Dear Friend,

As a lifelongresident of the 150thLegislative District,it is a privilege toserve as your staterepresentative. I amhonored that you havetrusted me to fight forthe issues that affectour local communities,region and state.Since taking officenearly four years ago, Ihave worked to reformour state governmentand make the entirelegislative processmore transparent.The various initiativesand issues that I have worked on over thepast two years aredescribed throughoutthis newsletter.My staff and I arehere to serve you. We offer a variety ofservices, includinghelp with PennDOTissues, informationabout student financialaid and senior citizenprograms, and copiesof state maps andother publications.Feel free to contactus with any state-related questions orconcerns.Sincerely,Michael A. Vereb

Bipartisan Team of Lawmakers Unveil PublicIntegrity Commission Proposal

Commission would root out and prevent public corruption

Fall 2010 Newsletter

On July 26, I joined a bipartisan group of legislatorsto unveil legislation to create a Public Integrity Commission (PIC). The PIC would take the place of the current State Ethics Commission and would servea dual law enforcement and education role. The PIC would be charged with uncovering and investigating corruption at all levels of government within theCommonwealth. Pictured with me from left to right:former Rep. Harold James (D-Philadelphia County),Reps. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne County), MikeO’Brien (D-Philadelphia County), Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware County), Curt Schroder (R-Chester County)and League of Women Voters of PennsylvaniaPresident Olivia Thorne.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHARRISBURG, PA PERMIT NO. 432

In the wake of a series of scandalsinv

olving elected officials throughout theCommonwealth, I joined a bipartisan groupof state legislatorsto spearheada legislativeeffort to createa Public Integrity Commission (PIC).Reps. CurtSchroder (R-ChesterCounty), EugeneDePasquale (D-York County) and John Yudichak (D-LuzerneCounty) joinedme in sponsoringthis legislation, which will createan independentgovernmentagency responsiblefor monitoringand investigatingthe actions ofpublic officialsthroughout theCommonwealth todetermine whetherthey are engagingin unlawful activity in connection withthe public officethey hold or for which they work.Our proposal calls for a seven-membercommission with professional investigatory staff to respond to complaints and seek outcorruption wherever it exists. The commission would have the power to subpoena recordsand witnesses relevant to an investigation,along with the authority to grant immunity andcompel testimony. The commission wouldalso serve an educational role by issuing yearly reports on public corruption.To bestinsulate the PICmembers from thepolitical process,commissioners would have tobe nominatedby a committeeconsisting of law school deans,district attorneysand goodgovernmentadvocacy groups.The governor would select sevenmembers from the15 nominated by the committee.Those nominatedby the governor would be subjectto confirmationby two-thirds ofthe state Senate.No more thanthree commissionmembers couldbe from the samepolitical party.The PIC wouldreplace the current state Ethics Commissionand expand its role and purview by employingtrained, certified law enforcement personnel with the authority to enforce laws relatedto public corruption. All of the existingfunctions and duties of the Ethics Commission-- including personnel, appropriations,equipment, files and records -- would be

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Visit My Web Sit

Vereb Holds Government ReformForum to Garner Public Inputon Ways to Improve All Levels ofGovernment

When I was first elected to the House in 2006, it was on a wave of voter outrage over the way things were being done in Harrisburg. As amember of the Speaker’s Reform Commission last session, I worked hardto reform government operations and make state government moretransparent. However, there is still much to be done.In order to restore the integrity of our governmental institutions andrestore the public’s trust, we need to have an open dialogue betweengovernmental officials and the people they are elected to represent.To enhance this dialogue, I hosted a forum for residents of the 150thLegislative District in June. The forum was a wonderful opportunity forconstituents to voice their opinions regarding what the next stepneeds to be for the reform movement in Harrisburg and through-out the state. A panel of local and county government officials, as well asnews reporters who cover the different levels of government, were on hand to give their view on what government reformsneed to be enacted and to answer questions from the audi-ence.The evening’s panelists included: Todd Stephens, Mont-gomery County Assistant District Attorney; Jenny Brown,Lower Merion Township commissioner; Stan Huskey,Times-Herald editor; Tony Phyrillas, Pottstown Mer-cury city editor; Alex Roarty, PoliticsPA correspon-dent; and Chris Freind, independent columnistand investigative reporter.This was an interactive event, with residentsencouraged to submit questions for the pan-elists throughout the evening. The panel dis-cussed a wide range of topics, including:property taxes, the impact of lobbyists, gov-ernment spending and the ongoing criminalinvestigation into the state Legislature.I had a wonderful time discussing theseissues with my constituents and I look forward to furthering this discussion throughother forums in the future.

Fixing theDelaware River Port Authority

Over the past several weeks, I have been working with New Jersey State AssemblymanDomenick DiCicco Jr. (R-Gloucester) to re-form the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA).The DRPA has come under heavy scrutiny formismanagement and a lack of transparency regarding the agency’s policies.The DRPA is responsible for the upkeepand maintenance of four bridges crossingthe Delaware River between Pennsylvaniaand New Jersey. This $300-million-a year bi-state agency is funded by the $4 tolls thatcommuters pay to cross the bridges. TheDRPA has proposed increasing tolls to $5 inJuly 2011.Recent revelations include the misuseof EZ Pass transponders by a former topagency official, inappropriate use of agency vehicles, a lack of any outside audits of theagency’s finances, questionable holiday bonus practices and the agency’s refusal toimplement an expanded ethics code seven years ago.Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and NewJersey Gov. Chris Christie have asked theDRPA to enact a list of changes to its op-erations. In the meantime, AssemblymanDiCicco and I have asked for the agency to refrain from implementing proposed tollhikes, scheduled to take place next July, untila full accounting of its funds is completed. We have also introduced bi-state legisla-tion to change the DRPA’s federal charterto make the agency more transparent andaccountable. Assemblyman DiCicco and I will continueto fight on behalf of hard-working taxpayers whose toll dollars help fund the DRPA. Forupdates on this situation, please visit my website,

www.RepVereb.com

transferred to the new PIC.Over the past few decades, newspaper headlines have described numerous government scandals involvingghost employees, job-selling, cover-ups and kickbacks for lucrative state contracts. “Bonusgate,” the Luzerne County “Kids for Cash” scandal, allegations of pay-to-play schemes within the executive branch and the licensing of casinoowners with criminal backgrounds are the latest examples of government bodies that have demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to appropriately police themselves.Obviously, the current safeguards we have in place don’t go far enough. The current system has turned a blindeye to government corruption for years. I came to Harrisburg because I believe state government needs to change.This legislation is a step in the right direction. A Public Integrity Commission with law enforcement powers will be ableto root out corruption and make government more transparent for all citizens of Pennsylvania.This legislation will strengthen Pennsylvania’s ability to fight government corruption and restore the public’s trust in itselected leaders.

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Bipartisan Team of Lawmakers UnveilPublic Integrity Commission Proposal

Reforming State Government

Since taking office, I have looked for ways to reform state government in order to restore the public’s trust. Below are a few of the initia

tives that I have been working on recently.

: RepVereb.com

Deadline to Apply for PropertyTax/Rent Rebate ProgramExtended

The deadline to apply for the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate pro-gram for 2009 is being extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2010.Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based ontheir rent or property taxes paid in 2009. The program benefits eligiblePennsylvanians who are 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18 years or older with disabilities.Eligibility income limits for homeowners are set at the followinglevels, excluding 50 percent of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits:• $0 to $8,000, maximum $650 rebate (Homeowners andrenters)• $8,001 to $15,000, maximum $500 rebate (Homeownersand renters)• $15,001 to $18,000, maximum $300 rebate (Homeownersonly)• $18,001 to $35,000, maximum $250 rebate (Homeownersonly)Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income,property tax or rental information required to process claims quickly and accurately.Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available by con-tacting my office at 610-409-2615, or by visiting my website at

www.RepVereb.com

In June, Sen. John Rafferty and I attended a check presentation by State Farm to the CollegevilleMain Street Program. The $3,500 check is tobe used for the State Farm Good NeighborsCurbside Appeal Program. Through this program, property and business owners in the designated Main Street district can receive a matching grant up to $500 to improve their curbside spaces withhardscaping or landscaping. I am pictured withState Farm Insurance agent Larry Hoak; LindaFlederbach, Main Street Manager; Debbie Riegner,Collegeville Ecomonic Development Corporationboard member; and Sen. Rafferty.

Budget Bill Inadequately Prioritizes Tax Dollars

Vereb votes against budget that spends too much

The 2010-11 budget that was voted on at the end of June increased state spending at a time when revenuescontinued to come in below calculations.I could not support a budget that unfairly and irresponsibly raised funds for cardboard checks and funding forpet projects, while at the same time decreased funds for vital environmental programs. Under this proposal, fund-ing for the Department of Environmental Protection took more than an 8 percent hit. Meanwhile, the Department ofCommunity and Economic Development received a 22 percent increase. It makes no sense and will hurt our state inthe long run. I think there was a much better way state tax dollars could have been more appropriately designatedin this budget.I could not, in good conscience, vote for a budget that sets the state up for failure. This budget spends too muchat a time when the state continues to face revenue problems. We face even more funding problems because thisbudget was balanced on the assumption that the state will receive more than $850 million in new federal funding,of which only approximately $600 million has been approved. An additional $250 million in cuts will now have tobe made to ensure a balanced budget. On top of that, going into the 2011-12 fiscal year, we will have to accountfor the loss of all other stimulus funds that were used to balance the budget. Altogether, the 2011-12 budget willhave to account for nearly $3 billion in exhausted stimulus funds, with no reserve funds to fall back on to help easethe budgeting process.Going forward, we need to get the state’s fiscal house in order. We cannot spend more than we are getting inrevenue. Families across the Commonwealth have had to tighten their household budgets, and it’s time for stategovernment to do the same.

Senior Expoto be Held

Please mark your calendar for

Thursday, Sept. 23

, for my annual Senior Expo.The expo will be held from 10 a.m.to noon and will be held at the IBEW Local 380at3900 Ridge Pike in Collegeville.This event isset aside to provide a wealth of informationto local senior citizensabout programs and serv ices available from local, state and federal govern-ments.My staff and I look forward to meeting with local seniors and their families duringthe Senior Expo,andI hope to see all of you there!