Recovery Act keeping Rroughly 189,000 Pennsylvanians out of poverty in recession
Investments Have Boosted Economy, Saved and Created Jobs
Along with boosting the economy and preserving jobs, seven provisions of the federal economic recovery act are also keeping about 189,000 Pennsylvanians from falling into poverty this year, according to a new study from the Washington, DC-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), as a whole, is likely keeping many more Pennsylvanians out of poverty, since these seven provisions account for only about one-fourth of the act’s total funding.
Pennsylvania was one of 11 states to see a statistically significant increase in the official poverty rate from 2007 to 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. In 2008, 1.5 million Pennsylvanians – 12% of the population – were living below the official poverty level.
“These are difficult ecnomic times, but the recovery act has kept things from being much worse, as this study shows,” said Sharon Ward, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. “Thousands of Pennsylvania families are getting help making ends meet despite the worst recession in decades.”
Act Includes Expanded Food Stamps, Tax Credits for Workers, Jobless Benefits
The study examined the following seven provisions of the recovery act:
– a new Making Work Pay Tax Credit of up to $400 for workers ($800 for a couple) earning up to $95,000 (up to $190,000 for a couple);
– an expanded Child Tax Credit for lower-income working families with children;
– an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, including increased tax-credit benefits for a working family with three or more children and for married families to lessen the marriage penalty the EITC can otherwise impose;
– additional weeks of emergency unemployment compensation benefits (paid after a worker’s 26 weeks of regular state unemployment benefits expire);
– an additional $25 per week for unemployed workers to supplement their unemployment benefits;
– a $250 one-time payment to elderly people and people with disabilities who receive Social Security, SSI, or veterans’ benefits; and
– an increase in food stamp benefit levels.
The findings of the report should be instructive for federal policymakers as they consider additional efforts to create jobs and counter the recession, said Arloc Sherman, author of the report.
“Congress agreed to extend the extra unemployment benefits through February,” said Sherman. “But with unemployment likely to remain high for some time, it will need to extend them further. Congress should also extend the act’s tax credits next year so they continue to boost the economy and help families.”
Researchers lacked the data to examine other recovery act elements that are likely fighting poverty as well, such as funding for health care and child care.
Recovery Act Also Helping Economy and Jobs
Along with stemming the increase in poverty during the recession, the recovery act is also boosting the economy and preserving jobs, the study notes.
“When Pennsylvanians spend the extra food stamp or jobless benefits they get from the recovery act in local stores, that helps those stores stay in business and retain their workers,” said Kathy Fisher of Public Citizens for Children and Youth in Philadelphia. “It’s a win-win for families hit hard by the recession and for our state’s economy.”
More than stimulus bills passed in earlier recessions, the recovery act was designed to reach a wide range of low- and middle-income Americans, the report notes. Policymakers included extensive help for low-income families not only because they stand the greatest risk of hardship during recessions but also because they are the most likely to spend quickly whatever money they receive, thereby pumping it into the economy.
Study Uses Broader Definition of Poverty
To determine the poverty-fighting impact of the seven provisions, the researchers used a broad poverty measure, which the National Academy of Sciences has recommended and a wide array of analysts favor, rather than the government’s official measure of poverty. The official measure considers only a family’s cash income, the report explains. Thus, it would miss many of the recovery act provisions that provide non-cash benefits, such as extra food stamps or tax credits.
The report is available at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3035.
Source: The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
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New Diesel Vehicle Idling Restrictions Will Keep Air Cleaner, Reduce Fuel Consumption
Most Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Can Only Idle Engines for 5 Minutes per Hour
Pennsylvanians — particularly those vulnerable to air pollution such as children and the elderly — will breathe easier, thanks to a new measure taking effect today that limits engine idling by heavy-duty diesel vehicles.
Governor Edward G. Rendell signed the Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act (Act 124) on Oct. 9. The law restricts heavy-duty diesel vehicles from idling more than five minutes per hour.
Truck and bus drivers often idle their engines during rest periods to heat or cool their sleeper compartment, to keep the engine warm during cold weather, and to provide electrical power for their appliances.
Acting Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger added that the new restrictions will save the owners of these vehicles billions of dollars a year while also reducing Pennsylvania’s dependence on foreign oil.
“Idling of these heavy-duty engines produces large quantities of dangerous air pollutants that can be particularly harmful to young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis,” said Hanger. “Across the nation, these vehicles consume 1 billion gallons of fuel annually by idling their engines. This new law will protect the health of our citizens, reduce our reliance on imported oil, and drive the adoption of new technologies to meet our nation’s transportation needs.”
Each year, heavy-duty trucks in Pennsylvania emit about 3,200 tons of nitrogen oxides, a pre-cursor of smog and ground-level ozone; 210,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to climate change; and 65 tons of fine particulate matter by burning diesel fuel while idling.
Act 124 applies to diesel-powered motor vehicles engaged in commerce with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more that are not specifically exempted. Most trucks and buses are subject to the act, though farm-related equipment and vehicles are exempt.
Trucks with sleeper berths are exempted during times of low and high temperatures until May 1, 2010, providing a reasonable amount of time for truckers to make alternative arrangements for sleeping, such as using an electrified truck-stop parking space or buying equipment that provides power without idling.
“There are affordable alternatives to idling, and I encourage all vehicle operators to take advantage of them to help Pennsylvanians breather easier and to save themselves money, too,” Hanger said. “At current prices, drivers are spending $2.4 billion a year nationally on fuel just for idling. In May, when diesel prices hit record highs, that figure would have been almost $5 billion.”
The simplest way to reduce idling is to turn off the vehicle. Modern diesel engines do not require long warm-up or cool-down periods or constant idling in order to operate efficiently. The most common alternatives to idling are auxiliary power systems and stationary idle reduction technologies.
Auxiliary power systems are devices installed on vehicles to provide electric power. Stationary idle reduction technology provides some type of plug-in system at locations where vehicles park.
The DEP’s Small Business Advantage Grant program has invested more than $1 million on top of the nearly $2 million truck owners and operators have spent to purchase 238 auxiliary power systems. For more information on this program, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: SBAdvantage.
Other investments by the commonwealth, in conjunction with those by private enterprises, have made 11 truck-stop electrifications systems available across the state. For an online map of system locations, visit www.idleaire.com and click on “Locations.”
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Watch Punxsutawney Phil’s Big Prediction Live
VisitPa.com to offer live Web cast of Groundhog Day prognostication
On Feb. 2, join Groundhog Day celebrants for Punxsutawney Phil’s annual weather forecast through a live Web cast from Gobblers Knob at visitPa.com/groundhog.
Each year the famous groundhog emerges slightly after 7 a.m. from his stump to predict the fate of winter. According to folklore, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. Again this year, the entire world will be able to watch the prediction live at visitPa.com/groundhog.
“Each year millions of people await a signal from the prognosticator of all prognosticators – will winter continue or is spring just around the corner?” said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary of tourism for Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. “With this unique Web cast, fans from anywhere in the world can make a virtual visit to Punxsutawney to watch Phil’s prediction live.”
The celebration begins Jan. 30 with events in Punxsutawney and throughout the Pennsylvania Wilds. On Jan. 31, the Groundhog Wine Trail Food & Arts Fest will be held at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds, www.groundhogwinetrail.com. On Feb. 1, health-conscious Phil fans can take part in the four-mile Groundhog Jog, www.runpunxsyrun.org. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.groundhog.org.
The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, provides travelers with the information and resources they need to plan and enjoy the activities, attractions and destinations that are uniquely Pennsylvania.
Source: Pennsylvania Tourism Office