CenturyLink Employee PAC of Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth Update

Fiscal Emergency Move Gives Harrisburg Leaders

20 Days to Put Together a Recovery Plan

On Monday, October 24th Gov. Tom Corbett declared a fiscal emergency in Harrisburg, just four days after his office gained the power to do so and a week after City Council filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection.

The move empowers Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker to develop an emergency plan to ensure that all vital services are being carried out. But the major development is the formal start of a 20-day period giving Mayor Linda Thompson and a divided City Council one last chance to arrive at a plan to help the city dig out of $310 million in incinerator debt.

If they cannot — and Thompson and a majority on the council have been at odds for 1½ years — Walker could ask Commonwealth Court to appoint a receiver to take charge of the recovery effort. Thompson said she will use the her latest financial-recovery plan — a close variation of what the state’s Act 47 consultants presented in June — as her starting point for new talks.

The Act 47 team made no changes to the section of the plan that addresses the city’s $310 million of incinera-

tor debt. It made the following adjustments regarding the city’s structural deficit:

• Removed the recommendation to implement a single tax rate which would allow Harrisburg to retain its two-tier tax rate.

• Instead of requiring the city to implement a 10-year tax abatement plan, the team suggested the strategy only be evaluated and considered.

• Removed the requirement to consolidate the mayor and City Council offices and share staff, while still recommending closer coordination and support.

• Clearly articulated the Act 47 coordinator’s sup-port for the forensic audit being conducted by the Harrisburg Authority.

• Removed the requirement to provide recreation services through a nonprofit partnership. The team is requiring this option be explored and the department’s budget to be decreased.

• Removed the requirement to close a fire station, but requires the option to be studied in the context of changing the deployment of apparatus to include four firefighters per engine.

• Clarified that post-retirement health care benefits are eliminated for future city employees, but not for those em-ployed by Harrisburg as of the date of adopting the plan.

• Added a requirement for out-of-county landlords to have a local agent to help improve interaction between the city and property owners as code violations are identified and addressed.

• Added a requirement that would force the city to alter its trash collection schedule to permit weekly bulk waste re-moval in Harrisburg.

Additionally, Harrisburg’s federal Staffing for Adequate Emergency Response (SAFER) grant application recently was approved. The grant could help stem the layoff of firefighters and closure of a fire station. If city officials accept the Act 47 plan, they would have to work with team coordinator Julia Novak to determine if the city can accept the grant and remain in compliance with the plan.

Sources: pennLive; patriot news, PLS

On September 26th, the PA Chamber of Business & Industry

hosted an event with former President George W. Bush.

PA CenturyLink PAC Members were eligible to win one of two tickets to attend the dinner and

MEET the former President.

The PA CenturyLink PAC members randomly selected

from the drawing attended the event. Mr. Robert T. Williams &

Ms. Yvonne M. Fordyce are with the former President in the

photograph above.

Governor Corbett’s Latest Initiatives

OCTOBER 2011

Monthly newsletter with political, legislative and telecom industry updates for Pennsylvania’s CenturyLink PAC Members.

2011 SENATE SESSION SCHEDULE

October 24, 25, 26, 31

November 1, 14, 15, 16

December 5, 6 , 7, 12, 13, 14

2011 HOUSE SESSION SCHEDULE

October 24, 25, 26, 31

November 1, 2, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23

December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14

Pennsylvania General Assembly

Remaining Session Days for 2011 Announced

PA CenturyLink Employee PAC Contributions

CenturyLink PA PAC Contributions were made to the following Campaign Committees for each legislator listed below:

SENATOR MIKE BRUBAKER SENATOR JAKE CORMAN

SENATOR TOMMY TOMLINSON SENATOR BOB MENSCH SRCC

SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN ELLIS HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT KAUFFMAN REPRESENTATIVE SANDRA MAJOR

REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD STEVENSON

GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT

Corbett calls for greater investment in education tax credit program

Governor Corbett wants to see the state put more money towards its Education Improvement Tax Credit program, or EITC. It gives tax write-offs to businesses that fund scholarships for private school students and extra programs for public schools. The governor’s office says a legislation package will likely be based on a combination of bills. One measure passed in the state House would gradually increase the EITC funding from its current $75 million to $200 million.

Governor plans to go after uncollected state tax revenue - potentially as much as $388 million

Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration is expected to soon announce strategies to collect taxes on items sold online and at brick-and-mortar stores out-side the state. An announcement is expected in the next four to six weeks. Such tax often goes unpaid and unreported. The uncollected tax revenue costs the state as much as $388 million by one estimate. While consumers would dislike paying more for online purchases, the state could certainly use that kind of money. California and Tennessee have recently reached agreements with online retail giant Amazon to collect sales tax on pur-

chases by 2013. Amazon has long resisted calls from states to collect the sales tax, but its recent agreements have other states looking to strike similar deals to generate badly-needed tax revenue. At a state House budget hearing, Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser was asked if Corbett would consider legislation compelling online retailers to collect the sales tax as a violation of his no-tax increase pledge. “The governor is interested in en-forcing tax laws that exist, and, no, that is not considered a tax increase,” Meuser said.

Corbett Proposes Stricter Marcellus Regulations, County-Imposed Impact Fee

On Monday, October 3rd, Gov. Tom Corbett called for even-handed laws that recognize the competition beyond the state’s borders for a Marcellus Shale gas industry that he said is boosting the economy and lowering energy bills. Corbett’s plan would allow counties to impose an impact fee for up 10 years to help pay for the cost to regu-late the drilling and fix the damage it causes to the environment. It also would toughen laws that protect the state’s water sources and help the industry find new outlets for its product, such as converting school bus fleets and mass transit systems to natural gas power. The Corbett administration estimates that the plan would generate up to $120 million in the first year and up to $195 million by the sixth year. Corbett, who took a campaign pledge not to increase taxes or fees, opposes a severance tax because he says he fears it would drive the industry away and cost the state jobs and the investment while Pennsylvania is trying to recover from the recession. He defends the im-pact fee proposal as being in line with his campaign pledge.

CENTURYLINK PENNSYLVANIA PAC MEMBERS MEET FORMER

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

• Robert T. Williams & Yvonne M. Fordyce •

Find out how you can become a

member of the PAC!

Lots of fun and exciting opportunities

guaranteed! Email: Allison Hower for more information!