TATE

EPRESENTATIVE

Merle H. Phillips

108

Legislative District MerlePhillips.com

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO 432

Summer 2010

When the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rejected an application to toll Interstate 80, it was a victory for the people, businesses, and organizations who fought with agreat deal of determination and conviction.The FHWA’s rejection of the Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission’s application to toll I-80 sends a clear messagethat its proposal did not meet the strict federal guidelines nec-essary to allow the tolling. Tolling I-80 should not be used as ameans to raise revenue for mass transit and highway projectsin other areas of the state, and we are so pleased the federalgovernment agreed.Since 2007, hundreds of businesses have feared the dra-matic cost of tolls and that it would drive them out of business.Many companies put plans on hold to expand their operationsor locate here just because of the potential for tolling. Thisdecision helps protect these businesses and their thousandsof workers along the corridor and, in turn, may attract newbusiness and industry to our region of the state. Along with other state and federal lawmakers, I met withfour high-ranking officials with the Federal Highway Admin-istration in Washington, D.C. in December and conveyed tothem the concerns of our constituents. Namely among thoseconcerns were the negative economic impact and potentialloss of thousands of jobs, the high cost to local governmentsand taxpayers and the dangerous precedent a federal approvalwould set for transportation policy. Overall, tolling I-80 was poor public policy that punishes rural Pennsylvania in favor of morepopulated areas of the Commonwealth. Although I am glad that tolling I-80 has been rejected, wemust now find other funding sources to ensure that work cancontinue on the many road and bridge projects across the state.To tackle this problem, the House and Senate are currently en-gaged in a special session dedicated to funding Pennsylvania’stransportation network. I am hopeful we can find a better wayto fund our transportation needs in this state.

Social Security Oﬃce Relocatesto Better Serve Public

Recently, the Social Security office located at 300 MarketStreet in Sunbury relocated to Selinsgrove. Residents livingin Snyder, Union, and Northumberland counties will now beserved by the new Social Security office located adjacent tothe Susquehanna Valley Mall at 150 Susquehanna Valley MallDrive in Selinsgrove.The new Selinsgrove office offers several service enhance-ments, including a more centralized business location to eachcounty and abundant free parking available for visitors. Inter-view areas are brighter, quieter and provide greater privacy. Theoffice will also be equipped (in the near future) to hold videohearings that will save area residents from having to travel toWilkes-Barre to have their cases heard before a judge.Residents with access to an Internet connection mayconduct business online at

www.socialsecurity.gov .

Visitors can apply for beneﬁts, request a new Medicare card,get a proof of income letter, change their address or phonenumber, get directions to Social Security ofﬁces, downloadpublications or arrange for other services at an easy-to-use,secure and convenient Internet website.Social Security business can also be conducted at thepublic’s convenience 24 hours a day, including weekends andholidays, by calling toll-free: 1-800-772-1213. Representativesare available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on business days. Some of the services available include scheduling an appointment, re-questing a change of address, and signing up for direct deposit. Automated services are available 24 hours a day to request areplacement Medicare card or Social Security Statement, andto provide a variety of other forms and publications.

I-80 Tolling Application

R E J E C T E D

Sunbury Riverfront

Recently, groundbreaking for the riverfront project took place and nowthe real work has begun on the enhancements along Front Street. Thework taking place will result in new landscaping, curbs and walkways,and a pedestrian walkway over the floodwall. The key to the project isimproved access to residents of Sunbury. Residents can look forward toan amphitheater, a boat launch, and a fishing pier.Sunbury residents know how important the river wall is to their safety,but the city has always had a lack of accessibility to the river because of it. With this project, Sunbury can have the best of both worlds -- the safetyof the wall with improved access to the river. A lot of work has been put into this effort, and I believe the final productwill be well worth the countless hurdles that needed to be cleared to getto this point. It was the group effort and the local involvement that reallypushed this project forward.

Local Parks Receive Makeovers

Cameron Park in Sunbury recently beneﬁted from a makeover that included new landscaping, seating, lighting, and the relocation of the ﬂag pole to the west end of the park. I believe the improvements will only enhance the park’s ability to bethe focal point for visitors and residents of Sunbury.With a grant from the state, the 8

Street Park in Watsontown has been receivingnumerous upgrades. From the new lighting to the landscaping that has beencompleted, the park is now more user-friendly for the many residents that useit throughout the year. A new gazebo has been constructed, trees have been planted, park benches have been placed, and new playground equipment isbeing installed. This is the type of project that helps to improve the quality of lifeof residents in Central Pennsylvania. It was through the persistence of the latemayor of Watsontown, Bob Brown, that this project was made possible.

New Budget Keeps Spending in Check

The state budget, for the first time in eight years, was passed by the state House and Senate on June 30. The $28.04 billion spendingplan is reflective of our current economy, and we were pleased to be able to reduce the governor’s proposal by more than $1 billion. Although this budget isn’t perfect and I am disappointed in several of the funding reductions for valuable and worthwhile programs,I believe it strikes a good balance between state revenues, federalstimulus money and obligations to the people of Pennsylvania. Withan on-time budget, we were able to avoid the kind of negative impactlast year’s 100-day budget impasse had on many businesses and or-ganizations. Not only is the 2010-2011 budget on time, it also includesno new or expanded tax increases, as were proposed by the governor.Every dollar we were able to cut from the governor’s spending planrepresented another dollar cut from the looming deficit. As we did lastyear, we fought to better prepare Pennsylvania for the future.Basic education and the state’s 500 public school districts will re-ceive a $250 million increase, for an average increase of about 4.52percent. In addition, two of the many cost-saving initiatives that wespearheaded made it into the final budget plan. For the new 2010-11 fiscal year, there will be better utilization of the state’s purchasingpower through increased use of P-Cards, and more aggressive effortsto cut back on tax refund errors.There are many other ways we can raise revenue without tax in-creases and we will be working on getting those into law in the comingmonths. More detailed information about the budget is available on mywebsite at

MerlePhillips.com.

PreK-12 Education,$10.02 Billion35.7%Public Welfare,$10.44 Billion37.2%Corrections,$1.87 Billion6.7%