HARRISBURG, Jan. 8, 2013 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, recently re-appointed as Democratic chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, said today she will use the position to push for changes in Pennsylvania’s minimum wage law in order to prevent working parents from sinking into poverty.
“This is the committee where I’m comfortable and this is the committee where I have had great experience and success,” she said. “Making sure there are jobs for everyone who wants to work and making sure those jobs pay enough to put food on the table have been my main focus in the Senate and that will remain the same.”
The last time Pennsylvania passed a minimum wage adjustment, in 2006, it came after six years of effort over three sessions and three different bills, Tartaglione said.
“Obviously it takes more than public support, it takes a great deal of communication with colleagues and a concerted effort by all of those who believe in fair wages,” she said. “We’ve done it before and we will do it again.”
In the most recent Senate session, Tartaglione introduced a bill that would have tied the state’s minimum wage to inflation, as ten other states have done. She tried to have language from the bill inserted in another wage bill being considered by the Labor and Industry Committee, but the amendment was tabled, rather than receiving a vote.
“Everyone knows that the public overwhelmingly supports fair wages,” she said. “In the states where minimum wage calculators were put before voters – even red states – they were approved overwhelmingly. It’s just a matter a getting past the special interests.”
Tartaglione was the author of the state’s last minimum wage bill, which raised the state’s lowest wage from $5.15 to $7.15 in several steps. Since then, the federal minimum wage was increased to $7.25.
After the last increase, Tartaglione said, Pennsylvania’s poverty rate took a steep decline, only to gradually increase to a 20-year-high in 2010.
“Paying minimum wages that don’t keep pace with inflation puts more burden on government services, like food stamps and child care,” Tartaglione said. “Putting and inflation index on our minimum wage would decrease that burden and create a predictable base for employers.”
In addition to the Labor and Industry Committee, Tartaglione has been appointed to the Senate Rules and Executive Nominations Committee where, as Democratic Caucus Secretary, she helps guide the administration’s nominations through the Senate confirmation process.
She has also been named to the Law and Justice and State Government committees.
HARRISBURG, December 21, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today attended ceremonies honoring a class of “There is something incredibly inspiring about being in the presence of young men and women about to embark on a career of public service that requires such dedication and sacrifice,” she said. “It’s an honor to watch.”
While attrition had created hundreds of State Police vacancies, lean recessionary budget years provided little or no funding for new cadet classes, Tartaglione said. However, after more than three years of effort, Tartaglione’s bill to raise revenue training classes while creating a fairer fine-distribution system passed the legislature and was signed into law last summer.
Senate Bill 237 will raise as much as $4 million for cadet training, while municipalities that provide less than 40 hours of local police coverage will lose their share of fines collected through State Police traffic stops.
“It’s clear from the recent events in Connecticut that investing in the future of our State Police is critical to public safety and the quality of life in Pennsylvania,” Tartaglione said. “We were not training enough new troopers to keep up with the need and at the same time some large municipalities were taking advantage of State Police. That hurt all of us.”
The cadet class was the 134th class to graduate from the State Police Academy in Hershey since it opened in 1960.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 12, 2012 – Philadelphians who have had their electric service terminated should check into their eligibility for a state program that provides utility grants in crisis situations, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.
As part of Pennsylvania’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Department of Public Welfare has implemented the LIHEAP Crisis Exception Program. This program will provide grants for customers that have been terminated and have not been restored.
“For thousands of families, the effects of the recession linger and losing electric service in the winter can be life-threatening,” Tartaglione said. “Residents who have had their service terminated should consider applying for the crisis grants to help them get through tough times.”
According to the Department of Welfare, PECO will conditionally accept crisis exception grants for customers that are terminated and have arrearages under $4,000. Grant acceptance on customers with balances over $4,000 will be addressed on a case by case basis.
To apply for the LIHEAP Crisis Exception Grant, the customer must appear in person at the Philadelphia Assistance Office, 1348 W. Sedgley Avenue. The customer will be required to provide either a PECO Service Denial Letter, or a notice stating service has been terminated (less than 30 days old).
If, the customer’s service was terminated less than 30 days ago, and they are requesting a notice to apply for the grant; the County Assistance Office will accept the Post Termination Notice left at the property as proof of termination. Customers will be asked to provide the following:
Proof of income for the past 30 days for all members of the household
A bill for their primary heating source
Identification/Social Security information for all members of the household
If, the customer’s service was terminated more than 30 days ago, PECO will provide the customer with a Service Denial Letter or tell them to bring their post termination notice to the Assistance Office.
For more information on the Crisis Exception Grant Program, call 215-560-1583
HARRISBURG, Dec. 5, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione is asking Corbett administration officials why an international gambling company created a Delaware corporation to submit its bid to take over the Pennsylvania Lottery.
According to Delaware’s Department of State, Camelot Global Services PA LLC was created Nov. 13 with its headquarters located at 1209 North Orange St. in Wilmington, the same address as thousands of other large companies.
In a letter to Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser, Tartaglione expressed concern that, like many others, the Delaware entity created by Camelot could be a “shell” company used as part of a tax strategy.
“More than a year ago, in response to questions about the notorious Delaware Loophole, you assured my colleagues and I that the Department of Revenue was doing everything it could to ensure that companies doing business in Pennsylvania are paying their fair share of taxes,” Tartaglione wrote. “The building at 1209 N. Orange Street in Wilmington is home to more than 6,500 companies, yet has only has 35 parking spaces.”
Tartaglione has been the legislature’s chief proponent of closing the “Delaware Loophole,” a tax avoidance strategy uncovered by several state lawsuits against large corporations. The loophole has proven so expansive that the governments of Switzerland and Luxembourg – both targets of U.S. tax scrutiny – have complained.
Tartaglione is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 679, which would require “combined reporting” for businesses in Pennsylvania, closing the loophole.
In her letter to Meuser, Tartaglione said she was seeking the answers to three questions as the administration goes over Camelot’s proposal:
Why did Camelot Global Services create a new Delaware subsidiary to submit its bid for Pennsylvania’s lottery system?
What is the department’s estimate of the corporate taxes that will be paid by Camelot Global Services PA LLC?
How many people are currently employed by Camelot Global Services PA LLC and how many of them work in the corporate headquarters at 1209 N. Orange St., Wilmington, Delaware?
HARRISBURG, Nov. 29, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised Gov. Corbett’s recently expressed commitment to cutting the long waiting list of intellectually disabled adults who need community-based services.
Tartaglione was reacting to remarks made during the governor’s visit to Vision for Equality, in Philadelphia, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I’m encouraged that we might be seeing a change in direction for the administration which had previously targeted programs for vulnerable Pennsylvanians during budget cutting,” Tartaglione said. “We would welcome the governor to join us in the effort to create opportunity for every Pennsylvanian who is willing to work despite the challenges they face.”
Thousands of intellectually disabled adults have been idled on Pennsylvania’s waiting list for services that provide work training, personal care and therapy after they pass the age of 21.
During his visit yesterday, Corbett expressed the goal of finding the money to “eradicate the waiting list,” according to the Inquirer.
“Over the past two years, vulnerable Pennsylvanians have borne the burden of severe budget cuts and curtailment of services,” Tartaglione said. “My colleagues and I have offered a few good suggestions on how we can realign priorities to fund these services, but we’ve gotten no support from the administration. It looks like that might change.”
HARRISBURG, Nov. 28, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today called on the Corbett administration to quickly begin implementation of the recommendations of the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection.
“Some of the recommendations can be done without legislation and those should be done as soon as possible,” Tartaglione said. “This can’t be one of those reports accepted with praise only to sit on a shelf for a year.”
Staffing for ChildLine, a 24-hour hotline for abuse reports, should be increased right away, Tartaglione said. The task force report said that 8 percent of calls are dropped.
“It doesn’t do any good to expand the number of people who are required to report child abuse if there’s no one on the other end of the line,” she said.
Tartaglione praised the task force for addressing the definition of “child abuse” to move away from degree of pain as a threshold.
“The current standard is unreliable, especially when dealing with young children, whose ability communicate their feelings to a responsible adult or court is often limited,” she said.
The Task Force on Child Protection was formed after the arrest of former football coach Jerry Sandusky, whose years of child molestation continued even after allegations came forward.
“Clearly the penalties for failing to report and follow-up on a child abuse allegation are not sufficient to overcome other motives,” Tartaglione said. “That has to change and we have to make sure that we expand the reporting requirement to anyone who is responsible for the welfare of children.”
Some of the recommendations for staffing and reporting will require increased state funding, a challenge that has stifled previous “blue-ribbon” reports.
“It will be a test of priorities,” Tartaglione said. “There was a lot of tough talk after the scandal broke, but there is some question as to whether that talk will translate to action when the action requires money to be spent.”
HARRISBURG, Nov. 21, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione announced today that she is again hosting a “Toys for Tots” collection box in each of her two district offices.
“Through these years of difficult financial times, the people of Philadelphia have always found a way to help those less fortunate,” Tartaglione said. “Toys for Tots has become one of the great and traditional ways of doing that.”
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
Since the program started in 1947, Marines have distributed more than 452 million toys to more than 209 million needy children
“Many of the people who stop by to drop off toys say they were once recipients of Toys for Tots,” Tartaglione said. “It shows the importance of this tradition to the community.”
Tartaglione is asking the community to bring new, unwrapped toys to the collection boxes at her district offices at 1061 Bridge Street and 127 W. Susquehanna Ave.. The offices are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Coordinators pick up the toys and store them in central warehouses where the toys are sorted by age and gender.
At Christmas, coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies, church groups, and other local community agencies, distribute the toys to the needy children of the community. The toys will be collected until December 17.
HARRISBURG, Nov. 20, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione is urging US Air to settle long-stalled contract talks with its current workers before closing a merger with American Airlines.
In a letter to Douglas Parker, CEO of US Airlines Group, Tartaglione said pursuing a merger before settling with its own workers would make it more difficult to reach long-term stability.
“If a merger between U.S. Airways and American Airlines comes to fruition, we worry that your current labor problems will be compounded, making the ratification of new U.S. Airways’ labor contracts even more unlikely,” Tartaglione wrote. “This will put further distance between your employees and the new contracts they both desire and deserve.”
Three principle unions at US Air have been working without a new contract since the airline’s 2005 merger with America West, a period that has brought the airline record profits. US Air stock doubled in price this year.
In pursuit of a merger with American Airlines, which would create the world’s largest air carrier, US Air reached preemptory labor agreements with three of American’s unions in April, while its current labor force continues to seek an agreement.
“It concerns us that you were able to swiftly negotiate with another airline’s unions, while at the same time neglecting the mounting labor issues within your own organization,” Tartaglione wrote. “This leads us to believe that you place more of a priority on a merger than on the wellbeing of your own employees.”
Tartaglione, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, was joined on the letter by state Rep. William Keller, the Democratic Chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee.
News outlets have reported that parties involved in a possible merger – the airlines, American’s creditors, and the unsecured creditor committee have met recently to negotiate the details.
US Air is a major employer in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to retain those jobs, including $264 million in lease concessions at Pittsburgh International Airport to help US Air emerge from bankruptcy in 2003.
HARRISBURG, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, the first woman to ever be elected to a Senate Democratic caucus leadership post, was reelected today by her colleagues.
Tartaglione, now in her fifth term, is the Senate Democratic Caucus Secretary, a position that oversees the Senate handling of executive nominations that require Senate confirmation.
The news comes little over a week after Democrats picked up three seats in the Nov. 6 election to dramatically shift the balance in
“Once again I’m grateful to my colleagues for their confidence and support,” she said. “We have three very qualified new members and we are looking forward to using that mandate to stem the erosion of support for education, working families and job training. “
During the Senate session that officially ends Nov. 30, Republicans held a 30-20 seat majority which worked with the Corbett administration to eliminate health-care and job-training programs, slash the education budget and apply a “hands-off” administration to gas drilling.
HARRISBURG, Oct. 31, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today reminded voters that Pennsylvania officials have extended the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot.
“Hurricane Sandy forced a halt to most government services, putting pressure on last-minute absentee ballot applicants,” Tartaglione said. “The new deadline gives those affected by the storm and local election officials a chance to catch up.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot for the upcoming General Election had been yesterday at 5 p.m. That deadline has been extended until 5 p.m.Thursday in Philadelphia and other counties affected by the storm.
Even with the extended deadline, time is short for those who can’t vote in person on Nov. 6, Tartaglione said.
“The deadline for turning in the ballot is still 5 p.m. Friday, which is unchanged,” Tartaglione said. “Voters who apply for an absentee ballot should be prepared to fill it out and vote on the spot, rather than wait for the ballot to come in the mail.”
Absentee ballots can be obtained at City Hall, Room 142. Anyone with questions can call the city elections office at 215-686-3469.
Harrisburg — October 30, 2012 – (9:20 a.m.) Gov. Tom Corbett provided additional details on how Pennsylvania is dealing with Hurricane Sandy earlier today at a briefing held at Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) headquarters. the briefing was carried live on local television.
Later today, the governor said he will be speaking with President Barack Obama and will be in contact with Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie of New York and New Jersey respectively, to determine if resources are able to be shared.
The center of former Hurricane Sandy is now over Chambersburg and the strength of the storm has diminished. There has been local flooding and reports of wind damage. Two deaths have been reported.
The governor said that 1.3 million Pennsylvanians are without power this morning. There are 603 people in shelters and that 48 shelters are operational. Thirty-eight counties have issued disaster declarations. PEMA is on level one status and 1,700 National Guard troops have been deployed.
SEPTA and Amtrak remain closed although speed restrictions on interstates have been lifted, except for I-90 and I-79 in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The storm dumped between 6-9 inches of snow in the Laurel Highlands and that western Pennsylvania will see additional impacts in Pennsylvania as the storm moves west then north.
Last night, the governor indicated that there would be an extension for submitting absentee ballot applications in those counties where the courthouses have been closed as a result of the storm. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the deadline for voters to request absentee ballots – originally 5 p.m. Tuesday – has been extended by up to two days, depending on how many days county offices were forced to close because of the storm.
Resources:
An excellent list of telephone numbers for utilities and other contact information was released yesterday and posted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Find out up-to-date information about Hurricane Sandy from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency on its website www.readypa.org or by calling 1-888-9-READYPA
Information about major state road closures is available by calling 511 or by www.511pa.com
October 29, 2012 — (6 p.m.) Gov. Tom Corbett held briefing to update the status of Hurricane Sandy and its impact on Pennsylvania. The governor said that the storm had 90 mile per hour winds and was making landfall in New Jersey and expected to move west. The storm was moving at 28 miles per hour but would slow down over land.
The eye of the storm is expected to pass south of Harrisburg by 2 a.m turn north and pass State College by 2 p.m. tomorrow. It is expected to take a path over Philadelphia and will hug the southern border of Pennsylvania. The outer winds of the storm will reach Johnstown. The governor expected flooding to be significant in some portions of the state.
There are 58 evacuation centers that are able to handle 31,000 people. As of 6 p.m., 100,000 Pennsylvanians were without power. The governor said he was going to close the interstates near Philadelphia beginning at 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. There are currently 308 Pennsylvania residents in shelters as a result of the storm.
In response to a question from the media, the governor indicated that there would be an extension for submitting absentee ballot applications in those counties where the courthouses have been closed as a result of the storm. The extent of the extension would depend on the number of days that the courthouse was closed.
Resources:
An excellent list of telephone numbers for utilities and other contact information was released today and posted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Find out up-to-date information about Hurricane Sandy from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency on its website www.readypa.org or by calling 1-888-9-READYPA
Information about major state road closures is available by calling 511 or by www.511pa.com
Harrisburg – October 19, 2012 — Senate Democratic Leaders today called Pennsylvania’s latest employment report “unfortunate, but not surprising” given the lack of interest in rising unemployment on the part of the Corbett administration.
“It’s a trend that needs to be reversed immediately,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “The national economy and economic picture are improving while Pennsylvania is going in the other direction.”
For the first time in six years, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is higher than the national rate, and the state has fallen from seventh to 38th in job creation. The state’s unemployment rate for September was 8.2 percent, well above the national average of 7.8 percent.
“The rest of the nation is showing job gains and economic recovery and Pennsylvania is economically in reverse,” Hughes said. “The administration’s answer is to give tax breaks to wealthy corporations while it cuts programs that train Pennsylvania’s workforce and keep our citizens employed.”
Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee said the jobs trend is disturbing.
“The fact that our unemployment rate is higher than the national average is eye-opening,” she said. “The governor’s lack of comprehensive job and development plans cannot be ignored any longer – we need investment in education, transportation and workforce training programs that will put Pennsylvanians back to work immediately.”
The Democratic leaders called on the Corbett administration to end more than a year of procrastination on transportation and job creation plans and detail to the legislature what he wants in the way of legislation.
“There are plenty of good ideas to create jobs,” Costa said. “When we return to session we should have a detailed transportation and jobs plan from the administration in front of us that has the support of businesses, unions and public officials across the state. Right now, we’re getting only silence from the Corbett administration.”
Among the plans cast into legislation is one from Senate Democrats called “PA Works” which is aimed at creating more than 80,000 new jobs.
PA Works would make use of state resources, leverage private resources and make critical long term capital investments that would create new opportunities for future growth and development.
October 15, 2012: Sen. Tartaglione hosted the 2012 Senate Disability Day. This event provided all members and staff with the opportunity to experience, first hand, what it is like to have various disabilities. Wheelchairs, walkers, vision-distorting goggles, magnifiers, arm restraints and noise canceling headphones were available to try – for a few minutes or for a few hours.
HARRISBURG, Oct. 2, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today said a Commonwealth Court decision restores voting rights for thousands of Pennsylvanians, but can’t entirely fix a “costly mistake.”
“I’ve been confident all along that the courts would see the serious flaws and dubious reasoning behind voter ID,” Tartaglione said. Unfortunately, the ruling comes after the millions of dollars were wasted trying to get this done in time to affect the presidential election. The effort was a costly mistake and it comes at a time when we’re cutting back on help for families with disabled children and other important social services.
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson ordered state election officials to continue the “soft roll-out” of voter ID, similar to what took place in the spring primary. Voters will be asked for ID, but will not be required to present it to vote.
Tartaglione said a great deal of damage has already been done by the push to convince voters they need a certain type of photo ID to vote and efforts in the next few weeks should focus on clarifying the situation for voters.
“I hope the administration has a plan for trying to set the record straight for thousands of voters that were misinformed over the past few months,” she said. “It’s a mess that has to be cleaned up.”
Tartaglione said the issue has been a chief source of anxiety in her district which has a disproportionate number of affected voters.
“For months I’ve been hearing from frustrated seniors, students and others who didn’t know what the requirements were and the requirements kept changing,” she said.
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2012 – Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today released the following statement on today’s Commonwealth Court ruling:
“I’ve been confident all along that the courts would see the serious flaws and dubious reasoning behind voter ID.
With just over a month to go before the election, we have to switch our focus to making sure that people know they can vote just as they did in the primary and that their votes will be counted.
Unfortunately, the ruling comes after the millions of dollars were wasted trying to get this done in time to affect the presidential election. The effort was a costly mistake and it comes at a time when we’re cutting back on help for families with disabled children and other important social services.
For months I’ve been hearing from frustrated seniors, students and others who didn’t know what the requirements were and the requirements kept changing.
Now, I can tell them that they can express their frustration the way the Founders intended them to: by voting.”
HARRISBURG, Sept. 25, 2012 – The state Senate has unanimously passed a resolution, sponsored by Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, designating Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 “Hispanic Heritage Month” in Pennsylvania.
The designation aligns the state with national Hispanic Heritage Month and recognizes the growing contributions of Hispanic Americans including profound success in business, government and military service.
“Hispanic businesses are growing at three times the national average,” Tartaglione said. “The emerging economic significance of the Hispanic community will be part of a stronger and more diverse future economy.”
Hispanic Heritage Month was first recognized in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, who expanded upon Hispanic Heritage Week begun by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968.
The Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 timing of the designation is intended to coincide with the independence of five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatamala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
HARRISBURG, Sept. 21, 2012 – With confusion swirling about voting rights and the future of health care and hundreds of seniors turned out yesterday for Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione’s Senior Expo for answers to a wide variety of questions.
“The political season has brought with it some confusing advertising about seniors and health care and that’s been a problem for many people,” Tartaglione said. “Thrown on top of that is the uncertainty about voter ID, so this might have been the most important senior expo we’ve ever had.”
Tables lining the gymnasium at Excel Academy on Bustleton Avenue were manned by experts from government and private industry on topics ranging from foot wear to Medicare.
“There is a wealth of information at the expo, but there’s also a lot of fun. I get so see a lot of friendly faces that I haven’t seen since last year’s event,” Tartaglione said.
The Senior Expo has been a longstanding partnership between Tartaglione and students at Excel Academy. The students volunteer to set up the event, serve food, help seniors find their way around and take down more than 100 tables afterward.
“Bringing two very different generations for one big event really brings people together and gives them an appreciation of the city they share,” Tartaglione said. “It’s very touching to see the hugs and pats on the back among people separated by 50 years or more.”
HARRISBURG, July 27, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione has written a letter to Labor and Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway asking her to reverse and administration decision to furlough nearly 100 employees who process claims and investigate fraud.
“Not only will this result in joblessness for a substantial number of employees in an economy which has been slow to recover, but also, it will further diminish the quality of service provided by the department,” Tartaglione wrote.
The letter, co-signed by 15 Senate colleagues, came in response to an administration decision to close Philadelphia’s Unemployment Compensation Service Call Center and to consolidate the Claims and Field Operations divisions of the State Worker’ Insurance Fund. The decision eliminates the jobs of 75 workers in Philadelphia and 24 additional workers in Erie, Dauphin, Northumberland and Lackawanna counties.
Those workers process and investigate claims, ensuring prompt payment of benefits and detecting cases of fraud. This year, the administration led passage of a sweeping package of reforms that cut benefits to workers and targeted what it claimed was widespread fraud in unemployment claims.
“If there is widespread fraud, then it makes no sense to cut workers who investigate claims,” Tartaglione said. “These workers were already overwhelmed by record claims during the recession and slow recovery, and fewer of them means more frustration both for laid off workers and for employers who want claims investigated thoroughly.”
Full text of letter:
Dear Secretary Hearthway:
This letter serves to address the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s recent decision to close Philadelphia’s Unemployment Compensation Service Call Center and to consolidate the Claims and Field Operations divisions of the State Workers’ Insurance Fund.
With this decision, 75 employees have been furloughed in Philadelphia and a total of 24 employees have been furloughed in Erie, Dauphin, Northumberland and, primarily, Lackawanna counties. While the news of these layoffs is alarming, of greater concern is the Department’s failure to notify elected officials of its intentions to discharge workers prior to taking such action.
As Legislators and residents of this Commonwealth, we offer our utmost disapproval.
While we realize there have been fewer unemployment claims filed in recent months, and while we recognize the importance of efficiency within the Department, we neither understand nor support the rationale behind these decisions. The impact of closing an entire unemployment compensation call center and furloughing employees who investigate suspicious workers’ compensation claims will prove detrimental to the Commonwealth. Not only will this result in joblessness for a substantial number of employees in an economy which has been slow to recover, but also, it will further diminish the quality of service provided by the Department.
With unemployment rates remaining above pre-recession levels, thousands of individuals continue to rely upon unemployment to support themselves and their families. Currently, these claimants are reporting difficulties in gaining adequate unemployment compensation services, such as obtaining their initial benefit payments in accordance with federal standards and gaining telephone access to call center employees in a timely manner. Additionally, the current application and bi-weekly filing system is not user-friendly, requiring greater explanation and assistance from call center employees. It is reasonable to assume these problems will grow and compile further following the closure of Philadelphia’s call center, as there will be fewer employees to address claimants’ concerns.
Similarly, numerous employers and workers from across the state depend on SWIF for workers’ compensation insurance. To ensure the Fund does not pay false claims, the Department has teamed up with the Office of the Attorney General to fight fraud attempts. Just as the Department advocated for the passage of Act 60 of2012, which ramped up efforts to reduce the occurrence of fraud in unemployment compensation benefits paid to claimants, it is likely such efforts are underway in the restructuring of SWIF; yet, it seems unlikely that a reduction in the number of investigators within SWIF would result in greater efficiency and accuracy in identifying fraudulent behavior toward the Fund. As a result, while merging divisions and laying off workers may decrease the Department’s financial expenditures in the immediate future, less SWIF employees investigating possible fraudulent claims seems to hold the potential of becoming more costly for the Department in later years.
At this time, we ask that you reconsider your decision to furlough approximately 100 employees of the Department of Labor and Industry. The loss of employees at the Philadelphia call center and SWIF investigators from various locations throughout the state would surely be problematic and undesirable for the Department, employers and claimants now and in the future.
Without an opportunity to converse in this matter with the Department and to review any relevant data that prompted the furloughing of these employees, we cannot and will not support the actions taken by the Department in this instance. If you wish to discuss this issue, please feel free to contact my office at (717)787-1141.
HARRISBURG, July 17, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today urged African-American homebuyers to contact the U.S. Department of Justice to see if they are qualified to receive part of a $125 million settlement with Wells Fargo.
“It’s terrible to find out that financial institutions are still considering race when evaluating lending applications,” Tartaglione said. “The multi-state settlement shows that such practices will not be tolerated and minority consumers can find protection under the law.”
Two years ago, the state human relations commission started an investigation to determine whether mortgage lending and foreclosure practices of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Wells Fargo Financial Pa. Inc. violated the Pa. Human Relations Act (PHRA) by targeting borrowers for discrimination based on their race.
The commission investigation was prompted by its statistical analysis of U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development statistics, conducted with HUD funding. The study revealed substantial disparities in pricing and foreclosure rates between African American and white borrowers.
The investigation resulted in a complaint alleging that Wells Fargo engaged in reverse redlining, the practice of targeting African American borrowers for high interest loans without regard for their ability to pay.
The Human Relations Commission estimates that more than 1,000 Philadelphians were victims of the practice.
Settlement of the complaint requires Wells Fargo to establish the $50 million new homebuyer assistance fund from which qualified buyers will receive up to $15,000 for down payments. An additional $2 million will be designated for African-American residents in the city of Philadelphia who originated home loans with Wells Fargo between Jan. 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2009.
Other funds will provide cash rebates for African American borrowers who might have qualified for prime loans, but received nonprime rates from Wells Fargo. A federal government designee will determine and notify potentially eligible
recipients.
Philadelphia area residents who believe they may be eligible for funds should email the U.S. Department of Justice at [email protected].
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2012 –More than three years after her first bill was introduced,Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised House passage of a measure that will raise revenue for State Police training classes while creating a fairer fine-distribution system. Senate Bill 237 passed the House with an overwhelming majority tonight and heads to the governor’s desk.
The bill is expected to raise as much as $4 million for cadet training, while municipalities that provide less than 40 hours of local police coverage will lose their share of fines collected through State Police traffic stops.
“More and more municipalities have ended local police coverage to depend on state police,” Tartaglione said. “We have not been training enough new troopers to keep up. The House action tonight begins to reverse that trend.”
Under current law, half of the traffic-enforcement fines collected through state police patrols in a local municipality are returned to the municipality through a Motor License Fund formula – even if the municipality relies only on the state for police protection.
Senate Bill 237 will deny distribution of traffic-fine revenue from the Motor License Fund to any municipality that does not provide locally for at least 40 hours of coverage per week through its own force or a regional contract. Municipalities with fewer than 3,000 residents are exempt.
The bill, first introduced by Tartaglione in the 2009-10 session as SB 225, passed the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously more than a year ago. It is expected to affect about 1,200 municipalities across Pennsylvania.
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised passage of a bill that will put more wheelchair-accessible taxis on the streets of Philadelphia.
House Bill 2390 expands the number of taxicab medallions issued by the Philadelphia Parking Authority to allow for a growing fleet of vehicles that can be used by riders who can remain in their wheelchairs.
“This bill takes a prudent and careful step toward making Philadelphia’s transportation system more accessible,” Tartaglione said. “It means progress that will be monitored and measured as it moves forward.”
Under the bill, the authority will issue 15 new taxicab medallions each year until the maximum number available expands from 1,600 to 1,750.
The bill also establishes a wheelchair-accessible taxicab driver training program for the city. A driver who completes the training will receive a $50 stipend for each full day of training attended or an amount that the authority decides on by order or regulation.
“By transforming the cab fleet over time, Philadelphia’s disabled community will have a chance to assess the changes and provide feedback,” Tartaglione said. “The transformation will be expensive and we have to make sure we do it right.”
The issue will be the subject of a hearing by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee within six months, Tartaglione said.
HARRISBURG, June 29, 2012 – Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today released the following statement on the final 2012-13 budget:
“I commend the thousands of Pennsylvanians who took the time to come to Harrisburg over the past five months for their persistence and determination in moving this budget from where it started in February to what was passed today.
I also want to thank some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for recognizing the governor’s proposal for what it was and understanding its potential impact on our most vulnerable citizens.
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Despite the efforts of citizens and the understanding of my colleagues, this budget fails the test put forth a half century ago by the writer Pearl S. Buck who said we ‘must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.
This budget, along with changes in the welfare code, allows our seniors to fear being deserted by the government they supported throughout their lives.
This budget takes its pain and payment from working families, minimum-wage workers, the nameless, the frail and the seniors who are struggling to live at home.
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This budget makes its promises and payments to the powerful, the privileged and the faceless corporations that live in mailboxes in Wilmington, Delaware.
Even as we claim to have no more money to spend, we are paying for those mailboxes in Delaware.
Our students are paying. Our homeowners are paying. Our college graduates are paying.
This budget lets the previous generation, and the next generation, pay the price for the politics of this generation.”
HARRISBURG, June 12, 2012 –State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione praised the hundreds of union apprentices lining the Rotunda steps today and urged them to help convince lawmakers to rebuild the middle class.”Apprenticeships through organized labor not only prepare students for jobs, but they help ensure that the jobs can support families and communities,” she said. “We do a lot of talking in Harrisburg about creating jobs but there isn’t enough talk about whether the jobs we are creating will sustain families without the need for government support.”
The Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council organized the Capitol rally that drew trades people from across the state.
Tartaglione told the workers that, despite thousands of structurally deficient bridges dotting the state and hundreds of miles of obsolete roads, many lawmakers have lost the courage to build.
“At the same time we wonder why the economy is slow to recover,” she said. “So, while you are here in Harrisburg and the legislators are listening, try to instill in them the courage to build. We already know we have people trained and ready to do it.”
According to the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council President Frank Sirianni, Pennsylvania currently has more than 8,000 apprentices in the construction industry. He said the graduation rate from these programs is 75 percent in the union sector, compared to 50 percent in the non-union sector.
HARRISBURG, June 11, 2012 –After more than three years of effort,Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione’s bill to raise revenue for State Police training classes while creating a fairer fine-distribution system passed the Senate unanimously today.
Senate Bill 237 is expected to raise as much as $4 million for cadet training, while municipalities that provide less than 40 hours of local police coverage will lose their share of fines collected through State Police traffic stops.
“Public safety is a top priority for state and local government, and it’s expensive,” Tartaglione said. “We are not training enough new troopers to keep up with the need and at the same time some large municipalities are taking advantage of State Police. That’s affecting all of us.”
Under current law, half of the traffic-enforcement fines collected through state police patrols in a local municipality are returned to the municipality through a Motor License Fund formula – even if the municipality relies only on the state for police protection.
“Cities and small towns are struggling with the rising cost of police services, while more than 1,500 municipalities pay nothing, and get money back,” Tartaglione said. “This inequity has led to budget deficits and inadequate State Police staffing.”
Senate Bill 237 would deny distribution of traffic-fine revenue from the Motor License Fund to any municipality that does not provide locally for at least 40 hours of coverage per week through its own force or a regional contract. Municipalities with fewer than 3,000 residents are exempt.
The bill, first introduced by Tartaglione in the 2009-10 session as SB 225, passed the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously more than a year ago. It is expected to affect about 1,200 municipalities across Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council organized the Capitol rally that drew trades people from across the state.