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Fish dinners back at St. Andrew’s; breakfast will be Sunday

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Kerry Miscavage

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A new study shows Pennsylvania ranks 12th when it comes to seniors having a negative impact on the state&#8217;s economy.SeniorLiving.org recently released a study on the economic impact of seniors by state using the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.Baby boomers are retiring in record numbers, depending on Social Security and Medicare, and putting a major strain on federal and state budgets. At the same time, a record number of seniors are working and contributing to the economy.The study&#8217;s rankings were based on four factors:&#8226; Income: Percentage of seniors with household income of $60,000 or more (national median) &#8212; Pennsylvania ranked No. 35.&#8226; Employment: Percentage of seniors in the workforce &#8212; Pennsylvania ranked No. 28.&#8226; Health care: Percentage of seniors with Medicare coverage &#8212; Pennsylvania ranked No. 34.&#8226; Poverty: Percentage of seniors receiving SNAP or food stamps &#8212; Pennsylvania ranked No. 48.According to the national findings, seniors caused a net economic loss in 26 states, but had a net benefit in 24 states. Fifteen states are within a couple percentage points of being totally balanced.Here&#8217;s more from the study:&#8226; More than 90 million Americans are of an age where they can ask for senior discounts at restaurants, and the American population as a whole is getting older and older: Those 55 and older are the largest age group in the United States today.As more Americans reach retirement age, this combination is likely to present a serious economic crisis, as federal and state budgets are stretched to accommodate an increased population drawing public benefits like Social Security and Medicare.In fact, the Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that by 2029, nearly two-thirds of all non-defense and non-debt federal spending will go to funding Social Security and Medicare. If those projections hold, the spending increase would equate to an 86 percent bump.&#8226; Seniors in several states are bucking that trend. The study&#8217;s analysis of Census data on income, health care and poverty finds that in about half the states, seniors are contributing at least as much to the economy as they take.Alaska&#8217;s seniors are by far the highest benefit producers in the nation, with a net benefit of 15 percent, nearly twice the second-place state, Connecticut.Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia see a net economic benefit from their senior citizens, while New York is just barely in the red at -0.1 percent.&#8226; Nationally, just over 28 percent of individuals 60 and older are still in the workforce. That&#8217;s about a 12 percent increase from the level measured in 2009, though it still means that nearly three-quarters of those in the age group are no longer working.&#8226; Similarly, the analysis found that about one-third of those 60 and older have household income of $60,000 or higher.Earth Conservancy earnsDEP environmental awardEarth Conservancy, of Ashley, announced this week it is one of 18 individuals, organizations, businesses, and local governments in Pennsylvania that has been selected by the Department of Environmental Protection to receive the prestigious 2019 Governor&#8217;s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Environmental Workforce Training (EWT) Program.Each year, DEP invites businesses, farms, government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and individuals to apply for the Governor&#8217;s Award for Environmental Excellence. The awards highlight those projects that promote innovative technological advances, partnerships, public service, and environmental outreach, as well as encourage pollution prevention and demonstrate economic impact.&#8220;Prioritizing and protecting our environment is fundamental to maintaining Pennsylvania&#8217;s natural resources and preserving our commonwealth for future generations,&#8221; said Gov. Tom Wolf. &#8220;I&#8217;m so pleased to present awards to these deserving Pennsylvanians and I thank them for their contributions.&#8221;Award recipients were chosen among 28 applicants.&#8220;Each of these projects, while unique, works to achieve the same goal of protecting our environment,&#8221; said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. &#8220;I applaud all of the applicants and this year&#8217;s winners, who are on the front lines every day protecting our precious natural resources.&#8221;Upon notification of the award, Mike Dziak, President/CEO of Earth Conservancy, said: &#8220;It is such an honor to be recognized by DEP for this initiative. Workforce development is new territory for Earth Conservancy. But it&#8217;s proven to be an important way to positively impact the environment and the people who live here. We are proud to share this award with our participants and partners who helped make the EWT Program a success.&#8221;EWT was developed around the unique challenges of brown fields in the anthracite region, which largely consist of the environmental and economic legacies left by historic coal mining. The program&#8217;s educational partner, Penn State Wilkes-Barre, tailored the curriculum to teach skills that might help mend those damages through surveying and mapping skills.However, courses also include content that make participants attractive entry-level hires in environmental, engineering, and construction fields.State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, said EWT is another way Earth Conservancy is giving back.&#8220;With their work through this program and their continued efforts to encourage revitalization in our region, they are well deserving of the Governor&#8217;s Environmental Excellence Award,&#8221; Yudichak said.Redistricting Commissionsets public meeting in WBThe new Pennsylvania Redistricting Reform Commission is inviting the public to a series of regional meetings to talk about making the redistricting process fairer and nonpartisan.A meeting has been set for Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, June 6, at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center, 84 W. South St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.Gov. Tom Wolf created the 15-member bipartisan commission by executive order in November and appointed David Thornburgh, president and CEO of the nonprofit Committee of Seventy, as its chairman.The commission will study best practices in other states and submit a report to the governor and Legislature later this year with recommendations for a nonpartisan redistricting process that safeguards election integrity and fairness.The commission also invites Pennsylvanians to provide their comments online.Pa. seeking volunteers forGreat American CleanupVolunteers are needed for this year&#8217;s Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania &#8212; a campaign of statewide community cleanup activities that runs through May 31.Groups participating in PennDOT&#8217;s Adopt-A-Highway program, which involves volunteers cleaning roadsides year-round, are also encouraged to take part.&#8220;For years, PennDOT has taken an active role in supporting the many volunteers who&#8217;ve taken a vested interest in cleaning up Pennsylvania,&#8221; said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. &#8220;We are more than thankful for the thousands who share our desire to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.&#8221;During last year&#8217;s cleanup, 108,638 volunteers collected over 6.5 million pounds of litter from Pennsylvania&#8217;s roads, trails, and shorelines. Over 5,300 events were held, with every county participating.PennDOT&#8217;s Adopt-A-Highway program contributed 25,927 volunteers, who cleaned up nearly 25 percent of the collected litter on 10,076 miles of roadway.Victims&#8217; rights organizationrecognizes state Rep. BobackRep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, is a recipient of the Guardian of Victims&#8217; Rights Award from the Marsy&#8217;s Law for Pennsylvania group for her support of equal rights for crime victims.&#8220;Receiving this award is a tremendous honor,&#8221; Boback said. &#8220;I was surprised to learn Pennsylvania is only one of 15 states that does not provide constitutional protections for crime victims. No crime victim should have less rights than that of the accused. &#8216;Marcy&#8217;s Law&#8217; will rectify this.&#8221;Guardian awards are presented to individuals who have served as advocates and ambassadors for crime victims across the state, working to ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.Marsy&#8217;s Law legislation (House Bill 276), which Boback co-sponsors, was recently passed by the House Judiciary Committee and sent to the full House for consideration. For the state constitution to be amended, legislation must pass in two consecutive legislative sessions before being added to the ballot for voter approval.During the 2017-18 legislative session, Marsy&#8217;s Law passed unanimously in the House and Senate.<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Bill O&#8217;Boyleboboyle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</shirttailMeta></div>

Capitol Roundup: Study shows Pa. seniors account for negative economic impact