Pittsburgh Joins Municipalities Fighting Marcellus Shale Mandate

               Everyone in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, or Pennsylvania as a whole have at least heard about Marcellus Shale. A huge reserve of natural gas found beneath several states, including Pennsylvania, has opened a large debate about environmental protections, drilling opportunities, and the relationship between drilling companies and communities. In the City of Pittsburgh, it has been a particularly complicated subject; many people support the extraction of natural gas as an energy source, but oppose a method of extraction known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Pittsburgh elected officials have argued that this method is dangerous for the environment, a threat to drinking water, and has no place in the city limits of Pittsburgh, with its large, dense population. Proponents of Marcellus Shale drilling insist that these claims of environmental danger are unsubstantiated.

               This article: <http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/marcellusshale/city-backs-local-control-of-shale-drilling-regulations-653376/#ixzz26jbvoNAV> by the Post-Gazette, details some of the legal battle going on between the state of Pennsylvania and local townships. Governor Tom Corbett, whose gubernatorial campaign was heavily funded by companies hoping to drill in Marcellus Shale, had helped to pass, and now defends, state Act 13. This legal measure nullifies local zoning ordinances passed by municipalities that prevents companies from drilling within their boundaries. In other words, municipalities that have banned the companies from fracking within their cities would now be forced by the state to allow it. A legal suit was filed by seven municipalities, later joined by the State Association of Township Supervisors, an advocacy group representing thousands of townships across the Commonwealth, seeking to nullify this act. A decision handed down recently sided with the townships.

               This support of the court towards local decision on this issue has prompted Pittsburgh's City Council to file a brief in support of this decision; the City Council believes that they should be able to use zoning in order to restrict drilling. Because an appeal was also filed, the State Supreme Court will hear the issue on October 17th in Pittsburgh.

               This issue has a large impact on students at Pitt; environmentalists argue that drilling in the city limits could be damaging for local drinking water, while advocates of companies hoping to drill in the city cite the potential for job creation by expanding the use of drilling (and given Pitt's excellent engineering school, this has a large impact on anyone interested in this field).

               Regardless of your thoughts on the issue, the controversy surrounding Marcellus Shale and the best way to make use of its massive natural gas reserves isn't going away anytime soon. It is important to stay educated on the subject to understand the implications for students at this great university.

Foreign Policy: Where Do You Stand?

            If you haven’t seen the new film, Innocence of Muslims, spare yourself the 14 minutes of uncreative dialogue, horribly fake accents, and green-screen skills that would surely give Steven Spielberg a stroke and turn the news on instead. Fair warning: brace yourself, as you’re about to take a shocking, disheartening look at the anti-American wildfire that has spread worldwide in response to it. 

The past two weeks have been marked by tire burnings, enraged protesters, attacks on American embassies, and yes, even the loss of American lives. From Afghanistan to Indonesia, plumes of tear gas and smoke from flag burnings are rising higher than ever before and the unrest is borderline unmanageable. Why? This same film not only propagandizes Muslim life, but, more insensitively, mocks the life of the revered prophet of Islam, Mohammed.

One could dare argue that the violent response is disproportional to the film. However, whether or not this outrageous travesty justifies such a response from the Muslim world is superfluous. Why? Simply put, it IS happening. We may have been given an unfortunate hand, but it is the duty of our leaders to play the cards intelligently and responsibly.

Let’s take an abrupt U-turn and head back towards the United States. Let’s face it; this election has primarily pivoted around our failing economy and the eye-burning unemployment rate. However, the unrest abroad has highlighted a vital, and often underrated, forum in presidential elections: foreign policy. Talks about terrorism, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the role of our military have momentarily pushed our economic issues to the back burner of the rhetorical stove.

Fortunately, CNN has created a general outline of foreign policies according to each candidate (link below). In light of everything that is happening overseas, I think it is absolutely imperative for everyone to take a look into the foreign policies of both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, develop an educated, rational opinion, and take it with you into the voting booth on November 6^th.

Link: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/17/where-obama-romney-stand-on-foreign-policy-challenges/?hpt=po_t1

Why Should I Vote?

One of the biggest problems in representative government is voter
disinterest.  People feel they don’t have time, they can’t make a
difference with their vote, or they simply don’t care about politics. 
It’s understandable- we all have busy lives, and sometimes the weight of
the political system seems too much for us to move.  None of the typical
lines we cycle through time and time again will convince anyone to vote,
so I’ll try a new one: it benefits you.
Jeff Fazio, advisor to the HACC Student Government Association and a
fellow participant in Pitt Day (they simply call it Lobby Day) once told
me that the most powerful actions anyone can take to ensure their
political influence is to register to vote and then  go ahead and do so. 
It works like this: when writing to your representative, your letter is
first read by an assistant at their office.  They immediately check the
voter registration system to see two things: if you’re registered to vote,
and if you voted in the last election (but not who you voted for; that’s
protected under federal law).  This makes your request far more important
to them: not only are you in a position to vote for or against them, but
you have done so before.  Moreover, you’ve cared enough to write them a
letter, which potentially means you care enough to make other people write
more letters- and vote for or against them accordingly.  You’ve suddenly
gone from a nobody to a blip on their radar, and they will handle your
request accordingly.  This can certainly be the first step in getting your
politician to change a law in a way that benefits you and many others.
So, don’t think of voting as an unnecessary hassle; consider it a premium
you pay for “law insurance”.  At the end of the day, the politicians work
for you, and this is your way to remind them of it.

Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Goes to Supreme Court

On Thursday, the commonwealth’s Supreme Court will begin hearings regarding Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law, which, unless ruled unconstitutional by the court, will go into effect for the November elections. 

The law, requiring voters to present a valid state ID on Election Day, has been hotly debated in Pennsylvania and in its comparable forms across the country, as similar suits are being filed in multiple states.  Republican proponents of the law argue that voter identification is necessary to reduce voter fraudulence. Democrats counter that such a requirement is a detrimental to eligible voter turnout, as many prospective voters in Pennsylvania do not have a state identification or driver’s license.  Democrats, along with the ACLU, claim that the law discriminates against the poor and minority groups.

Last month, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled that requiring voters to present identification does not violate the state’s constitution.  As the case goes to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, neither Democrats nor Republicans hold a majority following the suspension of Justice Joan Orie Melvin.  Should the ruling be tied at 3-3, the lower court’s judgment will be upheld.  As Pennsylvania is expected to again be a swing state in November’s presidential election, the Supreme Court’s ruling could play a major part in deciding the election.

For the complete article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/voter-id-case-goes-to-pa-supreme-court-on-thursday-652639/

Closing the Delaware Loophole - State Revenue and Pitt

This article briefly summarizes the current state of business taxes in the Commonwealth. As the article notes, the corporate tax for the state of Pennsylvania is one of the highest in the country, which many see as prohibiting the movement of companies into the state. However, through various tax loopholes, many multistate companies are avoiding the state taxes entirely According to a 2010 report by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a staggering “71 percent of companies subject to the corporate net income tax pay no tax.”

Although many people have issues with the bill as introduced (See here for a politician who explains its shortcomings) many have cited the policy of closing the loopholes in general as a way of raising revenue for the state, and to potentially offset the cuts to education. Although it would lower corporate tax rates, if effective in closing the loopholes this bill could potentially raise state revenues significantly.

Although politicians disagree about the effectiveness of this particular bill, this has demonstrated bipartisan support for closing a loophole that many see as having cheated the Commonwealth out of millions of dollars. If this bill is effective, it could result in a larger flow of revenue and, as some advocates hope, a way to end the cuts to higher education.

President Revises Clause in Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act

Many college students support the Affordable Health Care Act because either their parents don't have health insurance or their ability to use their parents' health insurance runs out a few years after they graduate from Pitt. There is a provision in the bill that forces employers to cover birth control in their insurance policies. Last month, President Obama received serious criticism when he announced that religious institutions would have to cover birth control. To Catholics, this goes against their religious beliefs. On Friday, the White House announced that there would be new provisions to the policy, which would force insurance companies to provide birth control to women for free, instead of forcing religious institutions to pay for birth control coverage. The insurance companies would also be prohibited from increasing the cost of insurance policies to compensate for the free birth control coverage. Now that employers don't have to specifically cover birth control, every woman will have access to birth control at an affordable price. For college women using birth control, this means more money in your pocket.

Visit the White House's website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/10/president-obama-announces-new-policy-improve-access-contraception for more information.

Property Tax Assessments

Tax Results will be Case by Case

For the first time since 2002, properties assessments have been performed in the city of Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that several surrounding counties have gone decades without a reassessment, Allegheny County was forced to review its properties and set a new tax rate. Initially, local politicians and citizen groups were angered at the potential raises in property taxes, but recent studies have shown a much more complex relationship between the new values and the new taxes people will be paying. 

Since property owners, landlords, and realtors set rent prices based on the property taxes they pay, as these new taxes raise or decrease, this will likely be reflected in the rent paid by students on local housing. These new effects will be experienced on a case by case basis, with many residents seeing a tax decrease and, potentially, a decrease in rent. 

To find out how your property will be affected, first look up both its current and newly assessed price, using the following website: 

<http://www2.alleghenycounty.us/reval/Search.aspx>

At first, the new sticker price may shock you. But here's some simple math to calculate the new tax.

Value * tax rate = taxes

So, 

current value * .02941 = current taxes

new value * .01980 = new taxes

Now simply compare and see which one of these values is higher! If the current tax is higher, excellent! You're taxes are going down. If not, there are till things you can do. Mayor Ravenstahl, city Controller Michael lamb, and several council members have put programs in place to help you. If you are concerned about any of this, or any other questions, just send us an email! We're happy to help.

2012 Governmental Relations Committee

sgb.grc@gmail.com

Further reading: 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12031/1207116-53-0.stm?cmpid=newspanel4

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12029/1206763-53-0.stm