Protecting Pennsylvania's Jobs and Economy
Dear Friends,
Two years into the recession, economic recovery is still slow. The past two
years have been among the most difficult for many local residents who have
suffered the loss of a job or home. Today, it is critical that state government
works to create a favorable environment for employers and consumers. My goals
for bringing about economic recovery are 1.) Enacting sustainable state budgets
that control spending with no broad based tax increases; 2.) Supporting
emerging high technology industries; 3.) Provide a favorable environment for
small businesses; 4.) Protect American business from the theft of intellectual
property such as copyrights and patents; 5.) Prevent the hiring of undocumented
workers through the E-verify system so more jobs are available for PA workers;
6.) Provide capital grants for projects that create local jobs.
Enacting sustainable state budgets that control spending with no broad
based tax increases
The 2009 / 2010 state budget reduced spending by $467 million while
maintaining services and programs without increasing the personal income tax or
sales tax as some in Harrisburg proposed. The Legislature was faced with
passing the 2010 / 2011 state budget with a $1.176 billion shortfall. Some had
proposed a variety of new taxes such as an expansion of the state sales tax as a
way to close the budget gap. These taxes would have only further strained
family budgets and would have curbed consumer spending. I supported a spending
plan with no broad based tax increases that was nearly revenue neutral with less
than a one percent spending increase. These past two budgets have reflected the
current economic climate, and are keeping Pennsylvania on a sustainable course.
There are more creative and productive approaches to dealing with revenue
shortfalls other than taxation.
Supporting Emerging High Technology Industries
Many of the careers of tomorrow will be in the high technology fields.
High tech firms are attracted to Pennsylvania thanks to innovative state
programs that are designed to provide the capital, infrastructure, and other
resources to create high-paying, highly skilled technology jobs. Pennsylvania
is home to some of the top university talent in the nation that leads research
and development efforts in areas such as alternative energy and medical
technology. Pennsylvania colleges and universities produce many of the new
technologies that create new markets and jobs.
The Pennsylvania
Department of Community and Economic Development has created incentives for
high technology businesses looking to expand or relocate to Pennsylvania. The
Pennsylvania Initiative for Nanotechnology is one such statewide effort to
make Pennsylvania a leader in nanotechnology research.
Provide a favorable environment for small businesses
Most new jobs in Pennsylvania are created by small businesses. Small
businesses in Pennsylvania employ 49.98% of the state's private nonfarm
workforce. The 234,540 small businesses in Pennsylvania produce over $77.4
billion in annual income, including benefits.
It is important that we create an environment in which small businesses can
thrive and continue to be the backbone of our economy. Avoiding broad based tax
increases is critical to sustaining small businesses through a difficult
economy. Also, legislation is now being considered in the Senate that would
provide employers an alternative to layoffs.
Senate Bill 1205 would allow employers who are facing the prospect of
layoffs to implement a temporary shared-work program that would reduce employee
hours and allow those employees to receive proportionate unemployment
compensation benefits. We need to continue to partner with small businesses so
they can continue to do business in Pennsylvania.
Protect American business from the theft of intellectual property
Intellectual property accounts for a great portion of the United States'
economy, and is one of our most valuable assets. It is estimated that
intellectual property crimes such as piracy and counterfeiting costs American
business $250 billion each year and 750,000 lost jobs. Unfortunately, we are
losing valuable assets because the United States is failing to enforce the laws
that protect intellectual property such as copyrights and patents. Foreign
competitors are getting away with stealing American ideas and reproducing our
products. Laws are needed to better protect intellectual property beyond our
borders and put Americans back to work.
Prevent the hiring of undocumented workers
Particularly during times of high unemployment, we must ensure that jobs are
not awarded to undocumented workers. I support Senate legislation requiring the
verification of all construction workers in Pennsylvania. The proposed
Construction Project Verification of Employees Act would utilize E-Verify, a
web-based system run jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and Social
Security Administration, which electronically verifies the employment
eligibility of newly hired workers.
For more information on what I've been doing in the community and in
Harrisburg, and to learn about ways that my office may assist you, please visit
my official Senate website,
www.senatorgreenleaf.com.
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