level funding and that he "no new tax" pledge will continue. This could potentially lead to increase funding roadblocks for human services which would lead to additional burdens on the working poor.

The survey, conducted this fall, provides a snapshot of conditions for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable individuals and the human service agencies that provide services to these people. Survey data is comprised from responses from over 800 nonprofit organizations that serve all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Responding groups include, but are not limited to, food banks, domestic violence agencies, libraries, faith based organizations, children services and agencies that serve senior citizens and people with disabilities. The data clearly demonstrates that nonprofits and social services organizations have sacrificed and shared in the pain from Pennsylvania’s recent budget woes.

Weekly Newsletter Week of November 19, 2012 This Week's Issues to Watch ::  JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 28 ::  CREATING QUALITY JOBS WEBINAR ::  DO YOU KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS? ::  UPENN CONFERENCE ON CHILD POVERTY ::  BRYN MAWR COLLEGE CONFERENCE ON WOMEN ::  TELL YOUR GOVERNOR YOU WANT AFFORDABLE HEALTH COVERAGE Please Help Those Affected By Hurricane Sandy Our thoughts are with the people recovering from the storm and with the families of those who lost their lives during the hurricane and its aftermath. Click here to find ways to help .   Join Us on November 28!  PathWays PA  to Release Overlooked and Undercounted: Impact of the Great Recession as Measured by the Self-Sufficiency Standard of Pennsylvania Wednesday, November 28, 2012 from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM United Way, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia   RSVP Here Read the Full Report Workforce Strategies Initiativ...

On Thursday, Oct 18th at 1 pm, experts from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will offer a look ahead at next year's state and federal budgets, as Congress faces dramatic budget choices that will have a deep impact on our ability to provide services Delaware County families depend on. Governor Corbett is also at a choice point, and there are some signs of a course correction in PA this coming year. Also, a hundred days after the passage of this year's state budget, what impacts has the region felt? Event details are as follows: State and Federal Budget Briefing Thursday, October 18th at 1pm United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Lobby 1 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Click here to RSVP , and circulate widely. Event cosponsored by the SEPA Budget Coalition and the Better Choices for PA Coalition.

From our friends at the  Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center : The Pennsylvania General Assembly is considering legislation that would allow many Pennsylvania employers to hold on to the state income taxes paid by new employees. House Bill 2626, billed as an economic development strategy, provides a multi-year subsidy for existing companies to do what they do anyway: fill vacant positions. The bill is costly and will lead to more cuts to schools and services for children, seniors and people with disabilities. Please share your thoughts with your state lawmakers on this tax giveaway . The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has put together the Top 10 reasons why they feel this tax credit plan is a bad deal for Pennsylvania's taxpayers. Download a  printable version  of this  Top 10 List  at the  PA Budget and Policy Center's website .

From our friends at the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center: Southeastern Pennsylvania Budget Briefing Thursday, October 18th at 1pm United Way Building, Lobby 1 and 2 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103 RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/SEPAbudgetforum Get a preview of the coming state and federal budget battles from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s Sharon Ward, and help tell the story of how budget cuts have impacted you and the families you serve to the media and lawmakers.

Federal Policy Updates  HELP SUPPORT THE CHILD TAX CREDIT AND EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT Congressman Richard Neal is introducing a bill to continue the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit in their current form for another year. In 2010, the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit together lifted 9.2 million people out of poverty, including 4.9 million children. The improvements now scheduled to expire kept 1.6 million of these people out of poverty. For more information, see the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Studies Show Earned Income Tax Credit Encourages Work and Success in School and Reduces Poverty .  Organizations that support these program are being asked to show your support. All you have to do is to send an email to one of the following people by noon, Tuesday, July 17, saying that your organization (local, state, or national in scope) can be listed in support. Email Adam at Larose@cbpp.org or Stuart at Russell@cbpp.org . St...

With just a few minutes to spare on Saturday night, Governor Corbett signed the budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year, which began on Sunday, July 1.  You can find a final copy of the budget at  http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/current_and_proposed_commonwealth_budgets/4566/ . Also, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will be holding a phone call next week to discuss the budget. Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center Budget Phone Call July 9, 2012 10 AM Conference line: (760) 569-7676; Code: 453547 Even though the budget debate is over, there are plenty of issues to take action on. Please take a moment to make calls, write emails, and provide overall support for the issues that matter to you. Even though the budget debate is over, there is more you can take action on.  Please check out these links for more information: Elimination of General Assistance Delayed Until August 1 Outreach for the Earned Income Tax Credit Marc...

via PA Cares for All PA CARES FOR ALL Coalition to Save General Assistance www.pacaresforall.org Elimination of General Assistance Delayed Until August 1 The PA Cares for All Coalition to Save General Assistance today announced that the elimination of the General Assistance program has been delayed one month, until August 1. Until today, all signs had pointed to its elimination on July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year. House Bill 1261, the Welfare Code bill that will be enacted over the weekend to implement the state’s 2012-13 budget, was amended today to eliminate the General Assistance program effective August 1. General Assistance is a safety net program of last resort for over 68,000 Pennsylvanians who are unable to work, providing them access to critical medical care and a small cash grant ($205 a month in most counties) with rigid restrictions. "On behalf of the hundreds of General Assistance recipients we represent every year, we are heartbroken at ...

The latest state budget numbers were released earlier this afternoon .  This budget includes a spend number of $27.656 million, about $500,000 more than the Governor's budget earlier this year.  This budget may not be the final budget, but it gives some insight into where funding will go. The biggest news is the removal of the Human Services Block Grant, which had been under heavy scrutiny since its proposal by the Governor.  In February, Governor Corbett contended that creating a block grant would diminish the red tape counties face and provide them with savings as justification for his decision to cut 20% of the funding from the programs included. While the block grant has been removed, possibly in place of some new language around executive compensation , at least some of the budget cuts associated with the grant remain.   Several of the items covered under the grant, such as Mental Health Services and Homeless Assistance, have lower budgets than last year. U...

June 28, 2012 Update - Representative Murt has introduced an amendment that could save part of GA. If you support this amendment please call your state legislator immediately.  To learn more, visit http://bit.ly/NGz6UZ   Our friends at PA Cares for All are taking a last stand (or several last stands) against ending General Assistance, a program of last-resort that provides a bridge to stability and self-sufficiency for over 68,000 Pennsylvanians without children who are sick or disabled; domestic violence survivors fleeing abuse; and individuals who are in alcohol and other drug programs. If you are interested in keeping GA in Pennsylvania, please consider one of the following actions: Sign On to A Letter Against Cutting General Assistance:  Michael Froehlich at Community Legal Services is collecting signatures for the letter below, which will then be sent to Governor Corbett.  If you would like to sign on, please email him . The letter is below: Dear Gover...

By now, many of you have heard that a spending number has been set in Harrisburg for the 2012-2013 budget.  What remains to be seen is how the $27.66 billion will be spent.  Here is what we've been hearing: Rumors are that public schools and state universities will be funded at the same level as they were last year . The Educational Improvement Tax Credit may double from $75 million to $150 million. Erik Arneson, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, said the budget will return some spending to K-12 and higher education, accountability block grant funding and county human services programs, as well as some additional funding for distressed school districts . As of now, General Assistance remains zeroed out in the state budget .  At this point, it is likely that if the program is not funded, most recipients will not learn of the funding cut until they get a letter in the mail in place of their July check. The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Cent...

EITC outreach initiatives throughout the state, including our work at PathWays PA, are at risk of losing their funding from DPW in the upcoming fiscal year. Over 2000 families filed returns just with PathWays PA this year, giving them access to free, IRS-certified tax services, financial literacy tools, and quick refunds without paying high interest fees. Please take a moment to write to Secretary Alexander and to your legislators about the need for Earned Income Tax Outreach funding .

In this proposed Commonwealth Budget for FY 2012-2013, Governor Corbett recommended state funding for the Industry Partnership program at $1.4 million. (This is approximately the same amount that is funding the program this year.) However, "Rapid Response" funding last year also provided additional money to the program.  This year, the "Rapid Response" money is not available for this pool of workers, and there is concern that this funding will not be enough to fully continue the nationally recognized Industry Partnerships program . With increased revenue, the Governor has expressed support for increased funding.  You can use the following customized letter or email to talk to your legislators about increasing the funding as well.

From Better Choices for Pennsylvania Pennsylvania is poised to give away an unprecedented cash grant to the second largest company on the planet. The Governor's proposed deal would give Shell Oil up to $1.65 billion over 25 years to build and operate an ethylene cracker plant in Pennsylvania. This giveaway comes as the state prepares to eliminate General Assistance completely and make deep cuts to schools, human services, adult literacy and domestic violence programs. If you do not approve of this choice, add your name and organization to a sign-on letter to lawmakers voicing concern about the Shell tax break and calling for legislative hearings. This debate is moving quickly--please sign on by 5 PM today. Sign the letter Legislators from both parties are raising questions about the deal. But they are under pressure to get the budget done, so it will take a steady drumbeat of questions and criticism from constituents to stop it. Weigh in to preserve decades of funding t...

Thanks to The Advocates Agenda for letting us repost. Corbett Administration and County Commissioners Association Going to the Mat for Human Services Block Grant PA House tweaks the Senate passed budget bill to spend more on early childhood care and education, domestic violence, rape crisis centers and public libraries June 5th – Tuesday brought stepped up debate and political posturing about Pennsylvania’s budget. The morning started with Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Jim Cawley putting forth a united front with the County Commissioners Association of PA (CCAP) touting the benefits of “a new way of doing business” that will result from block granting certain state funding. Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander said the “landmark block grant” would deliver real “innovation, control and flexibility” at the local level. Cawley stressed the Corbett Administration is committed to transforming “the relationship between the state and local governments.” Ber...