Bob's Blog
Crayola's Solar Farm
I'd like to commend and congratulate Crayola on the opening of a brand-new 15 acre solar farm at their world headquarters. Joining with two other Pennsylvania companies, UGI Energy Services Inc. of Reading and PPL Corporation of Allentown, Crayola is helping Pennsylvania manufacturing go green with the help of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The 1.9-megawatt solar farm will generate enough power to make over 1 billion crayons per year! Now Crayola can proudly boast that their crayons are "made with sunshine."
Children came from across the country to help plug the solar farm into the Crayola factory. These children won a nationwide contest to envision a greener world. I am glad to know that Crayola crayons, markers, and colored pencils, helped these children harness their own creative talents.
This project is an example of the change we can make when we all work together. The Recovery Act provided a $1.5 million grant to fund a large portion of the solar project, and the Business Energy Investment Tax Credit, which I voted for, provided tax credits for 30% of the capital investment. Because of these incentives, Crayola plans to expand the solar farm over the next few years and create many more jobs in Pennsylvania.
Preventing Child Abuse
Child abuse is an unspeakable tragedy whenever it occurs. I recently wrote an op-ed in the York Daily Record, in response to an editorial about the need for additional work to prevent child abuse and improve the lives of children in Pennsylvania.
Every community struggles with the scourge of child abuse, and in my op-ed I discussed several different angles from which we can tackle this problem, from actions I believe the Congress must take to programs in local communities across Pennsylvania that are actively working to prevent child abuse.
The editorial from the York Daily Record is available here and my op-ed in reply is available here.
There are many organizations working to prevent child abuse and protect our children. One example in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) and their HERO Project – an innovative educational and motivational campaign featuring radio and television ads that ask adults to step up and be a "hero" for a child whom they suspect may be a victim of sexual abuse by calling a 24-hour hotline.
I encourage you to learn more about organizations like PCAR and what you can do in your community to prevent child abuse.
HealthCare.gov: Making Understanding Health Insurance Simpler
One consistent theme that I have heard from Pennsylvanians in our conversations about health insurance is how confusing it can be to find the right plan. It’s challenging to understand what options are available, and it’s even harder to determine how plans compare on benefits, price, and other important criteria.
The good news is, things may have just gotten a little simpler with the launch of a new website called HealthCare.gov. This website, which was created as a result of the new health care law – the Affordable Care Act – gives Pennsylvanians, and Americans across the country, more control over our health care by providing the information necessary to make the best choices for ourselves and our families.
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