Reichley Report

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 432

Newsletter for the People of the 134th Legislative District

Lehigh County: 1245 Chestnut Street, Unit #5, Emmaus, PA 18049 Phone: (610) 965-9933
Berks County: Bally Brook Industrial Park, 20 North Front Street, Bally, PA 19503 Phone: (610) 845-1425

Summer 2010

Survey Property Taxes/School Budgeting

Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As your state representative, I believe it is important to get your feedback on important issues facing the Legislature. I
have put together a brief survey on my website – RepReichley.com – and would appreciate it if you take just a few minutes
to go online and let me know your thoughts. Please click on “Property Tax Survey” and check the appropriate boxes to
answer the questions.
You can also participate in the survey by visiting one of my district offices. Hard copies will be available at the office. In
Emmaus, please stop by 1245 Chestnut St., Unit No. 5 on weekdays, or if you’re in Berks County, please stop in Bally Brook
Industrial Park on 20 N. Front St. in Bally on Wednesdays or Thursdays. You can also call one of our offices to do the survey.
In Emmaus, the phone number is (610) 965-9933. In Bally, the phone number is (610) 845-1425.
A member of our staff at either location will be happy to help you participate in the survey.

Upcoming Events
Reichley to Hold Town Meetings in October
At the 2009 Kids Expo, Seating is limited. Please RSVP to 610-965-9933 or e-mail
Rep. Reichley had fun with dreichle@pahousegop.com if you would like to attend.
participants at the interactive Walk-ins are always welcome.
sea creature water tank.
• Saturday, Oct. 2; 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Bally Senior Center
Kids Expo 425 Chestnut St., Bally
When: Saturday, Sept. 11 Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Place: DaVinci Center
• Wednesday, Oct. 6; 7 to 8:30 p.m.
3145 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown
Who: Sen. Pat Browne (R-16) and I will be holding our Cetronia Fire Company
fourth annual Kids Expo. Admission to the event is free of 18 South Scenic St., Allentown
charge to the public. Refreshments will be provided. The
DaVinci Science Center is a unique science and technology
• Friday, Oct. 8; 8:30 to 10 a.m.
educational center providing educational fun and inspira-
tion for the imagination. Hope to see you there. Emmaus Fire Company No. 1
50 South 6th St., Emmaus
Senior Expo
When: Friday, Sept. 24 Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Saturday, Oct. 9; 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Place: Luther Crest Retirement Community
Lehigh Lodge
800 Hausman Road
South Whitehall Township 2100 Route 100 South, Macungie
 State Spending Should Be Brought Under Better Control
The conclusion of the budget process by our constitutional deadline of June 30 is sort of good a story/bad story episode from
Harrisburg. Yes, the Legislature demonstrated we can overcome some partisan bickering and achieve our main task of any given
year by completing the budget on time. And yes, this $28 billion budget does not rely on any tax increases to support the current
funding levels.
However, this budget increases overall state spending in the coming fiscal year by $207.2 million. It also relies on a projected
$850 million in additional funding to be approved by the federal government to pay for Medical Assistance program costs.
Congress eventually reduced this sum to $595 million, which leaves the state budget $255 million short, meaning further budget
cuts or tax increases proposed by the governor will be needed by October.
As the Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, I believe the spending in the final approved budget
should have been reduced below last year’s total. Because of the termination of federal stimulus funds in 2011, we have a built-
in deficit of $2.5 billion next year. We also have an estimated $475 million deficit in transportation funding resulting from the
rejection of I-80 tolling by federal authorities, and Pennsylvania is also looking at a $5 billion deficit in its public employee
pension funds by 2012 if we do not take corrective action. As a result, I do not believe there was any option but to reduce state
spending, and I voted against this year’s budget.
At a time in our nation’s economy when families and businesses are struggling to make ends meet, government should
reduce spending too, most notably by cutting back on wasteful spending in the Department of Public Welfare and by eliminating
corporate welfare at the Department of Community and Economic Development. We need to focus your tax dollars on providing
essential services for mental health treatment, libraries, veterans programs, protecting the environment and improving education.
By concentrating on funding the programs we truly need and delivering services in a more efficient way by contracting out to
private sector providers where feasible, I believe we can restore our state budget solvency in the next few years.
• I voted against the state budget bill not only because we needed to show we could reduce state spending in the midst of the
worst recession in 70 years, but also because of the misplaced priorities within the budget agreement. For instance, the state budget
cut early education funding by $2.2 million, but gave the Philadelphia School District a 26 percent increase in its budget.
• While recognizing the special challenges facing the Philadelphia School District, Philadelphia got more than one quarter
- $65 million of the $250 million - in additional school funding allocated for fiscal year 2010-11 for basic education for the state’s
500 school districts. IN ADDITION,
• College tuition assistance grants were cut by $15 million.
• Environmental protection funding was cut by $5.7 million.
• Public library funding was cut by $5.5 million.
• Mental health services were cut by $33.8 million, BUT
• Cash assistance in Department of Public Welfare increased by $9.6 million, and
• More than $300 million was provided to Gov. Ed Rendell for his own personal distribution including:
o $10 million in the capital budget for an Arlen Specter Library in Philadelphia and;
o $10 million for a Congressman John Murtha Library in Johnstown.

School District Funding for Berks and Lehigh Counties

Please consult the below chart to see how your school district did in terms of the state basic education funding and special
education funding it received from the state during the 2010-11 fiscal year budget.

School District 2010-11 State 2010-11 State Basic 2010-11 State Special
Basic Education Total Education Funding Inc. Education Funding
Boyertown Area $14,823,416 $590,175, 4.15% $3,138,632
Brandywine Heights Area $4,010,798 $84,643, 2.16% $986,912
East Penn $11,350,745 $640,479, 5.98% $2,950,647
Parkland $7,015,900 $430,189, 6.53% $3,261,776
Salisbury $2,270,726 $44,524, 2.0% $782,505
Upper Perkiomen $8,771,911 $223,993, 2.6% $1,603,102

Water Updates in Bally and Hereford

After almost eight years of inconvenience and imposition on residents, the construction of a new public water system well
site to replace a contaminated well in Bally is complete. Electrical service has been connected for the new well by Met-Ed and
the final testing will be taking place in August. If all goes according to plan, residents using the Bally public water supply should
be able to use the tap water running in their house by Labor Day.
As Bally residents know all too well, a new public water system well had to be installed after the discovery of the presence
of 1,4-dioxane in Bally. On June 22, our office organized a public meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to inform residents of the progress in the construction of the new well, the anticipated commencement of public water use and
instruction on how residents can flush their home water systems.
In a separate development, based on concerns raised with my office by Hereford residents, the EPA will be holding another
community meeting to discuss proposed changes to the location of the treatment facility to be constructed at the Crossley Farms
Superfund site. Look for a meeting notice in the mail from the EPA in September.
 House Passes Pension System Reform Bill
Pension costs for state employees and public school
employees are a key contributor to the escalating pressure on
school property tax increases. Unfortunately, there is no magic
wand to solve this problem, and we are limited by several court
rulings in terms of how we can address the financial crisis.
In June, the House overwhelmingly approved House Bill
2497, which proposes to change how employer contribution
rates are calculated. The bill, now before the Senate, reduces
property tax pressures on homeowners by capping the rate
of increase in employer contributions. This cap lessens
the anticipated spike over the next few years in employer
contribution rates in these funds and the concurrent pressure
on taxes. In addition, the bill reverts benefits for new hires to
2001 levels.
The Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS)
and the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) are the
pension plans for thousands of Pennsylvania teachers and
public employees. Both are defined benefit plans, which means
each employee is contractually promised a specific retirement
benefit. This benefit is established by a formula based on years
of employment. Plans are funded from investments made by
PSERS and SERS, employee contributions, and employer
contributions – which are paid for by taxpayers.
In 2012, PSERS and SERS will be faced with a $5
billion cost spike. Deficits occurred because of inconsistent
contribution levels from the state and school districts, enhanced
Railroad Grade Crossing
Upgrade Completed
on Route 100
and Spring Creek Road
In response to complaints about the condition of the railroad
crossing on Route 100 south of Spring Creek Road, I was pleased
to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
(PennDOT), Norfolk Southern Railroad and local municipal
officials to have the crossing improved on June 13.
As a result, Norfolk Southern railroad crossing upgrades were
done over a weekend with as little disruption to local commuters
as possible, and it is hoped motorists will notice a smoother ride
on that portion of the highway.
Whispering Farms/Whitfield Estates Neighborhood Improvements
One of the most frustrating and difficult of our local issues
has been the bankruptcy of TH Properties and the interruption
of construction work to complete the development known
as Whispering Farms/Whitfield Estates in Upper Macungie
Township. Due to the poor real estate market in recent years, TH
Properties filed for bankruptcy
protection more than a year
ago, which caused the builder to
suspend operations.
For more than a year, our
office has organized a series
of meetings to discuss these
issues with TH Properties (THP),
representatives of National Penn
Bank, Upper Macungie Township
and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP). At my request, the bankruptcy court judge overseeing
THP’s case held a hearing last January to address the grievances
of one THP home buyer. On July 13, residents were given an
update that the former TH Properties sites should be taken over
retirement benefits that were enacted in 2001, and two stock
market crashes in the same decade which reduced anticipated
investment income. The state Supreme Court has ruled on
three occasions that the Legislature cannot default on or
reduce these defined benefit pension payments. As a result
of these rulings, Pennsylvania taxpayers must cover retiree
benefit costs. Our task in Harrisburg is to minimize possible
tax increases in coming years by finding some means of
cushioning the impact upon taxpayers.
House Bill 2479 is not an ideal solution. I supported the bill
because it is an important first step toward keeping the systems
solvent while reducing immediate property tax pressures. The
bill mitigates tax increases for the next five years, recalculates
the liabilities of the pension funds over a 30-year period, and
cuts $25 billion in pension costs for new hires by returning
to 2001 benefit levels.
Many people have advocated for a wholesale conversion
of these pension funds from defined benefit plans to defined
contribution plans, as are commonly found in the private
sector. Barred by court rulings though, we cannot force current
retirees or employees into a defined contribution plan. This
can only be done with future employees and conversion to
a defined contribution plan does not address how to pay for
the predicted $5 billion shortfall by 2012. However, we will
continue to work on other proposals to limit the impact of
these pensions on taxpayers.
Receive Legislative Updates,
Follow Me on Twitter,
Facebook and Youtube
If you’d like to receive regular e-mail updates or
to receive this newsletter electronically, please visit my
website, RepReichley.com, and sign up under Contact
Me. Interested persons can also contact my office at 1245
Chestnut St. in Emmaus by phone at (610) 965-9933 or
email me at dreichle@pahousegop.com to stay informed.
I can be found on Facebook.com/RepDougReichley,
Twitter.com/RepReichley, and Youtube.com/RepReichley,
where I post regular legislative and local event updates,
videos, photos and more. Links to those sites are also on
my website.
by a new builder in September.
While completion of the development will be
welcome, residents’ comments at the July 13 meeting
illustrated the ongoing frustrations with basic quality
of life issues such as removal of construction debris. In
response to these concerns,
On July 27, Rep. Reichley
attended a walk-through of Upper Macungie Township
Whispering Farms to see Supervisor Kathy Rader and
some of the undeveloped and I toured the development
unmaintained vacant lots with residents on July 27 to
that have resulted from the see for ourselves the most
THP bankruptcy, which has troublesome deficiencies.
thwarted new homes from We put a plan in place for
being built. the township to enforce
clean up of the vacant lots
by the end of August, and will continue to press the
developer to address concerns such as unfinished roads,
poor maintenance of undeveloped properties, storm water
runoff and erosion controls.
 Distracted Driving Legislation
Interactive wireless devices have enabled us to stay in touch with our families and work nearly anywhere we go. While these
devices allow us to be more efficient in our jobs and more available to our families, there are also times when they distract our
attention from our responsibilities as safe motorists.
Distracted driving is a particular concern among inexperienced teen drivers who are more accident prone if their attention is
not focused on driving.
More than a dozen states have taken steps to limit this distracted driving. Recently, New York and Rhode Island became the
13th and 14th states to ban texting while driving. In January, the Pennsylvania House approved House Bill 2070, which would
ban hand-held cell phone use and text messaging for all motorists on Pennsylvania roadways. Under the bill, adult drivers would
still be permitted to engage in voice communication in hands-free mode, while junior drivers (age 16 and 17) would be prohibited
from using any interactive wireless communication device.
I support this legislation because it will save lives and reduce accidents. Under this bill, junior drivers could use a cell phone
to dial 911 only if the vehicle is stopped in traffic or parked, or if they are operating an emergency service vehicle and engaged
in the performance of official duties.
However, the Senate passed a watered-down distracted driving bill, significantly weakening the effect of the House bill. I
voted against the Senate-amended bill, which limited police from stopping teens who are driving while using a cell phone. If the
bill remained as the Senate amended it, police officers would have to see a teen driver commit a separate motor vehicle offense
or crime in order to stop them for using a cell phone while driving.
I believe the Senate should restore the original language, which made it a primary offense for a teen to be using a cell phone
while driving. I hope the Senate understands the importance of this public safety measure and concurs with the House version
next month.

Rep. Reichley presented Lee Butz

of South Whitehall with a citation
for his work on behalf of the
Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia and upon receiving
an Honorary Doctor of Divinity
Degree from the seminary. The
citation was read by seminary
President Philip D. W. Krey,
right.

At an event held at Coca-Cola Park, the Boy Scouts of America

celebrated the 100th anniversary of Scouting with Rep. Reichley; John
Hayes, Minsi Trails Council President; Craig Poland, Minsi Trails
Council Executive; and Rep. John Siptroth (D-189).

On July 19, Sen.

Bob Mensch (R-24)
and Rep. Reichley
congratulated
Fred Rupert of
Emmaus during a
celebration of his
100th birthday.
Nancy Erdman, left, is a volunteer for the Senior Corps RSVP,
and Marlene Merz, right, is a volunteer for the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Both were congratulated by
Rep. Reichley at the Lehigh County Unsung Heroes Ceremony
on May 19.
Rep. Reichley walks Chiquita,
a dachshund/terrier mix, in the
Breinigsville Independence
Day parade.

Rep. Reichley presented the Vera Cruz Senior Citizens Meeting with a
legislative update on May 20.