The George Report

Laboring and living on less

By State Rep. Camille "Bud" George

            Here’s a belated wish for an enjoyable Labor Day, the national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

            Next year, I hope those working for a living and trying to survive after a lifetime of working have more to celebrate. The recent economic news made this year’s Labor Day anything but a celebration.

            According to the labor-linked Keystone Research Center, the average income for 90 percent of all Pennsylvanians fell by 4 percent between 2001 and 2005. Meanwhile, the incomes of the richest 1 percent increased by 31 percent, and the incomes of the very wealthiest Pennsylvanians rose by 47 percent over the same period.

            Last week, it was reported that average household income has fallen by $2,000 over the last eight years, a disastrous turn-around from 1992-2000, when average income jumped by $7,500.

            Even if the costs of living were not skyrocketing, the economic trends of the last eight years would remain a prescription for disaster. Economic advancement and opportunity must be shared, not hoarded, for America to thrive.

            The answer is not making more economic misery by depressing wages further and curtailing health benefits of some but improving the lot of all. As a basketball coach once said, "To reach the ceiling, you've got to lift the floor up."

            The ceiling has been out of reach for too long, and the floor should be a support, not a destiny.

            A change will do us all good.

In other matters, a number of tidbits emerged this summer that did not receive much attention. The items include:

STIMULUS CHECKS: The IRS is trying to locate retirees and disabled veterans who qualify for the $600 economic stimulus payment but have not filed to claim it. The IRS outreach is aimed at those who normally do not file a tax return because their benefits are not taxable. This year, however, they must file a return before Oct. 15 to receive a payment.

The stimulus payment is not taxable and should have no impact on other federal benefits. As of June 19, the IRS projected that 244,557 potentially eligible Social Security and Veterans Affairs recipients in Pennsylvania – including 1,605 in Clearfield County -- had yet to file.

Information is available on the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov. The phone number for the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in Altoona is 944-3532.

HUNTING LICENSES: The state Game Commission may now sell vouchers for hunting licenses and permits. Vouchers may only be redeemed for the type of license or permit indicated and must be honored by an issuing agent when presented for redemption, regardless of where purchased. Issuing agents may not charge a fee for redeeming the vouchers.

INSPECTION REPORTS:  Inspection reports on personal-care homes in Pennsylvania are now available online on the state Department of Public Welfare’s Web site, www.dpw.state.pa.us. Click on "Information for Families and Individuals."

ONLINE INFO: State contracts awarded since July 1 may now be searched and read online for free by the public.  The "Pennsylvania Contracts e-Library" is accessible at the Treasury Department Web site, www.patreasury.org. The site includes summaries provided by the awarding agencies, as well as links to related contracts and purchase orders.

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