Chester County Briefs: Pa Sales Tax, Sikorsky, AG Kathleen Kane, and a $15 Minimum Wage

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Pennsylvania Sales Tax Could Become the Second Highest in the Nation After five months of lengthy negotiations, Pennsylvania’s budget may be nearing a deal that could end the current stalemate. While the natural gas industry managed, once again, to avoid severance tax for at least another year, the new compromise plan would make Pennsylvania’s sales tax the second highest in the nation with a proposed increase from 6% to 7.25%, in order fund property tax cuts. Spokesman for Governor Wolf, Jeff Sheridan, said Tuesday that the Democrat’s top priority had been a record increase in education funding, and an agreement by top Republican lawmakers on that point was enough to move the process further. However, while Republicans opposed the Governor’s demand to implement a severance tax on Marcellus Shale production for now, Sheridan stated that Wolf plans to continue his pursuit of a Marcellus Shale tax in future budgets.
A budget deal in Harrisburg could mean a higher sales tax for Pennsylvanians.

Chester County Briefs are concise reports on what’s happening around the county. This morning:

Pennsylvania Sales Tax Could Become the Second Highest in the Nation

After five months of lengthy negotiations, Pennsylvania’s budget may be nearing a deal that could end the current stalemate.

While the natural gas industry managed, once again, to avoid severance tax for at least another year, the new compromise plan would make Pennsylvania’s sales tax the second highest in the nation with a proposed increase from 6% to 7.25%, in order fund property tax cuts.

Spokesman for Governor Wolf, Jeff Sheridan, said Tuesday that the Democrat’s top priority had been a record increase in education funding, and an agreement by top Republican lawmakers on that point was enough to move the process further.

However, while Republicans opposed the Governor’s demand to implement a severance tax on Marcellus Shale production for now, Sheridan stated that Wolf plans to continue his pursuit of a Marcellus Shale tax in future budgets.

The Presidential Marine One.
The Presidential Marine One.

Sikorsky Completes Major Steps in VH-92A Program

Sikorsky Aircraft has announced that they have successfully completed several important steps in the replacement program for the Presidential fleet of helicopters.

These include the successful completion of the VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program Preliminary Design Review and the integration and performance testing of missile communications system components, as well as Sikorsky’s acceptance of the second S-92A aircraft for the program.

The work is part of the $1.2 billion contract for 21 operational and two test aircraft awarded by the Navy to Sikorsky on May 7th last year.

“This is but one of many steps toward the replacement for our Presidential Fleet of helicopters,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Pridgen, Program Manager for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Presidential Helicopters Program Office. “I am pleased how effectively we’ve gotten out of the gate and established a solid foundation on which we’ll mature the detailed design work of this important program.”

Attorney General Kathleen Kane.--via media.philly.com
Attorney General Kathleen Kane.–via media.philly.com

Prosecutors sue Pennsylvania’s Attorney General in Retaliation

Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General has had a retaliatory lawsuit filed against her by career prosecutors. They are claiming she is misusing her office to silence critics through high-profile investigations involving a sexually explicit government email ring.

The Philadelphia Daily News and its reporter are also named as defendants in the 63-page filing, submitted in federal court in Philadelphia on November 12, citing articles written about the dispute as the basis.

Plaintiffs Randy Feathers, a former investigator, and Frank Fina, Marc Costanzo, Rick Sheetz and Frank Noonan, who worked as prosecutors before Kane was elected, are accusing her of intimidation, retaliation and attempted blackmail.

“Attorney General Kane has repeatedly and maliciously abused the powers of her office and taxpayer-funded resources in a vindictive effort to destroy the lives of those who rightfully resisted her unethical behavior,” stated attorney Mark Tanner when filing the lawsuit.

Governor Wolf Defends Compromise Budget Deal

While a deal on the state budget is still being negotiated with the Republican legislative majority, Governor Tom Wolf is already defending elements of the compromise that could end the five month long stalemate, saying that Pennsylvanians will like it, despite the concessions he is making.

While promoting the consensus as a positive outcome, the first-term Democrat has acknowledged that, with this deal, he has only managed to secure about half the amount of school property tax reductions that he originally aimed for.

However, Wolf is still promoting the deal as delivering a record increase in funding for public schools which, under the current proposal, could see an influx of around $350 million in new money for instruction, operations and special needs education. The current proposed budget also provides for substantial school property tax cuts.

an-ohio-school-board-votes-to-arm-janitorsJanitors Protest for a $15 Minimum Wage

Around 1,400 commercial office cleaners are currently involved in negotiations for new work contracts with the owners of at least 170 buildings in the Philadelphia area.

The cleaners are demanding wages of at least $15 an hour, joining the growing movement of workers demanding an increase in the minimum wage nationwide.

The majority of the cleaners involved in the negotiations, that started last week, work for some of the largest and richest pharmaceutical companies in the nation, but they only make an average of $12.35 an hour for a full time job, with health benefits.

Daisy Cruz, the Area Leader for the Mid-Atlantic District of the Service Employees International Union 32BJ, says that the request for a $15 minimum wage is part of a nationwide campaign.

“Our theme right now is ‘Raise America,'” she says. “No family, no worker should be making wages that are poverty wages.”

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Top photo credit: cha ching via photopin (license)

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