On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health reform into law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and on March 30, signed the Health Care Education Affordability Reconciliation Act that made financing and revenue changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Over the next ten years, the law is projected to reform health insurance; provide health coverage to 32 million more Americans, including nearly 400,000 Pennsylvanians; create incentives to reform health care delivery; and make changes in Medicare payments.

On September 1, guest speaker Chet Rhoades will cover the Chronology of Health Care Reform – Today through the year 2018 and highlight the following subjects: Extension of Child Coverage Until Age 26, Free Rider Penalty, Employer Voucher Obligation, Wellness Grants for Employers with Fewer Than 100 Employees, and Next Steps for Employer

Chet Rhoades graduated from Duquesne University in 1988 with a major in Human Resources. He worked on the insurance carrier side for 5 years and has been on the consulting/broker side for 17 years as both a
regional and international consulting/broker. Chet has served employers in the Central Pennsylvania
region for 20 years.

The cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. Contact the Chamber by August 26 at (814) 643-1110 or visit http://www.huntingdonchamber.com 

Click this link for the event website page

 http://huntingdonpacoc.weblinkconnect.com/CWT/EXTERNAL/WCPAGES/WCEVENTS/EventDetail.aspx?DAYSOUT=150&OE=TRUE&FORMAT=1&EventID=134

                          

The Business of the Year Award, presented by the John B. Brown Funeral Home, Inc., recognizes one business which has contributed to the economic growth of the community and has helped to develop Huntingdon County. The Community Service Award, which is sponsored by All American Pizza and Subs, recognizes an individual or organization who has demonstrated exemplary dedication of time and resources for the betterment of the community. The Customer Service Award, sponsored by the Comfort Inn Huntingdon, recognizes one business for their excellence in providing quality customer service. The Educator of the Year Award, sponsored by Juniata College, recognizes an active educator in Huntingdon County who has demonstrated “above and beyond” commitment and service in the field of education. The Entrepreneurial Success Award, presented by Kooman & Associates, recognizes a community member, who individually owns and operates a business initially launched as a small business who has shown innovation and aided in the advancement of the community. The Volunteer Award, sponsored by Cisney & O’Donnell, Inc., recognizes a Chamber member for “above and beyond” service to the Chamber. This individual must be a Chamber member or work for a Chamber business and demonstrates support of the mission and goals of the Chamber.

The prestigious ATHENA Award will also be presented to an individual in our community. The Award is presented to a woman or man who is recognized for professional excellence, community service, and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. This worldwide Award is being sponsored by the Grier School, Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, J. C. Blair Memorial Hospital, Juniata College, Lincoln Caverns, Inc. And Whisper Rocks, Log Cabin Gallery Shop, MJEM’S Photos/ Raystown Realty, Inc., Northwest Savings Bank and Westminster Woods.

                          

Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund is broke and has already borrowed more than $3 billion from the federal government in order to pay regular state UC benefits. Borrowing will continue with a projected loan balance through 2017 of more than $7 billion. To make matters worse, the federal UC account from which loans are obtained is likewise in deficit, as is the federal General Fund. So, every additional dollar paid out from Pennsylvania’s UC Trust Fund increases the $13 trillion-plus national debt. Stopping this cycle will require a multi-pronged solution that impacts employers and employees, and takes a serious look at eligibility and benefits.

Recession not solely responsible for UC fund’s woes
No doubt, UC benefit payouts are at historical highs due in part to the recession. But job losses resulting from the economic downturn are only part of the problem. The liberalization of benefits over the past several years placed a strain on the fund long before the economy took a nosedive. Over the past two years, Pennsylvania has paid out more in UC benefits than any other state except California. Yet Pennsylvania also ranks among the top 10 states in terms of UC taxes paid by employers, so the call for more money from business to shore up the fund is not the cure-all some suggest.

The reality is that the state’s UC law has resulted in an unsustainable system that has moved in a direction well beyond the intended purpose of compensating employees when they are out of work and their unemployment is not primarily due to their own choices or preferences.

For starters, there is nothing in Pennsylvania’s UC law that requires recipients to actively look for job. Regardless of whether the unemployment rate is 10 percent or 4 percent, active job search requirements should be a condition of receiving and continuing to receive benefits. And while it is politically incorrect to suggest as much, there are a small number of people who have taken and are taking advantage of the Commonwealth’s lax oversight in this area.

Under Pennsylvania’s current law, recipients could also feasibly turn down legitimate work in certain circumstances and still collect benefits, and UC recipients can receive a severance package while at the same time collecting UC.

These are just some examples of a broken UC system.

Federal stimulus funds are not the answer
Many believe Pennsylvania should accept federal stimulus dollars to help address the insolvency and pay for additional UC benefits. However, drawing down these one-time funds would require a permanent expansion of benefits. This means that when stimulus dollars run out, an already insolvent UC Trust Fund would be left to absorb the cost of the imposed mandates.

Reasonable, responsible solutions needed
All employees need and deserve a UC system that provides a safety net when needed. Employers want consistency and predictability. Pennsylvanians want the UC system to be fair and honest. It’s time to take steps to restore balance, fairness and sound financial principles to a system that today offers none of the above. Given the UC Trust Fund’s dire financial condition – and the economic realities facing businesses and individuals – all parties will have to make sacrifices. To that end, business put a responsible proposal on the table, one that spreads the burden, including higher taxes for employers; proposes commonsense reforms that will rein in future costs; and preserves benefits for current recipients.

This sensible approach to UC reform will control costs and ensure the system is there for those in need, and make the Commonwealth a more attractive place for businesses to operate.

Article provided by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry

                          

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.

“The Commonwealth faces some sobering fiscal challenges, many which still require attention,” PA Chamber Vice President Gene Barr said. “Our members recognize the difficult decisions elected officials needed to make in crafting this budget. Facing repeated cries from some groups to spend more and raise taxes, it’s reassuring that a majority of lawmakers knew that placing that burden on the backs of business at a time when economic concerns persist and job creation remains sluggish would only make things worse.”

The budget includes a $250 million increase for basic education and $600 million in borrowing for economic development programs. However, numerous state agencies and programs received funding cuts, including:

• Department of Environmental Protection, 9 percent
• State parks, 7 percent
• State forests,  31 percent
• Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 11 percent

The Rendell administration has said that the budget could result in the elimination of up to 1,000 state positions.

The budget also potentially leaves the legislature with unfinished business. One tax not included in the new budget but still on the table is a proposed natural gas severance tax. According to the budget agreement reached between the governor and leaders of the four legislative caucuses, lawmakers face an Oct. 1 deadline to pass a severance tax bill, the details of which have yet to be ironed out. Some lawmakers want the revenue from such a tax to go to local communities, environmental remediation programs and Growing Greener II.

The PA Chamber is urging lawmakers to carefully and responsibly consider the severance tax to ensure that Pennsylvania doesn’t hamstring the Marcellus Shale industry and hinder the tremendous economic benefits the industry is already bringing and can bring to Pennsylvania.

And despite the welcome news that the budget does not increase taxes, concerns remain; among them a potential $850 million funding gap if Congress fails to approve FMAP welfare funding. The budget assumes approval of those dollars. Lawmakers could be forced back to the negotiating table to make up for the shortfall.

“The budget is not perfect, but the bottom line is that government has to live within its means just like individuals and families have had to do,” Barr said. “That’s not always easy. In fact, it can be quite painful. But in these economic times, it can’t continue to be business as usual where taxpayer dollars are concerned.”

The governor has not yet signed the budget bill, indicating he would wait until all related bills are passed in the next day or two.

                          

The guaranteed savings program is for users with less than 1 million kwhs and it is what it says…. guaranteed to save small businesses money on their electric bill. There is no fee to participate. You will still be billed by Penelec, but your rates will be discounted. Contact the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce at 814-643-1110 or ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com for the enrollment form.

While meters with more than 1 million kwhs cannot access the guaranteed savings program, OnDemand will work with each user one-on-one to deliver a solution for larger meters.

Smaller meters get left behind, especially when rate caps are expiring. Suppliers and consultants will try and cherry pick the larger meters, so OnDemand is proud that they have co-created a solution for smaller meters.

However, they have placed MANY large meters into other contract vehicles over the past months that include manufacturing, water authorities, hospitals, universities, school districts and many other meters consuming large amounts of power.

OnDemand Energy is
• The largest energy consultant in the State of PA
o Received their license in March 1999 (EGS A-110107)
o Office Locations in Pittsburgh, Altoona, New Kensington and Lancaster
o The PA PUC has never received a complaint against OnDemand

• Over 10 billion kwh’s have been placed into third party supply contracts since 1999
o Allowing the most competition (16 Supplier partners)
o Broadest array of solutions including exclusive products developed just for the ChamberChoice program

• Over 200 man years of energy consulting experience
o Supplier experience (we understand supplier strengths and weaknesses)
o First ever purchasing agent (customer) for deregulated energy on our staff
o Engineers with careers spent at the local EDC (utility)

ChamberChoice fully expects to have a residential program in place for employees of participating businesses by January 2011. Details on this will be shared when available.

                          

In describing the benefits of the program, Chamber Executive Director Yvonne Martin said, “Securing a preferred rate on electric generation will help Huntingdon area businesses control costs and free up capital for re-investment. This program will have a positive impact on our local economy and the larger community.”

“We are pleased to offer members of the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce these significant savings,” said Arthur Yuan, vice president of Sales & Marketing for FES. “This opportunity can help chamber member businesses achieve real savings on their electric generation costs over the next two years.”

This discount was procured through ChamberChoice and OnDemand Energy – the authorized energy management team for the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce.

To enroll, chamber members should go online to www.fes.com/chamberchoice or call ChamberChoice at 1-866-699-9968.

ChamberChoice provides local chamber of commerce members with business products and services such as individual and group health, dental and vision insurance options, online human resources tools, long term care insurance, aggregated energy solutions and more.

OnDemand Energy is an independent energy services firm that provides electricity procurement for business customers. OnDemand has been licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission since 1999, and has placed more than eight billion kilowatt-hours of load into third-party electricity supply contracts.

FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) provides competitive electric generation supply and other energy-related products and services, and is a licensed supplier in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan and Illinois. FES is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE). To learn more about FES, visit www.fes.com.

Yvonne Martin, Executive Director
Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce
814-643-1110

                          

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.

Despite the clear benefits to the Commonwealth of the industry, if some state lawmakers have their way, Pennsylvania would have the highest severance tax rate in the nation among comparable states. Many other states that have severance taxes in place have also offered tax breaks, delayed implementation or discounts in areas, like the Marcellus Shale formation, that are difficult to drill.

The PA Chamber opposes the severance tax proposal under consideration in the state House.

“It’s appropriate to debate the severance tax issue,” PA Chamber Vice President Gene Barr said. “But the punitive rate proposed in House Bill 325 is likely to have a chilling effect on the industry’s development. A hostile business climate has already shut down development of the Marellus Shale in other states. Pennsylvania cannot afford to crush an industry that promises thousands of family sustaining jobs while delivering cleaner burning Pennsylvania fuel.”

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House Insurance Committee to examine federal health-care law
On Thursday, May 27, the House Insurance Committee will hold a public roundtable discussion on the new federal health-care reform law. James Gelfand, director of health policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will be among those testifying before state lawmakers. Others testifying include officials from the Pennsyvlania Insurance Department, Pennsylvania Association of Health Underwriters, America’s Health Insurance Plans and National Conference of State Legislatures.

The PA Chamber has prepared an issue brief explaining key provisions of the new law, its impact on employers and a timeline for implementation. The document is available here.

                          

PNPs located in Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Philadelphia, Somerset, Westmoreland and York counties in Pennsylvania are eligible to apply to SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

The SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

“PNP organizations are urged to contact their county emergency managers to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

This information will be used to submit a “Request for Public Assistance” which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a “critical facility.” Based upon that conclusion, FEMA will either refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance or possibly provide the PNP with a “Public Assistance” reimbursement grant for their eligible costs.

-more-
Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

PNPs may visit SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is June 15, 2010. The deadline to return economic injury applications is January 18, 2011.

For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Programs, visit our website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance

                          

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.

Pennsylvania ranked near the back of the pack in most of the 15 variables. The state received its lowest marks for its top marginal corporate income tax rate; recently legislated tax changes; debt service as a share of tax revenue; and for not being a right-to-work state.

The study is more evidence that state lawmakers must make economic growth and job creation a priority in the upcoming state budget debate. PA Chamber members are urging lawmakers to reduce government spending; resist placing additional tax burdens on job creators; and make sure that cost-control measures are part of the solutions to the fiscal challenges facing the Commonwealth. Specifically, the looming public pension crisis and the solvency concerns facing the state’ UC Trust Fund (which is broke and operating with more than $2 billion borrowed from the federal government) are two areas in which elected officials must do more than simply throw money at the problem.

The authors of the competitiveness index stressed the importance of controlled government spending in the study’s conclusion: “When government expenditures grow beyond the private sector’s ability to pay for them, economic growth suffers. Put simply, growth in government crowds out growth in the private sector. Nationwide, the burdens from total federal, state and local government expenditures have risen by more than 5 percent of GDP within the past two years — an extraordinarily high growth rate. These increased government expenditures will reduce private-sector growth and increase overall unemployment throughout the United States.”

PA Chamber members recognize the tremendous challenges ahead in the effort to restore the Commonwealth to fiscal and economic health. They are prepared to roll up their collective sleeves and work with state lawmakers to do what is needed to move Pennsylvania forward and ensure a prosperous private sector.

2010 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index 10 best states:
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, South Dakota, Florida, Wyoming, Idaho, Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee

2010 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index 10 worst states
Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, Rhode Island, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont and New York.

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Reservations are currently being taken for sales representatives who will meet one-on-one with representatives from selected businesses to discuss purchasing needs. This will introduce purchasers to suppliers – in their own back yard – who may offer better products and pricing than currently received.

The “Business Connection” program will be held April 27 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Comfort Inn, Huntingdon. Anyone interested in learning more about this event should contact the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce at (814) 643-1110 or visit www.huntingdonchamber.com. This event is being offered in partnership with the Huntingdon County CareerLink and with sponsorship from the Comfort Inn Huntingdon.

Businesses in our region currently spend $7.4 million a day outside our region. We’re doing our best to create valuable connections that will help to retain more of our local money so that we may enjoy the economic development advantages that result.

Click here for additional information and the sales opportunity invitation.