Harrisburg, October 10, 2013 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), the Senate’s Democratic Leader, today released the following statement reminding his House and Senate colleagues that funding for mass transit needs to remain a top priority as discussions continue on a proposed transportation funding plan for Pennsylvania.
“In the very near future the state House of Representatives may consider a transportation funding plan. While there is no question that Pennsylvania needs a robust plan to meet our road and bridge needs for the future, the plan must also include significant dollars for mass transit.
“Failing to incorporate mass transit funding as an integral part of any proposed plan will result in significant consequences for our transportation network and for the millions of people who use it to travel each day. While other policy initiatives are under consideration, we cannot allow the needs of our mass transit system to fall by the wayside, impacting commuter traffic and hundreds of transit agency jobs.
“The Senate plan – Senate Bill 1 – provided for an increased investment of $480 million annually by the fifth year of the funding plan. Any heavily watered-down transportation plan emerging from the House that fails to embrace the needs of mass transit is unacceptable and transit must not be split away from road and bridge funding. There must be a comprehensive package that funds rail, ports, airports and pedestrian projects in addition to roads, bridges and mass transit.
“Any plan that results in a significant loss of dollars for transit needs to be carefully reviewed by the Senate. Hard-working Pennsylvanians depend on mass transit systems for work. As we contemplate our future transportation needs, we must ensure that our plan includes solutions to fix the infrastructure problems we are currently face.
“Unquestionably, mass transit is critically important for Allegheny County and other regions of the state. An efficient and effective transportation system is an economic magnet; therefore there must be a major investment. No plan should be adopted by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor if it fails to address transit in a meaningful way.”
The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) has 2400 employees, operates 700 buses, 83 light rail vehicles and has 230,000 daily riders. Since 2007, the Port Authority has undergone significant reforms and the union has made significant concessions and has increased its healthcare contributions, increased age and service requirement and trimmed retiree healthcare costs.
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SCRANTON, Oct. 8, 2013 – Venture capitalists, public policy experts and economic development analysts today debated the strategic elements of the Senate Democratic plan to grow jobs and foster business creation and expansion in Pennsylvania.
Called “PA Works,” the Senate Democratic strategy is a multi-faceted approach that includes dozens of proposals and incorporates Sen. John Blake’s (D-Lackawanna) groundbreaking “Innovate in PA” program.
If enacted, “PA Works” would create an estimated 80,000 jobs and generate $2 billion in new private investment.
“We’re talking to local, state and private experts on the economy because we believe Pennsylvania can do more to drive economic activity and encourage investment and job growth. We’re excited about ‘PA Works’ and its prospects for both short- and long-term benefits to our state’s economy,” Blake said.
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The Senate Democratic Policy Committee, chaired by Northampton County Sen. Lisa Boscola, engaged three panels of experts at the University of Scranton’s Loyola Science Center.
“Stoking our economy, getting people back to work and helping businesses succeed should be government’s top priority,” Boscola said. “This is why we are presenting ‘PA Works’ and Sen. Blake’s ‘Innovate in PA’ to get this state moving again.”
Blake’s “Innovate in PA,” which was enacted when the governor signed the state’s tax code into law, is designed to improve Pennsylvania’s capacity to support the job creators of the future with new investments of nearly $100 million in the life sciences, advanced manufacturing, information technology and energy business sectors.
Mike Gausling, the managing director of Originate Ventures, praised “Innovate in PA” for being there for new businesses.
“Investors who don’t take as much risk aren’t going to show up (with investment dollars), so it is critical for the state to step up and provide early stage risk capital,” Gausling said.
For each dollar the state invests, said Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast PA CEO Chad Paul, there will be a $3.60 return.
The five critical elements of “PA Works” that were spotlighted at the hearing will invest in the state’s small businesses (SB 200, SB 205, SB 216), develop and rebuild infrastructure (SB 201, SB 236, SB 224, SB 1033, the expansion of H2O PA, and new PENNVEST funding), better prepare workers for in-demand jobs (SB 223, SB 230, SB 208, and industry certification), train veterans for fulfilling civilian careers (SB 203, SB 215, SB 231, SB 452, and increased opportunities for veteran contracting), and ease the burden on minority women and families (SB 228, SB 219, and SB 858).
“Pennsylvania is at a crossroads,” Blake said. “We need to choose the right path forward to create long-lasting and positive opportunities for business, job creation and economic development.”
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate increased in August to 7.7 percent while the national jobless rate hovered at 7.3 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said PA is 45th in the country in 2013 for year-to-date employment growth.
“Whether it’s struggling with a budget crisis, maintaining city services, or fighting crime and blight, we need a comprehensive strategy that will enable our urban cores to revitalize themselves, attract new investment, and emerge as destination points for new residents and businesses,” Boscola said.
“The creation of a single job ripples through the economy and benefits us all,” said Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development Executive Director Teri Ooms. “We all win.”
Others testifying before the committee on the “PA Works” plan and “Innovate in PA” were Richard Stein, CEO, Klios Inc.; Amy Luyster, assistant vice president, The Scranton Plan; Dr. Mel Billingsley, CEO, Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central PA; William J. Schoen, administrator, Skills in Scranton; Ronald Vogel, regional representative, PA Department of Labor & Industry; and David Jadick, acting public affairs officer, Tobyhanna Army Depot.
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Harrisburg, September 16, 2013 – Senate Democrats issued the following joint statement in response to Gov. Tom Corbett’s announcement of his plan to reform the state’s Medicaid program.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia) Democratic Appropriations Committee chair, Democratic Health and Welfare Committee Chair Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D-Philadelphia,) and Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia) Democratic chair of the Banking and Insurance Committee comments on the Corbett proposal. The statement is as follows:
“Senate Democrats welcome the discussion about health-care access and affordability now that Governor Corbett has outlined his plan and vision for providing health insurance to 600,000 working Pennsylvanians.
“For more than a year, Senate Democrats have been focused on expanding options and providing help for those in need of affordable health care as soon as possible. We remain convinced that the best and most effective option is to enroll newly eligible individuals into Pennsylvania’s existing Medicaid program.
“Our plan, expanding the current Medicaid program, would allow 600,000 Pennsylvanians to have access to health insurance on January 1, save taxpayers $400 million annually and create more than 35,000 jobs. This is the cost-and-effectiveness standard by which the Corbett initiative will be measured.
“The process has to move quickly. The administration needs to put the final details of its proposal together and submit that plan to the federal government. Many states will have expansion in place by January 1, 2014, including the surrounding states of Maryland, New York and New Jersey.”
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HARRISBURG, Aug. 20, 2013 – As more Pennsylvania children continue to drop from the rolls of the state’s landmark Children’s Health Insurance Program, a unified Senate Democratic Caucus urged the governor today to take immediate action to correct the problem.
The caucus – led by Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chairman Vince Hughes and Sens. Mike Stack and Shirley Kitchen – said the state should streamline CHIP’s renewal process by: starting “presumptive eligibility,” requiring the state’s CHIP program to interface with the free- and reduced-school lunch databases, and better promoting the program, among other recommendations.
“According to the monthly enrollment data produced by the Insurance Department, there was a decrease in CHIP enrollment of 7,726 children from July 2011 to July 2013,” the caucus’ letter to the governor said. “The largest loss of enrollment is in the free CHIP program.”
Additionally, as CHIP enrollment has dropped, the caucus said more than 98,000 children lost coverage through the Medical Assistance program between August 2011 and this past November.
The caucus said it believes CHIP enrollment is dropping due to administrative changes and the failure by the Insurance Department to employ best practices in its operation.
“What’s happening with CHIP in Pennsylvania means more working moms and dads are being forced to make tough choices with their budgets,” said Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). “No one should have to decide whether their paycheck will buy food, prescription medicine or the mortgage. But that seems to be what is happening more and more under this administration.”
“The drop in numbers should be a warning siren all by itself that changes are not working and corrective steps need to happen because our children are losing the care they need,” said Sen. Vince Hughes (D-Philadelphia). “I urge Gov. Corbett to make the changes we are suggesting. They should be quick and easy to do. Our working families should not have to wait any longer.”
In addition to starting “presumptive eligibility” and the other suggestions mentioned, the caucus said the Corbett administration should:
- Make health insurance screening/referral processes a part of school registration.
- Include a check-off box for insurance on the CHIP Really flyer that is sent to parents at beginning of each school year. Parents would sign and return the form each year.
- Change renewal notices to 90 and 45 days (currently, 90 and 60 days).
- Use a joint application and renewal form for Medicaid and CHIP.
“Doing these simple things will ensure that working families who can’t afford to pay for health insurance themselves will be able to provide health insurance to their children,” said Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia). “Other states have adopted many of these best practices. It’s time for Pennsylvania to make these improvements and ensure that each eligible child gets CHIP coverage.”
The caucus said it hopes the governor will accept the proposed changes in the spirit of bipartisanship and added it is ready to work with the administration to improve CHIP, which was started in 1992 by Gov. Robert P. Casey and quickly became a model that other states and the federal government followed.
“Children are our most valuable resources,” Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D-Philadelphia) said. “They are not a way to balance a budget or ever be used to gain an advantage or prove a point. Our children – and their working parents – need help. Let’s help them now.”
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Harrisburg, August 13, 2013 – Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today issued a statement disputing the Corbett administration contention that state funding earmarked for the Philadelphia School District was contingent on additional concessions from the city or organized labor.
Costa and other Senate Democrats participated in discussions in June with the governor’s senior aides — prior to the adoption of the state budget or Fiscal Code – concerning the $45 million state grant for the city. Philadelphia school officials have maintained that without the additional state funds the school district will not be able to open for the upcoming year.
“In the context of our discussions with the governor’s top aides there were no additional labor concessions discussed regarding the state grant.
“The fact is the district has already started implementing a wide array of significant fiscal, operational and education reforms pursuant to Act 71. These include labor contributions, transportation efficiencies and other important changes that will help address the district’s funding crisis.
“Act 71 refers to the type of systemic reform that the district has now put in motion not the imposition of contractual changes that have not been agreed to during the collective bargaining process.
“The Corbett administration needs to honor the commitment that it made and release the grant funding.”
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