Pennsylvania ranks 37th best in new economic outlook analysis

The Center Square

Pennsylvania finished 37th

in a study

by the website Rich States, Poor States that examined the 50 states’ economic outlooks based on 15 weighted policy measures.

The economic outlook ranking for Pennsylvania examined such variables as top marginal personal income tax rate (6.95) and top marginal corporate income tax rate (16.88). Other measures examined include property and sales tax burdens, existence of estate or inheritance taxes, debt service as a percentage of tax revenue, and the number of public employees per 10,000 people.

RichStatesPoorStates.org

also ranked states based on their economic performances from 2007 to 2017. In that assessment, Pennsylvania ranked 33rd.

The state’s cumulative gross domestic product from 2007 to 2017, its overall loss of population to other states between 2008 and 2017, and nonagricultural job growth from 2007 to 2017 determined how it fared in the economic performance ranking.

—

State Rankings on Economic Outlook and Performance

State

2019 Economic Performance Ranking

2019 Economic Outlook Ranking

Top Marginal Personal Income Tax Rate

Top Marginal Corporate Tax Rate

Utah

4.95%

Idaho

6.93%

North Dakota

2.9%

4.31%

Nevada

4.95%

Indiana

5.25%

5.75%

North Carolina

5.25%

2.5%

Tennessee

6.5%

Florida

5.5%

South Dakota

Arizona

4.54%

4.9%

Wyoming

Michigan

6.65%

Oklahoma

Virginia

5.75%

7.62%

Texas

2.62%

New Hampshire

7.7%

Colorado

4.63%

Georgia

5.75%

6.38%

Mississippi

Wisconsin

7.65%

7.9%

Alabama

4.15%

6.03%

Missouri

6.4%

6.59%

Arkansas

6.9%

6.5%

Ohio

7.5%

3.67%

Iowa

5.37%

11.64%

Louisiana

3.78%

6.32%

Kansas

5.7%

Massachusetts

5.05%

South Carolina

New Mexico

4.9%

5.9%

Alaska

9.4%

Kentucky

6.5%

Nebraska

6.84%

7.81%

Maryland

8.95%

8.25%

West Virginia

6.5%

Delaware

7.85%

11.74%

Pennsylvania

6.95%

16.88%

Montana

6.9%

6.75%

Washington

6.75%

Minnesota

9.85%

9.8%

Connecticut

6.99%

7.5%

Rhode Island

5.99%

Maine

7.15%

8.93%

Oregon

10.66%

11.65%

Hawaii

11%

6.4%

New Jersey

11.75%

11.5%

California

13.3%

8.84%

Illinois

4.95%

9.5%

Vermont

8.75%

8.5%

New York

12.7%

17.23%

Source:

RichStatesPoorStates.org

/ American Legislative Exchange Council

published here with permission of The Center Square

PROPERTY TAX INCREASE BLOCKED IN NEW JERSEY

source

KE ANDREWS

New Jersey school districts were about to raise funds by raising property taxes, but the governor blocked it. The districts will have to find another way to compensate for the cuts that have taken place to state funding. When vetoing the bill, the governor made a statement that taxes on the wealthy should be raised to pay for schools, instead of asking middle-class taxpayers to pay more. Some districts have lost state aid, due to changes to the formula for school property tax funding.

CNBNEWS GRAPHIC FILES

If the measure would have passed without veto, it would have allowed school districts to exceed the two-percent cap on New Jersey property tax increases that were previously set. But Governor Murphy made it clear that he would not support the development of another way to exceed the cap, especially when it increases the burden of property tax and harms voters. The current school funding formula for the state tells voters how much every district should be spending, how much comes from the state, and how much should be generated from property taxes.

The funding formula has been in overhaul mode for years, and those changes have been controversial. The goal of the changes has been to shift state aid away from overfunded districts and to districts that are not funded as well. But at the same time, hundreds of millions more are being put into schools every year, and every district should get 100 percent of what is owed to them. There are 172 districts that will lose state aid, because they have been getting more than the current formula states that they need.

For the last seven years, there have been other districts that are losing money and not receiving enough funding. Programs reductions, budget cuts, and layoffs are part of the future for those districts, if changes to the distribution of state education funds are not made. By exceeding the two-percent property tax cap, these schools could get more funding and reduce their chances of ongoing financial problems. There would have been 40 districts that qualified for the changes. Still, the governor vetoed the bill and strongly suggested that districts find another way to address the issues. The goal is to avoid increasing how much families pay in property taxes, and it is a decision that should be taken seriously.

The governor continues to propose raising the tax on wealthy people, but defenders of the original bill argue that none of the money from an increase on wealthy people’s taxes would actually go to the districts that need the funding. According to the New Jersey School Board Association, the governor is also mistaking the bill’s actual effects. That Association states that the bill was thought out carefully, and would have helped school districts without causing the significant and unrestricted increases in property taxes the governor implied.

KE Andrews: Property Tax Consultants

Pemberton Man Dies After Being Shot Outside His Home

PEMBERTON, NJ (January 23, 2020)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Pemberton Township Police Chief David H. Jantas announced that a 64-year-old Browns Mills man who was shot Monday outside of his residence has died at a Trenton hospital.

Kenneth J. Ryan, of Apache Trail, was pronounced dead yesterday morning at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that the victim died as the result of being shot in the head.

No arrests have been made. Investigators are asking anyone with information to call Burlington County Central Communications at 609-265-7113, the Pemberton Township Police Department’s tip line at 609-894-3352, or send an email to

tips@co.burlington.nj.us

The case is being investigated by detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office and the Pemberton Township Police Department. The lead investigators are BCPO Detective Brian Miller and Pemberton Township Police Detective Jay Luis.

Pedestrian Killed Walking On Williamstown Road Crossing AC Expressway Bridge

WINSLOW TOWNSHIP NJ (January 23, 2020)–An adult male pedestrian was walking on Williamstown Road crossing the Atlantic City Expressway bridge,

when he was struck by an unknown vehicle.

The vehicle that struck the pedestrian fled the scene towards Monroe Township.

The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he passed away.

The accident occurred on 01/22/2020 at 10:34 Pm.

If anyone has any information about the accident, please contact Winslow Officer Rich Saunders, 609-567-0700 Ext. 1196 or Camden County Prosecutors Office Detective Rowand 856-225-8514.

The victim\’s name is being withheld until notification to his family.

Demand for Pet Blood

As a result of recent advancements in veterinary medicine and owners increasingly willing to spend more money on care for the family pet, the

demand for pet blood

has increased; however, pet blood supplies around the country continues to fall short. In fact, many veterinarians today rely on out-of-state blood banks that often have an extremely limited supply.

January is

National Blood Donor Month

, which makes it a perfect time to bring awareness to the importance and benefits of pet blood banks.

BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital

has

eight pet blood banks

across the country that are helping to treat heart disease, heat stroke, immune system conditions, kidney disease or injury, acute trauma, poisoning and more in pets. BluePearl also works with

Canine Blood Heroes

, a national system of local canine blood donation programs, in Phoenix and Kansas City to provide local pet owners and veterinarians with access to safe canine blood.

\”Dogs and cats require blood transfusions for many of the same reasons humans do: illness, injury, or surgery,” remarked Dee Ann Dugger, Senior Clinician, Head of Emergency Service, Blood Bank Director at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Tampa, Fla. “However, with only a handful of banks nationally, getting safe blood to a pet who is in immediate need is a challenge. Right now, we, as a veterinary community, are not producing enough blood for veterinarians around the country. We simply need more donors.”

Similar to humans, cats and dogs have different blood types; felines have three different feline-specific blood types, and canines have six. While pet donor requirements and screening can vary slightly by state and program, the need for pet blood supplies is constant.

To donate, dogs must be one to seven years old, healthy, up-to-date on vaccines and weigh more than 50 pounds. Canine blood, specifically, is not breed specific, but greyhounds are known for being universal donors. Conversely, cats must weigh more than 10 pounds, live indoors, and be two to seven years old. Cats must also test negative for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, and have not previously bred or received a blood transfusion.

Pet Tips

Pets Are The Best

Incumbent Congressman Jan Van Drew Endorsed by Camden County Republicans

JANUARY 23, 2020)–Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino released the following statement announcing the Camden County Republican Committee has officially endorsed Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew for re-election.

“Over the last few days the Waterford Township and Camden County Republican Committees thoroughly screened all of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District,” said Ambrosino. “Upon completion of the candidate interviews, it was the unanimous recommendation of our county screening committee to endorse our Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew for re-election. I am honored to affirm their recommendation and award Congressman Van Drew the use of our Camden County Republican line and slogan in June’s Republican Primary. We know he will continue fighting for South Jersey and we look forward to working with him to grow the Republican Party.”

Nutley Man Pleads Guilty To Causing Fatal Crash in Mt. Laurel While Impaired

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 26-year-old Nutley man pled guilty yesterday in Superior Court to being intoxicated when causing the death of another motorist during a 2018 collision on Route 73 in Mount Laurel.

Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, William Dunbar pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter (First Degree) in exchange for a sentence of 10 years in New Jersey state prison. The Hon. Philp E. Haines, J.S.C. scheduled sentencing for May 14.

The investigation revealed that Dunbar was driving northbound at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the rear of another vehicle traveling in the same direction near Church Road on August 19, 2018.

The driver of the vehicle that was struck, Christopher Pappas, 34, of Howell, New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene. The force of the impact caused his car to overturn and strike a utility pole before coming to rest. Neither vehicle had passengers.

Dunbar, who is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Douglas J. Bligh, indicated when entering his plea that he had been drinking alcohol at a concert earlier in the day. Dunbar did not dispute the results of toxicology tests which determined his blood alcohol content was .16 percent shortly after the crash.

The investigation was conducted by the Mount Laurel Police Department, with assistance from the Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police. The lead investigator was Mount Laurel Police Sergeant Nicholas DiGirolamo.

Future of the Pinelands Program Uncertain

Today the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) released its 13

annual

State of the Pinelands Report

. The report rates how specific actions of state and local government have helped or harmed the Pinelands during

2019.

The year 2019 marked the 40

anniversary of the landmark Pinelands Protection Act and the establishment of the Pinelands Commission. The central achievements of the Pinelands Commission and the Act are strong. Over its 40-year history, this agency has been able to withstand efforts to weaken or abolish the plan to protect the Pinelands.

Nevertheless, political and economic pressure are wearing away at the Pinelands Commission’s commitment to protect the Pine Barrens. There is a danger that the rules we all fought so hard to implement will become brittle and break away as the plan is weakened by political manipulation of the rules to benefit specific developments.

While this year brought a major victory for the Pinelands in the defeat of the South Jersey Gas pipeline, the Pinelands Commission has not advanced any of the policy reforms the Commission itself identified several years ago to ensure the long-term protection of Pinelands resources.

Just as bad, the Commission’s handling of pipeline applications over the past six years revealed major holes in its procedures, which it has refused to fix.

Even pipeline projects that have been defeated live on at the Pinelands Commission!

The Commission failed to pass a resolution withdrawing their approval of the South Jersey Gas pipeline at their January 10, 2020 meeting, even after the Appeals Court officially remanded the matter back to the Commission with directions to reconsider the approval in light of the changed facts.

At the same time, the Commission is trying to eliminate fundamental public appeal rights built into every part of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) since it was first adopted in 1980. And the Commission only encouraged the New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline (the so-called Southern Reliability Link) despite the plain language and intent of the CMP and the risks this totally unneeded project brings to the people living, learning and working along its path.

Just as troubling for the future of the Pinelands National Reserve is the fact that the New Jersey Senate held up the confirmation of the governor’s nomination of four vital Pinelands Commission members for a year. The nomination process must now start over since they expired at the end of the last legislative session (January 14, 2020).

“The Senate’s failure to confirm Pinelands Commission nominees places vulnerable and critical resources of water, forest and wildlife at risk, as the Commission has essentially ceased to function without these new members. There is no valid reason for the Pinelands to be left without enough active Commissioners to achieve its mission,” says Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. “In recent months the Pinelands Commission has not even been able to muster enough members at its meetings to vote on matters large and small.”

On the plus side, the Commission took a small but important step in addressing climate change by forming the Land Use, Climate Impacts and Sustainability committee. The Commission also opened the new Candace McKee Ashmun Education Center at their offices in Pemberton with exhibits that highlight the natural and cultural treasures of the Pinelands. The education center is named after one of the greatest environmental heroes of Pinelands protection, Candy Ashmun, who is the last original Pinelands Commissioner still serving.

In 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked to address stormwater pollution with efforts to bolster the use of green infrastructure and provide guidance for local governments to establish stormwater utilities. However, the DEP has not yet adopted clear and decisive measures to solve the critical issue of illegal Off-Road Vehicle use that continues damage land throughout the Pinelands.

This year’s report recognized the great work of municipalities like Hammonton and Evesham who installed green infrastructure projects to capture stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground. Long Beach, Ventnor, Beach Haven and Brick took action to protect their environment by participating in coastal resiliency projects to improve dune habitat. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Raritan Valley Community College coordinated these projects.

For the first time ever a media organization received a thumbs-up in the State of the Pinelands Report. The investigative reporters at the Burlington County Times have covered the PFAS drinking water contamination issue meticulously. PFAS are a family of chemical compounds that have been found in drinking water in the Pinelands, especially on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. They can have adverse effects on humans and wildlife.

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The 2020 State of the Pinelands Report is available online at

www.PinelandsAlliance.org

. A full-color copy of the report can be obtained by visiting the Alliance at its headquarters located at 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton NJ 08088. For more information, please call 609-859-8860.

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) was established as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1989 by environmental leaders and Pinelands residents, with the goal of preserving and protecting the more than 1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands. PPA remains the only private organization dedicated solely to environmental protection throughout the Pinelands.

NJ Fixes Solar Program Bill For Now

Governor Murphy signed S4275 (Smith) into law. The bill allows BPU to increase cost to customers of Class I renewable energy requirement for energy years 2022 through 2024, under certain conditions.

“This new law will temporarily stop the solar market from crashing, but we need to do more. This will raise the cost cap, which lets more sunlight in and allows the solar program to move forward. Our concern is that this is a stopgap instead of a real solution. We have said from the beginning that the cost cap would hurt the solar industry and cause it to crash. This legislation is just a short-term fix that averages the cost cap out over five years to extend the program. Under this bill we can only get to 200 Megawatts per year instead of the 500 MW that we need to reach our clean energy goals,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We should be completely getting rid of the cap. We don’t have caps on energy from coal, nuclear, oil, or gas. Having a cap on solar hurts renewable energy and favors fossil fuels.”

The bill would allow the BPU to increase the cost cap on Class I renewable energy requirements if the total energy costs during energy years 2019 through 2021 is less than 9%. Since the solar program went into effect about 10 years ago, solar has become 29 percent more efficient and gone down in price by 25 percent.

“We are glad that Murphy signed this bill because it will help extend the solar program, but we need a real fix. Having a cost cap on solar will only allow for a modest solar program. This law raises the cost cap and averages it out over five years. If the costs exceed the limit the BPU is still required to set aside the Renewable Portfolio Standard for that year. You also have to factor in legacy SRECs as well as transition SRECs. Our concern is that even with this change in the law it will not allow us to have a robust solar program,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We need to remove the cost cap, but we also need to come up with a new solar program that is more cost effective and works for all of New Jersey. This includes looking at other funding mechanisms and regulations to push for solar programs to get done.”

Impact Of Climate Change on Humans and Forests

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 22, 2020)–Eight is coming down to seven, with half the planet already having been destroyed. How long do you think the earth can sustain the weight of negativity? With the current conditions, probably not for long. While life ebbs out of people, authorities are still abstracted of the fact that earth is on the verge of annihilation. The conniving deeds of humans have paved half the way to oblivion, while the foundation to the other half has already been laid.

Glaciers are melting into the rivers of a dark future where an evolutionary reversal is bound to happen. With the world having already stepped into an unforgettable age of greed and savagery, more is undoubtedly taking form. Do any of you know for certain every little event that is pushing the world towards a collapse? The answer would be a straight-out \’NO\’ since more than half of what is happening around us stays unrevealed.

Levels of Climate Change Impact

A rise in temperature all across the globe.

Destruction of several resources affect the growth of crops, production of food, and further leads to the outbreak of diseases.

Death of flora and fauna.

Impacts on Forests

While the impeachment and potential world war updates took over the television screens and front pages of every newspaper, brutally trivialized natural disasters burnt the green face of the earth. The Amazon rainforest wildfires and the Australian bushfires were warnings from the substrates of an imminent cataclysm. It is only when the fire consumes one of us that we get cautious and move stealthily towards a secure future. But this time the planet isn\’t giving humans another chance to live through the disaster and beyond. Sighs of exhaustion have already taken the form of floods, meltdowns and forest fires, which if not addressed with concern at the earliest, can take down the entire planet.

Changes in temperature, weather, and rainfall are just a few factors that affect the productivity and growth of forests. A surge in the levels of carbon dioxide can also harm the prolific trees and animal inhabitants.

The growing season gets prolonged with the warming temperatures, and this would further lead to the shift of geographic ranges of some tree species. Local or regional species could also be at risk if the conditions in the present habitats are unfavorable for growth. Make sure that you clear all the unwanted overgrown trees and plant new ones, as the earth pleads for it. A

tree company

can help you uproot the trees and free your plots of the redundant greenery.

Chances for floods, droughts and excessive precipitation is likely to increase with the changing climatic conditions. The availability of water can also get affected by the alter in the timing of snowmelt. With the increasing temperatures, droughts are likely to be more adverse than it was in the past. They can impose a huge risk since dry shrubs and trees are potential detonators of wildfires.

Impacts on Human Beings

With the rise in temperatures, dehydration within humans will also increase. Deaths resulting from such adverse climatic conditions would be countless and can keep on rising until obliteration occurs. Humans are likely to be afflicted with sunstrokes and diseases related to the cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular systems if they are exposed to extreme heat. Populations in the northern latitudes could get severely affected by the excessive heat.

Athletes, outdoor workers, and homeless people spend most of their time in the sunlight, and the heat could ebb all their energy and gradually lead to death. People with certain medical conditions, pregnant women, children, and older adults could be more vulnerable to the heat. People from urban areas could get affected more by the heat waves since rural areas have recorded relatively lower temperatures in the past years.

Conclusion

Earth is rolling down the slope towards destruction; there is no denial. All living beings, from humans to animals to trees, are going to be affected by the changing climatic conditions. Reversal of catastrophes isn\’t possible, so take immediate necessary steps to stop it before the deluges subdue the whole planet.