Attention Korean War Era Veterans

If you are a veteran of the Korean War era who resides in the 160

District, my ofﬁce is looking for you. In October, I am hosting aceremony to honor the men and women who served during the Korean War. You can register to participate in this event by contactingmy ofﬁce, returning the attached registration form, or by completing the electronic registration form on my website,

SteveBarrar.com

.This June marked the 60

anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Often called “the Forgotten War,” I can assure you the serviceyou provided to our nation has not been forgotten or overlooked, as the border between North Korea and South Korea remains theworld’s most militarized zone, and North Korea is still a threat to peace.As a U.S. Navy veteran, I understand the sacriﬁces our servicemen and servicewomen have made to protect our families and our freedoms. I am looking forward to honoring the brave soldiers who fought in the Korean War so the rest of us would know safety.The event is open to Korean War era veterans who reside in the 160

District or veterans who have family members residing in thisdistrict. For a map of the district and a list of the municipalities it encompasses, visit my website.

Summer/Fall 2010

As the end of the 2009-10 legislative session approaches, there are manychallenges still facing our Commonwealth. I want to take this opportunityto update you on the status of the important issues state government isstriving to manage.The economy and unemployment are certainly the biggest concerns,as we continue to recuperate from the worldwide economic downturn.Though unemployment in the Commonwealth has remained below thenational average, we were still unequipped to deal with the number of unemployment claims ﬁled. Pennsylvania actually borrowed $3 billion fromthe federal government for its unemployment compensation fund. Beginningin January 2011, the bill will come due on this borrowing, and the federalgovernment has the right to increase the federal unemployment tax on allCommonwealth businesses until the debt is repaid.As the economy faltered so did state revenue collections, leading to 25consecutive months of collections failing to meet projections. Finally in June,the streak was broken and the state actually brought in more revenue thananticipated – mostly due to a successful tax amnesty program and licenses for table games. This is very important because our state budget is based on this

ear Neighbor:

Name: ________________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: ____________ Zip: ________________ Phone: ________________________________ Branch of Service: _____________________________________________ Years of Service: _______________________________________ Dates of Service: _____________________________________________ Where were you stationed: ______________________________

revenue forecasting. I am hopeful collections will continue to exceed projectionsbecause this will help the state avoid future budget cuts.Speaking of the budget, the state finally passed a budget on time for the firsttime during the eight-year Rendell administration. I voted against the spendingplan, and you can read more about my reasons for this on page 2.Finally, I want to remind you that my office is here to assist you with anyof your state government needs. If you would like information about statelegislation, need help working with a state department or agency, or if youhave any questions or concerns, you can contact my office. You can alsofind valuable information on my website,

SteveBarrar.com

, and on myFacebook page,

Facebook.com/RepBarrar

.SincerelyStephen E. Barrar State Representative160

District

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THE NEWS AT

Facebook.com/RepBarrar

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAID

HARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 432

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

steve barrar

Serving the 160

Legislative District

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cut and mail

The 2010-11 Budget In My View

Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of difficult budgets, alongwith many other states around the nation. As with last year’s budgetprocess, there were many complex challenges to tackle this year, butwe are able to pass a spending plan for the Commonwealth before thedeadline. Although the spending plan was passed on time, there aresome questions that have been put off to a later date, about which youwill read below.Ultimately, I voted against this budget for several reasons – I believeit puts Pennsylvania taxpayers at risk for future tax increases; I did notagree with the inclusion of federal funds before they were approved byCongress; and I do not think it represents the wisest allocation of our limited resources.Following is an analysis of the budget:Taxes:I am pleased to inform you this budget does not contain anynew or increased taxes, such as a personal income tax or businesstax increase. Although there are no new taxes at this time, the Houseand Senate leaders agreed to consider a severance tax on natural gasdrilling by Oct. 1 of this year. Also, as stated above, the spending in thisbudget will likely be a catalyst for future tax increases.Cost-Saving Measures:One thing I really liked about this budget wasits inclusion of cost-saving measures, which will increase governmentefficiencies. The use of purchase cards (P-Cards) will save the state $10million by reducing the use of paper checks for transactions and earningcash back for the state on its purchases. The recovery of tax refunderrors will garner $35 million. I believe the state needs to incorporatemore cost-saving measures into future budgets.Spending:The total spending number for the 2010-11 budget is $28.04billion, which represents a $207 million increase. This is $1 billion lessthan the original budget request by the governor, but it is still unsustainablebecause Pennsylvania has beensupplementing spending over the past two years with billions of dollars in federal stimulus moneyset to expire after this budgetcycle. When stimulus moneyends, the Commonwealth willbe left with at least a $3 billionstructural deficit. Though $207million is a modest spendingincrease when compared withprevious years under the Rendelladministration, it is irresponsiblegrowth when you consider thestate ended last year with a $1billion deficit. I also believe theforecasted 3 percent growth inrevenue collections is overlyoptimistic, though I would love tosee it happen.Risky Use of Federal Money:This budget contains $850 million in federalmedical assistance funds (FMAP), which had not been approved byCongress when our budget bill was voted. Congress finally approvedthe money in August, but we will receive $255 million less than expectedso budget cuts will be necessary. I have been very vocal about myopposition to including this money in the budget and am disappointedat the predicament in which the state now finds itself. We should havewaited for Congress to act before budgeting based on assumptions.Education:When the budget was signed into law, basic education wasslated to get a $250 million increase; however, due to the reduction inFMAP funds Pennsylvania will receive, this funding is subject to change.For public school districts in the 160

District, the increase in fundingwas originally allocated as follows:Unionville-Chadds Ford – 2 percent or $59,976West Chester Area – 2.32 percent or $166,867Chichester – 2 percent or $203,102Garnet Valley – 2 percent or $73,655Penn-Delco – 6.5 percent of $386,658With the exceptions of the Penn-Delco and West Chester Area schooldistricts, most of the public schools in the area will receive the bare minimumincrease of 2 percent. This is unacceptable to me, and I will continue myfight for a more fair and equitable distribution formula and funding source.Economic Development:With nearly every other department seeingcuts, the Department of Community and Economic Development stillreceived an increase in funding of $59.3 million. Though we need tospur economic development, I believe there are better ways to do sothan allowing the governor to travel around the state handing out checks.If we truly want to encourage job creation and business expansion,we should make Pennsylvaniamore business-friendly, helpingall businesses and not just achosen few.Increased Borrowing:I amfurious about the increasedborrowing contained in the finalbudget package, which will fundprojects like a library named for Sen. Arlen Specter and a policycenter for the late CongressmanJohn Murtha. This is yet another example of the mixed-up prioritiesof this administration. Withall of our financial challenges,these projects are less thannecessary.If you would like more detailedinformation about the budget,visit

SteveBarrar.com.

On March 22, I proudly welcomed Ron Jones and his family to the stateCapitol. Ron was recognized in the House chamber for his service to hiscommunity and his country, as a decorated Vietnam War veteran and alifetime ﬁreﬁghter. Ron resides in Aston Township, where he was voted “Person of the Year” for his commitment to community service.

w w w . S t e v e

This spring, I hosted students from Chichester High School, who visited Harrisburg to learn about state government. Their day included toursof the Governor’s Residence and the Capitol and a session about theinner workings of state government. It was a pleasure to host thesebright young future community leaders. If you would like to set up a tour of the Capitol, contact my ofﬁce.

Veterans AssistanceHours OfferedMonthly in My District Office

The veterans assistance hours hosted in my district ofﬁcefrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every monthhave been a great success. Veterans from all over the 160

District have taken advantage of this service, provided by arepresentative from the Pennsylvania American Legion.If you are a veteran residing in the 160

District and youhave questions regarding the beneﬁts and programs availableto you, I strongly encourage you to make an appointment for these hours.It is an honor for me to facilitate this service for our nation’sveterans, who have done so much for America. I plan to continueoffering these hours throughout the rest of the year and possiblybeyond. If you would like to make an appointment, call my ofﬁceat (610) 485-7606.

Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R-Delaware) and I attended the welcome home party for Lt. Commander Kristie Robson, M.D., who served as a doctor in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. Robson was presented a ﬂag and we extended our heartfelt appreciation for her service to her nation and to injured troops in the ﬁeld.

Barrar Takes on Voter Intimidation

You may have heard the story about voter intimidation taking place inPhiladelphia during the 2008 election by two members of the New BlackPanther Party* (NBPP), who allegedly approached and intimidated avoter at his polling place. One of the NBPP members was carrying anightstick, and the incident was caught on tape.Because this took place in Philadelphia, I am in the process of introducing legislation calling on the Pennsylvania Congressionaldelegation to:• Request a review of the acts of the Justice Department in investigatingand handling this matter – the department initially took up the matter but later dropped the suit.• Introduce legislation requiring U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez to investigate this matter and issue a report as to why the case was not substantially concluded.• Demand the Justice Department comply with subpoenas issued by theCommission on Civil Rights and allow attorney Christopher Coates andothers to testify in the commission’s investigation of the Justice Department.It is appalling that voter intimidation of any kind has occurred in theCommonwealth, and worse that it has not been properly investigated.It is my goal to ensure our system of fair and open elections continues,and all voters feel safe when entering the polls to exercise their rightto vote.This legislation is still in the process of being drafted, but I will keepyou updated as it moves through the legislative process.

*This is not the same organization as the Black Panther Party, which is not associated with the NBPP.

House Bill 2497 FallsShort of NeededPension Reform

In late June, the House considered a measure aimed ataddressing the multi-billion dollar public pension spike expectedto hit both the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS)and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS)in 2012. When this spike hits, employer contributions towardpublic pensions will see a significant jump.Public pensions are defined benefit plans, entitlingparticipants to a specific retirement benefit based on salaryand years of employment. The pensions are funded by acombination of a set employee contribution, investment returnsand employer contributions. In the past decade, there havebeen two economic downturns, severely impacting returns oninvestments. Unfortunately, when these investments wereproviding lucrative returns, the employer contribution rate waslowered. This left the fund vulnerable to market variations,and with returns low, the employer contributions must beraised to meet pension obligations. Employer contributionsare essentially taxpayer dollars.House Bill 2497 seeks to address the pension spike byreducing the multiplier used in the pension formula, increasingthe vesting period from five to 10 years, eliminating lump sumpayouts, and increasing the retirement age. Unfortunately, theseremedies will only impact new hires because the PennsylvaniaSupreme Court has ruled on three separate occasions that theLegislature cannot alter benefits for existing employees.When this legislation came before the House for a vote, Iopposed the bill because I believe it does not do enough toprotect property taxpayers from tax increases necessary tomaintain the solvency of PSERS. I was also disappointed thatmany Republican amendments that would have provided long-term pension reform were not allowed to be considered on thefloor. This included a provision that would have moved publicemployees, including members of the General Assembly, to a401(k)-like defined contribution system.Pennsylvanians deserve real public pension reform – nota watered-down attempt to appease the public. If House Bill2497 is enacted as written, we will still face a multi-billion dollar unfunded liability in the pension system, and I believe theCommonwealth’s taxpayers deserve better. I will continue tofight for a real solution to pension reform – one that does notsimply push off the burden to future generations, but offers agenuine resolution to an expensive issue.

a r r a r . c o m

Recently, the Penn’s Grant Questers visited Harrisburg for a tour of the Capitol. Pictured from left are Ginny and Don Roberts, Pat and Jeff Simmons, LouCinda and Ronald Bushick, Gladys and Don Smith, and me.