The LuLac Edition #3210, May 14th, 2016

ED RENDELL SAYS BERNIE PEOPLE SHOULD BEHAVE

Former Governor Ed Rendell. (Photo: LuLac archives)

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman and our friend, ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, told the media last week that Bernie Sanders and his group of vibrant supporters need to behave at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia Rendell was a Hillary Clinton backer in 2008 as well as this year too. Rendell made the comment on a Philadelphia area radio show called “The Cat’s Roundtable”.
Rendell told host John Catsimatidis “Bernie’s going to have his name placed in nomination. We’re going to have a roll call. There’s going to be a demonstration in support of Bernie. He’s going to lose the roll call. His supporters have to behave and not cause trouble” .
Rendell has seen insurgent candidate’s supporters not unify in enough time to have the election go to another party that doesn’t reflect the closeness of both the Sanders and Clinton philosophy.
Whether the Sanders supporters are smart enough to heed the warning is still open to conjecture.

REP. CARTWRIGHT REINTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE COLLEGE SAVINGS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

This week Congressmen Matt Cartwright reintroduced the bipartisanChildren’s Savings Accounts Offer Parents Plenty of Reasons to Understand and Invest in Tuition Yearly (CSA OPPORTUNITY) Act, H.R. 5214, with the support of eight House colleagues.
One well known type of Children’s Savings Account (CSA) is the 529 plan. Created in 1996, 529 Plans allow parents to save money for college while offering both federal and state tax benefits. Unfortunately, money set aside in a 529 Plan counts against the asset limitations set forth in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Low Income High Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
This in turn forces families to choose between putting aside money for college and keeping essential benefits.
“College savings accounts alter the aspirations of children by sending a message that they should expect more from their own futures. Yet, when we force parents to choose between saving for college and keeping the lights on, we essentially punish financial responsibly,” said Rep. Cartwright. “We should end this difficult decision for families and provide the opportunity for all families to save for their children’s education.”
Andrea Levere, President of the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), endorsed the legislation. “Parents shouldn’t have to choose between affording basic necessities and saving for their children’s education. Rep. Cartwright has demonstrated exemplary leadership in coming together to introduce a bipartisan bill that will expand opportunity for families throughout the country.”
The CSA OPPORTUNITY Act would exempt 529 Plans from TANF, SSI, and LIHEAP asset limitations. The bill would also exempt non-529 CSAs from TANF, SSI, LIHEAP, and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) asset limitations.
Over 1.3 million American children born each year – and more than half of minority children – are born into families with negligible savings to invest in their futures. Yet research and practice have shown that even a small amount of savings increases the likelihood that a child will attend college. One study showed that children from low or moderate income families who saved between $1 and $500 were three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate than those without savings.

And Cartwright Hosted Mayors’ Conference

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright hosted a Mayors’ Conference for mayors and municipal leaders from across northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
The event, held earlier today provided an opportunity for mayors and municipal leaders to come together and discuss important issues and economic development.
As we all know well, Rep. Cartwright is committed to increasing municipal leaders’ awareness of funding opportunities for economic development and providing opportunities to learn more about best practices from their peers.
Other topics covered were What makes a Strong Town? State and Regional Resources to Address Blight and Federal Resources to Address Blight and Federal Funding Highlights.