CONSTITUENT SURVEY

Your opinion matters

to me. There are sev- TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Question 5: To close a state deficit, would
Many of Pennsylvania’s roads and you support or oppose increasing taxes on
eral important issues
bridges are in bad shape and will require Pennsylvania families and employers?
facing our Common- additional funding to be repaired or recon- Summer 2010
wealth in the weeks, structed.  Support  Oppose
months and years
ahead. Part of my job Question 1: Would you support or op- Question 6: To close a state deficit, would
as the state represen- pose an increase in the state tax on gaso- you support or oppose a combination of
line if the money generated was used only spending cuts and tax increases?
tative from the 62nd
to fix Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges?
Legislative District is  Support  Oppose
to make sure the views  Support  Oppose
and opinions of local PUBLIC PENSION REFORM
folks are expressed in Question 2: Would you support or op- You can read in the newsletter about a bill
Harrisburg. pose an increase in state vehicle registra- recently approved by the House that would
tion fees, drivers’ license fees and other reform Pennsylvania’s two major public pen-
To help me do that,
motor vehicle-related fees if the money sion systems.
I would ask that you generated was used only to fix Pennsyl- The two major state pension plans use a
please take a few min- vania’s roads and bridges? defined benefit system, where retirement
utes to fill out the con- benefits are guaranteed.
stituent survey on this  Support  Oppose Most private employers have what are
page. known as defined contribution systems,
Question 3: Would you support charg- where employers match a certain amount
If more than one per-
ing tolls on a variety of currently free roads of an employee’s retirement investment. A
son from your house- across the Commonwealth if the money 401(k) is an example of a defined contribu-
hold would like to fill generated was used only to fix Pennsyl- tion plan.
out the survey, you vania’s roads and bridges?
can visit my website Question 7: To reform the state’s public
at RepDaveReed.net  Support  Oppose pension systems, would you support or op-
pose moving newly hired state workers and
to fill out the question-
STATE BUDGET teachers into a 401(k) plan?
naire online. Our state faces many difficult budgetary
Thank you for taking issues. I’m interested to learn how you  Support  Oppose
the time to share your think we should handle any future budget
views with me. deficits. Question 8: To reform the state’s public
pension systems, would you support or op-
Sincerely, Question 4: To close a state deficit, pose continuing the current defined benefit
would you support or oppose cuts in plan but increasing the retirement age and
spending for various state programs and vesting period while decreasing the multiplier
services? used to calculate retiree benefits for new
hires?
Dave Reed  Support  Oppose
 Support  Oppose
SURVEY continued on back
 
State Debt Update This begs the question: What exactly
has the Commonwealth been spending
By interns Autumn Pividori, Sara Lutton, Rachel Berman-Vaporis and Kelsey Doak
money on? The majority of Rendell’s
(see reverse side for intern profiles)
new borrowing programs have been
One of the many problems worrying Americans today is the federal deficit. dedicated to public works and services,
At nearly $14 trillion and counting, many are concerned that the country is such as highways and bridge repairs,
on a spending spree. While this is an issue of great concern, Pennsylvanians with a $625 million borrowing program
also need to keep a wary eye on their state debt, as the state government for Growing Greener II and $400 mil-
has a great affect on their everyday lives as well. The total debt issued by lion going toward water and sewage
the state currently stands at approximately $10 billion and counting. Under improvements, as approved by Com-
Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration, that debt has nearly doubled. monwealth citizens in the 2008 voter
referendum.
According to The Commonwealth
Foundation, the state and local debt,
including state agencies and authori-
ties, as well as school districts and
other local governments combined is
approximately $120 billion. That breaks
down to nearly $9,600 per person and
the interest on this debt has reached
more than $1 billion this year.
 Indiana, PA 15701
550 Philadelphia Street
State Representative Dave Reed

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 Survey Continued
OTHER STATE ISSUES

Question 9: Some lawmakers have proposed privatiz-
ing the state liquor stores as a means to improve customer
service while also raising revenue for the state. Would you
support or oppose the privatization of Pennsylvania’s cur-
rently state-run liquor stores?
Question 11: Based on what you know about Arizona’s
new immigration law, would you support or oppose a
similar law if it was enacted in Pennsylvania?
 Support  Oppose

 Support  Oppose
Additional Comments: ______________________
Question 10: There have been proposals in the General
Assembly to enact a law that would prohibit the use of cell _________________________________________
phones while driving in our Commonwealth. Would you sup-
port or oppose a ban on the use of cell phones while people _________________________________________
are driving in Pennsylvania?
_________________________________________
 Support  Oppose
__________________________________________

 
Representative Reed’s summer
2010 interns include, from left: Au-
tumn Pividori of Blairsville, a senior
at the University of Pittsburgh with
a dual major in communication and
political science; Sara Lutton of
Blairsville, a senior at Penn State
University in State College majoring
in political science with a minor in
Russian area studies; Rachel Ber-
man-Vaporis of Indiana, a senior
at Brandeis University in Waltham,
Massachusetts, with a dual major
in international global studies and
Islamic and Middle Eastern stud-
ies; and Kelsey Doak of Indiana, a
sophomore at Westminster College
in New Wilmington majoring in public
relations with a minor in media arts.

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