Pennsylvania Gets "F" Grade in Cessation Coverage

Pennsylvania might not provide enough protection against tobacco use. The American Lung Association released an annual scorecard that tracks tobacco control policies at state and federal levels. Pennsylvania received an "F" in Tobacco Prevention and Control. The state's grade in Cessation was also downgraded from a "C" last year, to an "F".

Deb Brown, President of the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania, says the state should provide more money for cessation and prevention. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has best practices that they recommend 155 million dollars be spent on prevention and cessation in Pennsylvania, and we only spend 14.7 million."

Brown says that although the state received money in the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) made with the tobacco companies, funding has dwindled over the years. She says that originally 12% of the MSA was legislated to cessation and prevention, but in 2010 there was a 45% decrease in spending.

No state in the scorecard earned straight "A"s while the federal government drew an "A" for FDA regulation of tobacco, a "C" for cession coverage, and a "D" for the federal cigarette tax.

Wine Kiosks Start Trial Run

Five self-serve wine kiosks went back online this week after thirty kiosks were shut down. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (LCB) closed the kiosks after they started experiencing mechanical trouble before the holidays.

Stacy Kriedeman, spokeswoman for the LCB, says that the kiosks were not operating up to standards. "There were some systemic problems. Mostly they had to do with people not getting the product that they paid for. And that may have been because the turn style didn't turn, or the door didn't lock, perhaps the screen froze up, but most of the issues that we saw had to do with people not getting the bottle that they paid for."

Kriedman says that there are currently three operating kiosks in the Pittsburgh area and two in the Philadelphia area. The remaining machines might go online in the next few weeks.

Pennsylvania Challenges Citizens To Go Outdoors

The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation hopes all 30,000 miles of trails will be used this month. The foundation is promoting the Great Pennsylvania Outdoor Challenge, which encourages Pennsylvanians to use the trails and parks and to engage in an active lifestyle. The challenge is also a fundraiser for the foundation. The event, in its third year, is held from September 10th to October 10th in parks and trails across Pennsylvania.

Businesses, organizations, and individuals can sign up for $25 online or call the foundation office at 717-236-7644. After registering participants receive a mileage tracker and pledge form to track their mileage. Participants can ask friends and family to sponsor them in their personal challenge to walk, bike, or paddle a set number of miles along the state’s many trails and streams.

The money raised will go to support state park and forest improvement projects. According to foundation President Marci Mowery, participants can also direct where their donation fees go. “They can go to our work, the foundation, or participants can say we want our funds to go to help build trails or put playgrounds in state parks,” Mowery says.

The event raises public awareness about the value of our public lands while encouraging Pennsylvanians to discover the more than 2.2 million acres of state forests and 120 state parks in the Commonwealth.

Report Shows Decline in Number of PA Police Pursuits

A annual report by the Pennsylvania State Police shows a 12.9 percent decrease in police pursuits in 2009 from 2008. In 2008, the state reported 1,816 vehicle pursuits, 9 of which resulted in fatality. Last year, 1,582 pursuits were recorded, with 8 deaths. All 8 of those killed were fleeing from police.
According to the report, 532 of the 2009 police pursuits resulted in crashes, with 185 of them involving injuries. In 2008, 606 pursuits ended with an accident, and 212 of them involved injuries.
Press Secretary Jack Lewis says the number of police pursuits has been gradually declining in recent years. However, he says this has been the most significant decrease.
Lewis says this could be a result of less people taking that risk of fleeing from police, or police using less aggressive tactics when pursuing a vehicle. He says about 57% of all apprehensions of people in fleeing vehicles were accomplished using whats called a trailing pursuit, which is when the officer tries to follow the vehicle in attempt to pull it over rather than going ahead of it and trying to cut it off. "So since trailing pursuits are the least aggressive type of pursuit we're hopeful that departments are using those in attempt to cut down on the number of injuries and death."
The complete 2009 Pennsylvania Police Pursuit Report can be found on their website.

Legislation to Ban Unemployment Benefit Debit Cards from Casinos

Under current Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulations, debit cards for welfare recipients will not work in ATM machines located in any Pennsylvania casino. However, the rule does not stop those with unemployment benefit debit cards from withdrawing money inside casinos.
State Senator Lisa Boscola is urging the PGCB to expand its policy so that unemployment compensation debit cards are also unable to be used in Pennsylvania casinos.
She says there are a handful of people wasting these unemployment benefits on gambling, instead of what they’re intended for. “A lot of times, these individuals are losing in their first round and they’re drawing down again and again while they’re at the casino, which leaves them no money to pay for other things that we think are essential for them to live.” She says the money is intended to pay for shelter, food, clothing, child support, gas and other necessities of life.
Boscola says this problem is not only hurting those unemployed, but also business owners and workers, since a portion of their pay covers 95 percent of all unemployment compensation. “I feel that those that are using their unemployment benefits should take into consideration others that are paying for it. [Employers and workers] just don’t appreciate that they’re using it at the casinos and wasting it away.”
The senator says just two years ago, lawmakers extended unemployment benefits because so many of them were complaining that they didn’t have enough to cover living costs. “Unemployment is at a record high, and we want to help them. But we don’t want them wasting their money…while they’re seeking new employment.”
Boscola says this legislation will make wasting unemployment compensation at casinos as difficult as possible.
She says she’s working with PGCB and it’s very probable that this will go into effect in the near future.

Bones at SCI Laurel Highlands Examined

Researchers at Mercyhurst College say they are starting to get a few clues about the lives and deaths of 23 humans found buried on SCI-Laurel Highlands property. The Department of Corrections knew there was an old cemetery near where they were digging to lay the foundation of a new building, but they thought they had avoided the area where the bodies were buried. Old maps were apparently a bit off and the excavation turned up 24 coffins. Mercyhurst College Applied Forensic Science Department Director Dennis Dirkmaat says they were called in to look at the first coffin in April and were called back a few times in the following weeks as more remains were found. Dirkmaat says some of the bones were in pretty good shape but others had been subjected to tough conditions. He says the soil is a bit acidic and some of the bones were subject to cycles of wet and dry as the ground water moved up and down. Dirkmaat and his students are working with 23 sets of remains. The 24th coffin was smaller and is believed to have held the remains of a child whose bones were not strong enough to withstand the rough conditions. In the coming weeks, Dirkmaat will be looking more closely at the bones to see if they can judge age, sex, stature and if there is any sign of illness or trauma. Dirkmaat says there is an indication of gunshot and other trauma with some of the remains. Clothing will be sent off to other experts who will try to use them to determine the time of death. The same records that misguided the digging show the area was used for a poor house and a mental institution in the mid- to late 19th century and early 20th century. The remains will eventually be returned to the Department of Corrections.

Pennsylvania Judiciary Launches Interactive Access to Court Information

Since last week, a new feature on the Pennsylvania Judiciary website has a new web feature that makes it easier for people to interact with the Judiciary.

Visitors can access the Public Comments page by clicking on a box on the www.pacourts.us page and report a problem or submit a comment and receive a response from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. People can still fax or mail in their concerns and expect a response.

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said they will honor all requests for confidentiality with the exception of requests that are referred to other agencies.

Steve Schell, Communications Coordinator for The Administrative Offices of Pennsylvania Courts says many of the requests that people have are for legal services. The Pennsylvania Judiciary does not provide legal services but makes referrals.

Penn State Opens Research Center On Marcellus Shale

Penn State has established the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.
The center’s co-director Tom Murphy says the center is funded entirely by the university. He says they’ve moved some dollars from other programs towards this particular effort because of the high demand for information on Marcellus drilling, since it impacts so many Pennsylvanians.
Murphy says, “The outreach part of [the center] is to take some of that same information out to wherever the demand might be within the different clientele groups we work with.” He says there’s a wide range of audiences that results will be reported to, such as state and federal legislators and landowners who are facing some of the impacts from drilling, industry and environmental groups.
Murphy says research will be made public. “We’ve done over 400 [public outreach meetings] over the last 5 and a half years. We’ll also have a series of "webinars" over time, and we have a website that we’ll be posting some of the results as it becomes available.”
Murphy says a number of current and future projects will involve undergraduate and graduate students. “There’ll be a variety of great opportunities going there for students.”

Speakers Weigh-in on Bill Requiring Paid Sick Leave

The House Labor Relations Committee held a hearing on legislation that would allow workers to collect paid sick leave. Several people from a number of organizations testified on behalf of the Happy Families Healthy Workplaces Act, which would require employers with 10 or more workers to  provide one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with a cap at 52 hours. Pathways PA’s President and CEO Carol Goertzel testified, saying workers should not have to choose between their job and their family’s well-being. She says in Pennsylvania, 46% of private-sector workers and 78% of low wage workers lack access to paid sick days. She says those are often people who work with the general population, such as restaurant, child-care, and nursing home employees. Goertzel says most employers fear that offering paid sick leave to employees will hurt their business and ultimately the economy. However, where it has been implemented, she says employers claim it's a success. “Employers who offer the opportunity to earn sick time say it ultimately improves their bottom line, not hurts it.”

Dr. Stephen Ostroff, Acting Physician for the Pennsylvania Department of Health says the common recommendation to “stay at home when you’re sick” goes ignored too often, yet is one of the most effective ways to get better and avoid spreading illness. He also says it's common knowledge that sick individuals are not as productive as those who are well. “We also know that when individuals are present in the work place or at school while they’re sick, they will inevitably spread this disease to their co-workers and classmates.”

Report Shows PA Women Earn Less than National Average

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released a report on women’s weekly earnings, nation and for Pennsylvania. The report found that Pennsylvanian women who were full-time wage and salary workers in 2009 had median weekly earnings of $654. That's 79 percent of the $825 median for their male counterparts.
The Bureau’s Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins says for every one dollar earned by a man, a woman earns 79 cents. Nationwide, that ratio was 80 cents to the dollar. Pennsylvania’s women’s to men’s earnings ratio has remained below national numbers since this data became available in 1997.
Watkins says this is one of the highest ratios ever reported in Pennsylvania since 1997, which could mean progress for the state. “It’s stabilized within 2 cents over the last 4-5 years, which is an increase from it’s historical levels of anywhere from 71 cents to 76 cents, so there has been improvement.”
Watkins says these numbers could fluctuate significantly depending on educational level. She says whether you’re a man or a woman, it really depends on the occupational distribution in a particular state.
Watkin reports that the ratio of women’s to men’s earnings has increased from 62 cents in 1979 to it’s peak of 81 cents in 2005 and 2006. She says earnings for college degrees by women have increased that ratio, so there is a clear correlation between weekly earnings and educational level.

Pennsylvania's Roads Rank Low

According to a report released by The American Society of Civil Engineers Pennsylvania could use some work on its infrastructure.

Of Pennsylvania’s 22,280 bridges, 27% are considered structurally deficient and 17% are deemed functionally obsolete. The state is ahead of others when it comes to dam safety but faces a required investment of $15.5 billion over the next two decades to replace aging facilities and comply with safe drinking water regulations. 38% of Pennsylvania’s roads are rated fair or poor. The group says public transit, the fastest growing mode of transportation needs more investments and that aging waste water management systems discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into Pennsylvania’s surface waters each year and need updating.

This is the second report released. The first one was released in 2006 after four Pennsylvania sections of ASCE joined together. Matt Pierce, President of the American Society of Civil Engineers said that in the four years since the last report card things have not gotten better.

This year’s Report Card looked at 12 areas: Bridges, Dams and Levees, Drinking Water, Navigable Waterways, Parks and Recreation, Rail, Roads, Schools, Solid Waste, Stormwater, Transit and Wastewater.

For more information go to www.pareportcard.org

Medicaid Enrollment Increasing in Pennsylvania

The downturn in the economy has driven more Pennsylvanians to enroll in Medicaid according to a report from the Pennsylvania Medicaid Policy Center at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The report found that as of February 2010, 17 percent of the state's population was on medical assistance. Center Director Judith Lave says from July 2006 to June 2009, medical assistance rose by 12.1 percent in adults and 9.2 percent in children. Enrollment in the Pennsylvania Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) rose by 34.7 percent. Lave says the increase could cause strain on next year's state budget because federal dollars have been offsetting the increase in participants.

Medical assistance currently accounts for 16.2 percent of the state budget.

Last Minute Filers Urged to Go Online

With just a few days remaining till the April 15 deadline to file taxes, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is extending hours at its Taxpayer Service and Information Center. Weekdays through April 15, the center will be open to take calls from taxpayers (717-787-8201) from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Acting Revenue Secretary Daniel Hassell said with the deadline fast approaching they wanted to be available to help...
"There's some stress involved, people need to file their taxes and get them done right and pay any money that's due. Our staff is available to help them through that so that everyone can meet their obligation.
Hassell says as of April 2nd, 2.6 million Pennsylvanians had filed their taxes electronically...by telephone and online.
That's a 2% increase over last year. 963,000 have filed paper forms.
Hassell says electronic filing means fewer errors, instant confirmation of successful filing, and faster processing of refunds. Hassell says it also saves the state about $3.49 per return.
To file using pa.direct.file, taxpayers need to provide their Social Security Number and one of the following: 2008 or 2007 tax liability; or, a Pennsylvania Driver's License or identification number; or, a registered e-signature with the Revenue Department.

Some Momentum For Constitutional Convention

Four of the six candidates for governor say they’d back some sort of limited constitutional convention to reform Pennsylvania’s state government.
Auditor General Jack Wagner, a Democrat, was the first candidate to back a constitutional convention to reduce the size of the General Assembly, implement campaign finance reform, and carry out other measures.
At a Harrisburg debate, Democrats Dan Onorato and Joe Hoeffel, as well as Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, said they’d support the effort, as well.
Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA has been advocating for a constitutional convention for several months now.
He’s pleased the idea is gaining traction.

"I was surprised that it took so long. You know, in January the Franklin and Marshall Poll said 72 percent of Pennsylvanians wanted a constitutional convention, and 72 percent didn’t know who they were supporting for governor. So you would expect some candidate to try and capture that 72 percent, and Wagner is now trying to do that more aggressively than the others."

Potts is hoping to place a convention referendum on the ballot this November.
In order for that to happen, Potts says the General Assembly would need to pass a bill on the matter by early summer.

Civil War History Now Accessible to All

New technology now gives people worldwide access to Pennsylvania Civil War History. This is through a partnership with NASA, Carnegie Mellon University and Google as part of the Global Connection Project.


The Pennsylvania Tourism Office now has giga-pan, a program that take a hundred high-resolution images and with special software stitch them together to create one massive panorama.

The visuals are then enriched with historical information about the war's battles, the role of women and children and of African-Americans. Michael Chapaloney, Director of Communications for Pennsylvania Tourism Office says in addition to seeing images, people also have the option of booking a hotel and choosing to visit the places they see.

To see the site go to www.pacivilwartrails.com

Wagner Unveils Government Reform Plan

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner says if elected governor, he’ll push for a limited constitutional convention to reform state government.
Wagner, who’s running in the Democratic primary, says he wants to reduce the General Assembly by one-third.....
"Theoretically, by reducing it 1/3 you should reduce the cost by 1/3. And it’s really one of the significant advantages – if we’re cutting state government, we should be cutting all aspects of state government."

He also wants to change the legislative redistricting process and eliminate all state employee bonuses.
He says the best way to implement those reforms is by calling a limited constitutional convention.

"It’s the only way to truly engage the public so they can become part of the process. Part of the process as to how this government can change and how it can improve. Why and most importantly, because it can make government more responsive to the people’s needs."

Amending the state’s constitution through a convention would be a lengthy process.
The General Assembly would need to pass a law calling for one, and then voters would have to approve a referendum.
Delegates would be elected, and then after they assemble and propose changes, the amendments would need to be ratified by voters.

State Revenues Below Estimate Again

Pennsylvania's February revenue collections came in below estimate--a familiar theme for this fiscal year that ends June 30th. The total shortfall is now $476.7 million--or 2.9%.

State Senator Wayne Fontana says even though revenue estimates were conservative, a sluggish economy, job layoffs and economic fears have depressed both personal and corporate income taxes and sales tax revenues more than anticipated. He says the legislature is looking to trim any fat from state programs without hurting schoolchildren or the poor, and new sources of revenue are being explored. Closing the "Delaware loophole", whereby large corporations generate profits here but avoid Pennsylvania taxes by incorporating in Delaware, could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Fontana, and some of that money could go to reduce small business taxes, as well as closing the budget gap.

Governor Ed Rendell's proposal to lower the sales tax from 6 to 4% but expand it to the professional services of doctors, lawyers and consultants is meeting a lot of resistance, says Fontana, but there may be support for taxing things like chewing gum and smokeless tobacco. He says a consensus may be forming around a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction.

Number of Pennsylvanians Slowly Growing

Pennsylvania's population is rising slowly but steadily. That's according to estimates released today by the U-S Census Bureau, which show a 2-point-6 percent growth rate between 2000 and 2009.
The nationwide increase was 9-point-1 percent. Sue Copella, who directs the Pennsylvania State Data Center in Middletown, says the rise in the commonwealth can be attributed to a few factors including the steady flow of people moving to other states is being outweighed by the number of people moving to the commonwealth from
other countries.
Overall, Pennsylvania remains the sixth-largest state.The numbers out today are overall statewide figures. The Census Bureau is expected to release local population estimates in March.

PA Welfare Secretary Joins Obama Administration

Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare Secretary is stepping down and headed to Washington, where she’ll take a job in the Obama Administration.
Estelle Richman will be the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s chief operating officer.
Governor Rendell heaped praise on Richman during a Capitol press conference, speaking for more than fifteen minutes about her accomplishments at DPW.

"It’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the interest of time, I didn’t read you all of the accomplishments DPW has made under this great woman. I believe that Estelle Richman has been, and I think the record will show, the most effective secretary of the Department of Public Welfare in the history of the commonwealth."

However, Richman has come under constant fire from House Republicans in recent months.
They’ve pointed to a report issued by Auditor General Jack Wagner’s office that found wasted dollars “and the potential for fraud” in DPW initiatives.
Rendell says critics are “wrong,” and that Richman turned the department around and increased efficiency during her tenure.
Richman says Secretary Shaun Donovan has asked her to coordinate efforts among HUD’s various departments.

"In the past, each of the what he calls ‘the Os’ –chief financial officer, chief procurement officer, chief policy officer, chief IT officer – have all pointed individually to the office of the secretary. And there hasn’t been a very integrated way that group works with the programmatic deputies to give HUD a single focusing mission."

Rendell is nominating Deputy Secretary Harriet Dichter to take over the department.

State Revenues Close to Estimate

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released the numbers for August tax collections, and they're only .7% below estimate. Last year the state had a $3.25 billion deficit, with revenues about 11% below estimate, according to spokesperson Stephanie Weyant. August is a small month for tax collections and only two months into the fiscal year, so it's too soon to draw conclusions about the whole year, but Weyant says there's room for optimism because economists are predicting that revenues will pick up in the second half.

Two categories above estimate were corporate taxes and tobacco and alcohol taxes; Weyant says other categories were below.