e Budget Challenge for 2010

e budget debate of 2009 will long be remembered in Pennsylvania, but not in apositive way. ere were competing proposals, threats of an income tax hike, layoffsof state workers, closing of state parks and the issue of federal stimulus dollars beingadded to the mix. In early August, a bipartisan budget proposal was derailed by politi-cal pressure. In October, an agreement was finally reached that resulted in a total statespending plan of just under $27.8 billion. e final figure was arrived at by combiningstate spending of $25.1 billion with $2.62 billion in federal stimulus funds. As a bot-tom line, it still spent too much money, considering that our revenues were $3.2 billionless than expected.e budget process started with the governor’s address in February 2009. ere weretentative” agreements reached several times through the summer and into the fall, butit took until October to finally pass a budget. is is simply and obviously unaccept-able.e problems thatled to that final bud-get continue. eeconomy has beenslow to recover and,as a result, revenuecollections are lag-ging behind. We face adeficit that is currently forecast at $500 mil-lion (better than lastyear, but still bad).e shortfall will needo be faced head-on, without the benefitof a Rainy Day Fund, which was drained of all of its $755 million to close the current budget. A major concern in this process will be the management of our debt load as a Com-monwealth. e increase of debt (from $6 billion to more than $10 billion) is a graveconcern. It’s bad enough that the state budget has increased from $20 billion to $29billion over the past seven years (a 5 percent increase), but the debt that we are passingon to the next generation has to be confronted, and that debt has grown to more than60 percent in this administration. We need to create a budget plan that doesn’t tax our residents and businesses more,and yet maintains our level of basic government services. is can be done, but it willtake a concerted effort from everyone involved. People are tired of partisan gridlock inHarrisburg, and this budget effort will take a strong spirit of cooperation. I welcomethat spirit of working together for the benefit of all of our citizens. We’ll hope to craft abudget for the state which is reasonable and right for the times.

Rep. Hennessey questions a witness at a recent House RepublicanPolicy Committee hearing. Seated with Rep. Hennessey, at left,Rep. William Adolph (R-Delaware) and at right, Rep. John Payne (R-Dauphin).

State Representative

Tim Hennessey

26th Legislative District

DISTRICT OFFICE:

1038 East Lincoln Highway Coatesville, PA 19320(610) 380-8600

SATELLITE OFFICE:

Old Elverson Train StationP.O. Box 255Elverson, PA 19520(610) 286-9194

Pottstown

(610) 326-2626

HARRISBURG OFFICE:

PO Box 202026Harrisburg, PA 17120-2026(717) 787-3431E-mail: thenness@pahousegop.com

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Check us out on the web at

RepHennessey.com

Aftermath of Coatesville’s Arson SiegeBrought Out Our Best

led the Coatesville community in latein many ways, and the effects are stille of community cooperation and unity in the wake of those fires. People fromelp their neighbors who had been vic-d that, in his budget address of 2009,me out by name and mentioned thee sent $500,000 in aid to the city toected expense of police and firefighterame through two state agencies, theission on Crime and Delinquency epartment of Community and Eco-nt (DCED). I thank the governor forat was given, and deeply appreciate histake this opportunity to thank Waltern of the Pennsylvania Commission onnquency, Michael Kane, PCCD execu-and the outstanding staff members of ictim’s Services who came to my offi ceand worked with the victims of thededication was unmatched, and they derful example of service and dedica-hose they helped. I am also very proudfforts made by my staff in this regard.community continues to live with theemory of these acts, but the valiant ef-all involved show what cooperation inof tragedy can do to help improve livesvide comfort.e and recognize our young citizens who apply themselves and succeed. Congratulationsrank of Eagle Scout - the highest award in scouting. Each of them devoted many hourss to help with their civic projects and then bringing those projects to a successful end.

herty erberry

Benjamin F. Anstrand

Troop 241 in DowningtownParents – Elizabeth and David Anstrand

Nathan Francis Braskey

Troop 95 in CedarvilleParents – Stephanie and David Braskey

Nicholas John Braskey

Troop 95 in CedarvilleParents -Stephanie and David Braskey

Joseph Hofbauer

Troop 117 in CoatesvilleParents – Helen and Joe Hofbauer

Kory Miller

Troop 79 in GlenmooreParents – Mr. and Mrs. Rick Miller

eodore Donatto Seher

Troop 117 in CoatesvilleParents – Kim and Ted Seher

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E a g l e S c o u t R o l l o f H o n o r

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Congratulations!

State Funds Garneredfor District 26

An important part of my job is to seek state funding to help local programs.Here’s a glimpse of some recent fundingobtained for House District 26:• $500,000 for police andﬁreﬁghters.• $530,000 for open spaceacquisition grants.• $13,800 for CYWA.• $5,100 for ChesterCounty Association forthe Blind.• $5,900 for Owen J. Robertspublic access TV.• $7,500 for recycling services.• $5,000 for elementary schoolplayground equipment.

Cory Tyler Trego

Troop 95 in CedarvilleParents – Mazzie and Randy Trego

Kevin Joseph Bowe

Troop 79 in GlenmooreParents – Valerie and Michael Bowe

James omson

Troop 56 in Honey Brook Parents – Bonnie and Andy omson

Omar Alexie Velez

Troop 95 in Cedarville

Parents – Damaris Rodriquez and Felis Velex

Robert Wallace Dougherty

Troop 406 in RoyersfordParents – Mary Lou and Terry Dougherty

William Scot Kabrich

Troop 95 in CedarvilleParents – Deborah and Bruce Kabrich

Tour of Area Agencies on Aging in Mercer, Lawrence and Crawford CountiesLow-Income HomeEnergy AssistanceProgram (LIHEAP)Has Been Extendedto April 2

Rep. Hennessey is shown here with Rep. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Mercer/Law-rence), right, following our tour.

Older Adult Services Committee, I received an invita-ion to meet with directors of three diﬀerent county’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), and tour several facili-ies in western Pennsylvania.Leaving Harrisburg at 7 a.m., we drove to westernPennsylvania, where Rep. Michele Brooks (R-Craw-ford/Mercer/Lawrence) and I met with AAA directorsin Mercer and Lawrence counties at the Shenango Val-ley Senior Community Center in Hermitage. We thenoured St. Paul’s Homes assisted living facility in Green-ville. At each stop, we discussed the proposed assistedliving regulations presently pending in the Legislature.Meadville was the next stop on this whirlwind tour,and a meeting with Crawford County AAA DirectorDonna Stimpson. Service needs and agency priorities were on the agenda, along with a tour of the commu-nity building there, which provides events and activi-ies to keep our older citizens active and help them stay healthy. A number of issues face the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, and ultimately the Commonwealth, about thvery informative. We covered issues such as the preservation of the Lotterlists, the increasing demand for services and the shortage of providers.I was back in Harrisburg by 10:30 p.m. that same evening. It was an eone as well.

State Grants 95 Acres of Pennhurst Property to East Vincent Township

Bipartisan cooperation helped move Senate Bill 568 through the Legislature, when the Senate acquiesced in an amendment I engineered on the House floorin August. e bill transferred 95 acres of the former Pennhurst state hospitalcampus to East Vincent Township.e legislation flew through the Senate in March, but ran aground in theHouse State Government Committee, where members rightly questioned why his valuable land in Chester County should be essentially donated to East Vin-cent Township. In a preliminary meeting of Republican members before a sched-uled meeting of the House State Government Committee, I pointed out that EastVincent had patrolled the property and provided police and fire protection for themany years since Pennhurst had been closed by a federal court order. e objec-ions were withdrawn and the bill came out of committee.But then, statewide veteran’s groups became concerned that the modular resi-dential units on a small portion of the property might be affected. I arranged anamendment to Senate Bill 568 to delay the transfer of that property until the StateBureau of Military Affairs certifies that, because of the imminent construction of a 120-bed addition to the main building at Southeast Veterans Center (SEVC) onhe adjoining property, the modular units are no longernecessary to house our veterans. East Vincent Town-ship has agreed to maintain the 95 acres permanently as recreation and open space, and to maintain the oldcemetery for Pennhurst patients, which occupies aportion of the property.e Pennsylvania Low-Income HomeEnergy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be available until April 2, which willallow more people to participate duringthis winter season, and a very diffi cult winter season it has been.e LIHEAP program helps income-eligible households pay for heat duringthe winter months. e original closingdate of the LIHEAP program was March15, but with the harsh winter, the pro-gram will continue until April 2. ecash grant amounts have also increased by 100. DPW anticipates helping approxi-mately 600,000 families with cash grantsduring the 2009-10 program year.For more information, and assistance with this program, please call my districtoffi ce.