The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce and JC Blair Memorial Hospital are hosting the event “Health Care Reform-What it Means to You” on Wednesday, September 1 at the JC Blair Memorial Hospital Education Center from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This event will focus on how health care reform affects businesses. It is being co-sponsored by Huntingdon County CareerLink, Huntingdon County Business & Industry, Juniata College Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau.
Archive for the ‘Government Affairs’ category
“Health Care Reform-What it Means to You”
August 12th, 2010Key points missing from current unemployment compensation debate
August 2nd, 2010The attention given to the ongoing back and forth over unemployment compensation, while making good fodder for election year pundits and newspaper headlines, is not directed at the real issue: how to restore solvency to a system woefully in debt and make improvements so that it can meet the needs of recipients truly in need.
General Assembly adopts 2010-11 state budget without broad-based tax increases; but unfinished business remains
July 1st, 2010Last evening, the General Assembly adopted a state budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, the first time since Gov. Ed Rendell took office that the budget was approved by the June 30 deadline.
The $28.05 billion budget was adopted without broad-based tax increases, as lawmakers rejected new taxes on smokeless tobacco and cigars, as well as the implementation of combined reporting, which would have been a tax increase for many Pennsylvania businesses. The governor’s proposal to lower the state sales tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent while expanding the base to include business services, had been taken off the table prior to the recent weeks’ budget negotiations. The final budget also maintains the sales tax vendor collection allowance, which reimburses businesses a portion of the costs associated with essentially serving as tax collector for the state.
New study reveals economic impact of Marcellus Shale Industry
May 27th, 2010A Penn State study concluded that the Marcellus Shale industry is expected to create 212,000 new jobs by 2020. The Marcellus Shale Coalition announced the study’s findings at a press event in the Capitol Rotunda this week. Those jobs are on top of thousands already being generated in the state. Additionally, over the next 18 months, drilling activity is slated to create more than $1.8 billion in state and local tax revenues.
The study also noted that for every $1 invested in the state by Marcellus Shale producers, $1.90 of total economic output is generated as a result.
Competitiveness study: another poor showing for Pennsylvania
April 25th, 2010Pennsylvania continues to lose ground in the economic competitiveness race, raising the stakes even higher in the upcoming debate over the 2010-11 state budget.
According to the 2010 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index, Pennsylvania ranked 46th for economic performance (no change from 2009) and 43rd for economic outlook (a one position drop from last year). Since 2008, the Commonwealth has dropped seven positions in the economic outlook category.
The annual study examines 15 policy variables that have a proven impact on the migration of capital — both investment and human — into and out of states. The state rankings are an equally weighted combination of these variables, and each of the factors is influenced directly by state lawmakers through the legislative process.
Coalition letter outlines opposition to elimination of vendor sales tax discount
April 8th, 2010The PA Chamber joined with several business groups in sending a letter to state lawmakers expressing opposition to the proposed elimination of the vendor sales tax discount. As part of his 2010-11 proposed state budget, Gov. Ed Rendell wants to eliminate the 1 percent discount for non-motor sales tax. Currently, any business with a Pennsylvania sales tax license is eligible for the discount when the business submits its sales tax return and full payment on or before the due date. The administration wants to place the $73.6 million that would be generated from the discount’s repeal into a reserve account to fill budget gaps once federal stimulus dollars cease. The coalition letter took issue with the governor’s assessment that the cost and burden of businesses serving as tax collectors for the state is “fairly inconsequential.” According to a national study, retailers can incur costs of up to 13.47 percent for remitting and collecting the sales tax. This study also found that between 75 percent and 92 percent of retailers’ costs are not adequately compensated through vendor discounts. To read the letter, click here. In addition to the PA Chamber, the letter was signed by the Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Retailers’ Association; National Federation of Independent Business; Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council; Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association; Comcast; Pennsylvania Restaurant Association; and the Pennsylvania E-Commerce Association.
