micozzie summer 2010 newsletter

8/9/2019 Micozzie Summer 2010 Newsletter

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S R

Nicholas A. MicozzieSUMMER 2010

Serving the People of the163rd Legislative District

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

HARRISBUR,G PA

PERMIT NO. 432

Annual Senior Expo

to be Held Sept. 27

Monday, Sept. 27, 20109:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Drexelbrook4700 Drexelbrook Drive

Drexel Hill

is free event designed to providea wealth of information to local seniorcitizens about programs and servicesavailable from local, state and federalgovernments. More than 40 vendorsand speakers will be on hand at the

expo this year. A continental breakfast and doorprizes will be available.

My staff and I always enjoy meet-ing with local seniors and their fami-lies during the Senior Expo. I hope tosee you there!

Legislation Aimed at

Reducing Distracted Driving

on Pennsylvania Roadways

Interactive wireless devices have enabledus to stay in touch with our families andwork nearly anywhere we go. While thesedevices allow us to be more effi cient in our

jobs and more available to our families whenwe are away from home, there are also times when they can distract our atten-tion from where it should be like when we are driving. is is a particularconcern among teen drivers who lack experience behind the wheel and, as aresult, are more prone to accidents if their attention is not fully focused on thetask of driving.

More than a dozen states have taken steps to limit this kind of distraction.In January, the House approved House Bill 2070, which would ban hand-heldcell phone use and text messaging for motorists on Pennsylvania roadways.

Under House Bill 2070, adult drivers would still be permitted to engage invoice communication in hands-free mode, while junior drivers (drivers age 16and 17 who have not obtained full driving privileges) would be prohibited fromusing any interactive wireless communication device for any purpose.

I support this legislation because I believe it will help reduce auto accidentsand deaths resulting from distracted driving. Junior drivers would also be ableto use a device to contact 911 if the car is stopped in traffi c and in neutral orpark, or if they are operating an emergency service vehicle and engaged in theperformance of offi cial duties. is bill is now awaiting consideration by theenate.

House Bill 67, another bill aimed at addressing the problem of distracteddriving, particularly among teen drivers, passed the House in April. As passed

by the House, the bill included provisions banning cell phone usage while driv-ing and failure to use a seat belt a primary offense for which junior drivers couldbe pulled over.

e Senate passed a number of amendments to the bill which significantlyweakened it. When the bill returned to the House, I voted to support the Sen-ate amendments even though I believe much more should be done to addressthis growing problem. In the end, the House rejected the Senate version of thebill and it is unlikely a compromise will be reached this year.

While the failure of House Bill 67 was a major setback for this issue, I intendto continue my efforts to reduce distracted driving of all kinds and improve thesafety of everyone who uses the roads and highways of Pennsylvania.

Mark Your Calendars!

Rep. Micozzie speaks with Alfred and Rosina

Pietrofesse at the 2009 Senior Expo.


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Veterans Corner

Coatesville VA Offers Comprehensive

Services for Veterans

Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center

1400 Black Horse hill Road

Coatesville, PA

www.coatesville.va.gov

(610) 384-7711 or 1-800-290-6172

**

Veteran Benefits Seminar a Success

Rep. Micozzie greets constituents at the veterans seminar in June.

Check us out on


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In the Distric

t

Rep. Micozzie and his wife, June, hand over

their tickets to ushers Helen Schultz and Max

Weigel at the first public performance in the

Lansdowne Theater since 1987. Straight No

Chaser, a national cappella music group, per-

formed before an audience of 1,100 in April.

Rep. Micozzie shares a story with preschool

students in from Sonshine Christian Academy

in Drexel Hill.

Deadline to Apply for Property Tax/Rent

Rebate Program Extended

e deadline to apply for the states Property Tax/Rent Rebate programfor 2009 has been extended to Dec. 31, 2010.

Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based on theirrent or property taxes paid in 2009. e program benefits eligible Pennsyl-vanians who are 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older,and those 18 years or older with disabilities.

Eligibility income limits for homeowners are set at the following levels,excluding 50 percent of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income,

and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits:

$0 to $8,000, maximum $650 rebate (Homeowners and renters)

$8,001 to $15,000, maximum $500 rebate (Homeowners and renters)

$15,001 to $18,000, maximum $300 rebate (Homeowners only)

$18,001 to $35,000, maximum $250 rebate (Homeowners only)

e Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is one of many initiatives sup-ported by the Pennsylvania Lottery, which dedicates its proceeds to sup-port programs for older Pennsylvanians. Since the program began in 1971,

more than $4 billion has been paid to qualified applicants.Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income, property

tax or rental information required to process claims quickly and accu-rately.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available by contacting myoffi ces, or by visiting my website at RepMicozzie.com.

DEP Increases Incentives for Non-Electric Home Heating Equipment

e Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering increased incentives toPennsylvanians to upgrade their non-electric residential heating systems through the Pennsylvania HomeHeating Equipment Rebate Program.

Rebates ranging from $250 to $1,000 will now be offered to replace eligible non-electric residential fur-naces, hot water heaters and boilers fueled by home heating oil, natural gas or propane with more effi cientEnergy Star-rated units. Previously, rebates had ranged from $100 to $500.

Equipment purchased on or after Aug. 2 will be eligible for the revised amount.e $11 million program is being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Near-

ly 3,900 Pennsylvania residents have already received rebates after taking steps to make their homes moreenergy effi cient. Heating and water heating account for nearly half of a typical homes total energy bill.Residents may reserve a rebate online through my website at RepMicozzie.com. ose without Internet

access can call 877-592-2061.Once a reservation is made, consumers will have 30 days to submit the necessary documentation of pur-

chase and installation. Rebate checks will then be mailed directly to the consumer. Rebates will be issueduntil program funds are depleted. A rebate can be combined with federal tax credits, a non-electric utilityrebate and/or a manufacturers rebate.

the web at www.RepMicozzie. com


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District Office Services

My district offi ces are here to help you.ervices my staff and I provide include:

Drivers license and vehicle

registration applications and renewals. Assistance with PennDOT paperwork. Copies of birth and death certificates. PACE and PACENET applications

for seniors. Property Tax and Rent Rebate

forms and applications. Voter registration forms and

absentee ballot applications. State tax forms.

Student aid information. Free state maps, state park informa-

tion, and PA Vacation Guides. Copies of legislation. Tours of the State Capitol. Referrals to agencies to resolve

state-related matters.

If you need help with any of the above orwith any other state-related matter, please donot hesitate to call my offi ces.

Representative Nick Micozzie

District Offi ces:6 South Springfield Road , Clifton Heights, PA 19018

Phone: (610) 259-2820 FAX: (610) 259-7019

3701 Garrett Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026Phone: (610) 284-0020 FAX: (610) 284-4011

Harrisburg Offi ce:Room 105 Ryan Offi ce Building

PO Box 202163, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2163Phone: (717) 783-8808 FAX: (717) 783-0688

The district office staff includes Kathleen Theurer, Connie McAfee,

Carol Schwartz, Kristine Harlow, Rep. Micozzie, Joe Kirkwood,

Kathy Laut and Linda Pietropola.

Rep. Micozzie presents a citation to Sonia Forrest,

Doris Beck, Kathy Dollymore, Charlotte Berg

and Peg Gerding to celebrate Norways

105th year of independence.

Fire, Ambulance Services

Eligible for Grant Funding

throughout Delaware County are once againeligible to apply for funding through the Vol-unteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambu-lance Services Grant Program.

First established in 2000, the programprovides grants to support construction orrenovation of a units station, the purchase orrepair of equipment, training or debt reduc-tion.

Maximum grants are $15,000 for volun-teer fire companies and $10,000 for volun-teer ambulance services.

Applications will become available nolater than Sept. 7, and must be submittedby 4 p.m. on Oct. 22. e grant program is

administered by the Offi ce of the State FireCommissioner.

Local Senior Citizens Benefit from

Millions in PA Lottery Proceeds

More than $19.2 million in proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lot-tery provided benefits to the senior citizens in Delaware County dur-ing the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to a report recently released bythe Pennsylvania Departments of Revenue and Aging.

ince 1971, the proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery have ben-

efited programs specifically geared toward senior citizens. Of those arethe 52 Area Agencies on Aging and more than 600 full- and part-timesenior centers, the PACE and PACENET prescription drug coverageprogram, shared and free rides, and the Property Tax/Rent Rebateprogram.

Locally, in Delaware County, the breakdown includes: Area Agency on Aging and affi liated senior centers -

$8 million PACE and PACENET - $11.1 million Shared and Free Ride Program - $6.5 million Property Tax and Rent Rebates - $8 million

Long-term living services through the Departmentof Public Welfare - $15.6 million

e Pennsylvania Lottery is unique in that it remains the onlylottery in the nation that exclusively targets all of its proceeds to pro-grams for older residents. Anyone who thinks they may be eligible forPACE, PACENET or the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program should

RepMicozzie.com

micozzie summer 2010 newsletter

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