Local News

Highlights:

• ALICE refers to three descriptors of people who aren’t in poverty, but still have difficulty covering all basic needs: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
• The ALICE measure is necessary because the Federal Poverty Level “is no longer a realistic measure of financial hardship in households across each county in the U.S.,” the report said.
• Barrett Township "ALICE" rate is 54 percent

Editor's Note:
This article mentions the "low unemployment" rate but don't let the numbers fool you: a person is only considered unemployed if they are actively seeking work.  If they haven't applied for a job in a given period of time, they are no longer considered "unemployed" but rather "outside the labor force."  This is how they are able to say that the unemployment rate is so low.  

Original Article:

About one-third of Monroe County households are above the poverty line, yet earn less money than the local cost of living.

Between that and the 7 percent of Monroe County households in poverty, 41 percent of all households struggle to some degree to meet basic expenses, according to the United Way of Pennsylvania’s 2019 ALICE report. (The data in the report is from 2017.)

(Editor's Note: 'read more' to watch the videos!)

Our Appropriations hearings focused on concerns with overspending and mismanagement in the current year’s budget. The House Appropriations Committee kicked off this year’s budget hearings by questioning administration officials about their actual funding needs for the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year.

Earlier this month, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $36 billion budget, which represents a spending increase of more than $2 billion over the current year’s enacted budget. Nearly $1 billion of that increase is the result of the administration’s overspending in this year’s budget. This week, our committee met with officials from the departments of Revenue, Aging, State, Military and Veterans Affairs, Corrections, and Labor and Industry.

ALLENTOWN — A missing Barrett Township man has been found deceased in Allentown, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.

Kevin Cummings, 37, was pronounced dead the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 20, by a deputy coroner. He was in a wooded area along Jordan Creek, near West Hamilton Street and South Fourth Street.

Details:
Starting March 2nd, 2020
Will be closed for approx 120 days
Both directions will be closed

Comprehensive reforms designed to encourage greater participation in our elections will be in place for the upcoming April 28 Primary Election.

Anyone not already registered to vote now has more time to do so. You may register online or in person at your county courthouse up to 15 days prior to an election, which is April 13.

You may apply for the mail-in or absentee ballots here.

For the first time voters may choose to cast their ballots by mail for any reason.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced this week its 2020 trout stocking schedules are now available online and the FishBoatPA mobile app.

This article features a question & answer between myself and Judy Linder, Barrett Tax Collector, regarding the 2020 millage and how it fits into the county-wide reassessment.

QUESTION (Nate)
I'm confused about the property reassessment and the millage. It looks like the millage went from 20 down to 2.5, the millage numbers were roughly divided by 10. Monroe County is switching the property valuations from 25% value up to 100%. Perhaps I'm totally lost here but one set of numbers is divided by 10 and the other multiplied by 4, it doesn't add up to me. Can you let me know what I'm missing, here?

(via Rosemary Brown)

Forms for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program are now available for eligible Pennsylvanians to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2019. Remember – you do not need to pay anyone for assistance to apply for the rebate. Help is available from my offices at no charge. Call to schedule an appointment.

The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.

(via Rosemary Brown)

With a project slated to take place in New Jersey, I have deep economic and environmental concerns and am demanding answers from federal officials and stronger communication between the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). I am also asking officials for justification for the up to $200 million in federal funding that has been allocated for this project.

This project poses an economic and environmental threat to our area, not to mention the everyday impact it will have on commuters who have to travel through the Water Gap for work. Tourism and visitation will also be affected for four years as expected construction will cause major delays. Safety is always my first priority, but it is hard to support a project that will have extremely strong impacts to Pennsylvania when there appears to be no valid safety data available supporting the project need. I am requesting this safety data be presented to justify the usage of taxpayer dollars in this manner. My questions continue to include the project scope and if maintenance or less massive efforts could be done if needed. The answers should be available to taxpayers and officials. If this project is not validated, I am urging the dollars allocated to the Rockfall Mitigation Fund be transferred to our rail efforts from Andover, New Jersey, to Pennsylvania. This rail line is well overdue and would offer significant benefits to several states and their residents, especially in our region. (emphasis added)

TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. -- Pennsylvanians can trade their posted signs for purple paint. It's a new, legal way to warn hunters and other passers-by where your land begins.

"I don't like to post,but I have to," said Doug Gay of Gay's True Value Hardware. "If someone sues on your property whose fault is it? It is yours, mine, theirs?"

The purple markings are another option for landowners who feel posted signs, which are a few dollars each, are too pricey or don't last long enough.

Editor's Note:
If I understand correctly, the reason bus drivers cost the school district so much money is the medical benefits package that applies not to both the bus driver and their family.  

Pocono Mountain Education Support Professionals Association has moved to accept outsourcing transportation to First Student in lieu of cuts.

Tensions remain high between the Pocono Mountain School District and the Pocono Mountain Education Support Professionals Association regarding the ongoing negotiations for the district’s transportation.

With the next negotiation meeting in sight, on Jan. 29, the PMESPA bargaining team consisting of current Pocono Mountain employees have moved on the district’s second proposal.

Editor's Note:
If I understand correctly, the reason bus drivers cost the school district so much money is the medical benefits package that applies not to both the bus driver and their family.  

COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Outsourcing may be the result of a bus contract dispute in the Pocono Mountain School District.

Negotiators for the union that represents the district's bus drivers have decided that outsourcing to a private bus company called First Student is the best option for drivers who have been working without a contract since July.

"I don't really agree with it, but hopefully, the district has everyone's best interest in mind. I think it was fine the way it was and there really wasn't a reason to change it," said parent Amber Rascona.

According to the school district, outsourcing would eliminate proposed salary cuts and offer drivers more affordable health care options. It would also save the district millions of dollars a year.