THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON

Newsletter from

Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963 March on Washington participants. Aug. 28, 1963. Library of Congress Opens December 14, 2012 NMAAHC Gallery at American History, second floor east On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. began his speech by declaring, "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity ... In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check."   In 2013 the country will commemorate two events that changed the course of the nation — the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. Standing as milestone moments in the grand sweep of American history, these achievements were the culmination of decades of struggles by individuals — both famous and unknown — who believed in the American promise that this nation was dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal." Separated by 100 years, they are linked together in a larger story of freedom and the American experience.   To commemorate these two pivotal achievements, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in collaboration with the National Museum of American History (NMAH) will present an exhibition, featuring historic photographs, paintings, new film footage and objects, that explores the historical context of these two crucial events, their accomplishments and limitations, and their impact on the generations that followed.   The exhibition will be on view from Dec. 14, 2012 through Sept. 15, 2013 in NMAAHC’s temporary gallery on level two at American History, 14th St NW and Constitution Ave NW. Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle. For more information, visit www.nmaahc.si.edu.

SHERROD BROWN ON CLAIMING TAX REFUNDS AND PROTECTING TAX CUTS

DECEMBER 10, 2012 Newsletter from Sherrod Brown's office:

Claiming Tax Refunds, Protecting Tax Cuts

Good communication is important, and poor communication can be costly. Unfortunately, miscommunication between Washington and Ohio could cost families in Wilmington and Orville up to $3,700 next year. As the New Year quickly approaches, it’s critical that Ohio families are aware of the unclaimed tax refunds that may be owed to them by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Often times, inaccurate addresses have caused these funds to be returned by the U.S. Postal Service. And in fact, last year, more than 2,000 Ohioans were eligible to claim tax refunds. In 2011, undelivered refund checks were worth more than $1,500 on average. Ohioans have always worked hard and played by the rules. But every year, millions of Americans don’t receive their tax returns because of postal errors. Taxpayers deserve to easily receive the money that the government owes them, and shouldn’t lose money just because their checks got lost in the mail. Fortunately, claiming a tax refund is an easy process if you are eligible. According to the IRS, if a refund check is returned to the IRS as undelivered, taxpayers can generally update their addresses with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov. The Tool also enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. A taxpayer must submit his or her Social Security number, filing status, and amount of refund shown on their 2011 return. The tool will provide the status of their refund and, in some cases, instructions on how to resolve delivery problems. Ohio taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will receive instructions on how to update their addresses. Taxpayers can access a telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” by calling 1-800-829-1954. They can also go to the Where’s My Refund? online tool to check the status of their refund by clicking here. Ohioans can also take two simple steps to avoid the risk that their refund could get lost in the mail. They can start by signing up to have their tax returns directly deposited to their bank accounts, eliminating the potential for postal errors. Next, they can file their taxes electronically. In addition to reducing the potential for miscommunication, e-filing reduces errors on tax returns and speeds up the refund process. But while ensuring Ohio families receive the refunds they are owed is important, it’s also crucial that we fight to guarantee middle class families across the country don’t see their taxes rise altogether. Right now, taxes will automatically rise for all Americans on January 1 unless Congress acts. Both the President and I campaigned on maintaining tax rates for 99 percent of Ohio families, and on November 6th, you strongly supported this position. But, more than a month later, some conservative politicians in Washington still haven’t gotten the message. They are still protecting the wealthiest one percent, at the expense of the middle class. In July, the Senate passed the Middle Class Tax Cut Act, which would prevent 99 percent of Ohio families – and all Americans making less than $250,000 per year – from paying higher taxes. Under the bill, the median income Ohio households would save an average of $2,200 on their taxes next year. Leaders in the House of Representatives have failed to schedule a vote on the bill – in part, because it asks the wealthiest two percent of American households to pay the same tax rates they paid during the Clinton years, when our economy added 22 million jobs. It’s time for the House of Representatives to stop holding hostage middle class tax cuts and pass the bill. It’s our duty to ensure that taxes will not go up for the millions of Ohioans who wake up early, send their children off to school, keep our assembly lines productive, tend to our vast agricultural areas, and stand up behind a counter serving customers for eight hours or more each day. Let’s move forward with our economic recovery and ensure that Ohioans have the resources they need to support their families. By accessing unclaimed tax credits, and providing tax cuts that bolster middle class families, we can continue to make our country stronger. Sincerely, Sherrod Brown U.S. Senator

SAVE MONEY ON YOUR UTILITY BILLS

Consumers' Corner Newsletter - November/December 2012

"In This Issue:

*Help available for consumers facing a utility disconnection

*Save money & stay safe while lighting your home at night

*Important tips for energy choice shoppers

*Save money and energy with utility sponsored efficiency  programs

*FirstEnergy's renewable energy program "seriously flawed"

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Help available for consumers facing a utility disconnection

As temperatures drop, Ohioans are starting to crank up their furnaces.  For many families, the onset of winter, and winter heating bills, can be  worrisome.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) offers information about assistance programs available to help consumers stay connected to their utility services.

In September, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issued a Winter Reconnect Order providing electric and natural gas utility customers the opportunity to avoid a disconnection or have their services restored by making a one-time payment of $175. Customers using the Winter Reconnect Order must then enter into a payment arrangement with their utility company for any remaining balances. The Order went into effect October 15th and extends until April 15th 2013.

Other things to know about the Winter Reconnect Order:

*Ohioans with household incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines ($46,100 gross annual income for a household of four) may contact their local community action agency and use funds provided through the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP) in order to receive the $175.

*An additional reconnection fee of up to $36 may be charged by the utility company if service has been disconnected. Some utilities charge reconnection fees of more than $36. In such cases, the balance may be billed to the customer the following month.

*If a customer is in disconnect status for electric and natural gas
service at the same time, the $175 payment may be divided between the utilities. The utilities may come to an agreement as to how the payment will be divided or a community action agency (if one is involved) may be able to help facilitate that arrangement.

*The $175 can be used instead of a deposit to establish electric or
natural gas service. If the deposit is more than $175, the remaining
balance will be added to the next bill.

*The Winter Reconnect Order also can be helpful for consumers wanting to remain on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP Plus), Graduate PIPP or those wishing to re-enroll in those programs. However the Winter Reconnect Order is different for those customers than in years past.

PIPP customers are still eligible to receive $175 under the E-HEAP
program through their community action agency. But this year customers must pay the balance of any missed monthly PIPP payments by the due date of their next bill.

For more information about other utility assistance programs, please visit OCC's website:

 

http://www.pickocc.org/publications/factsheets-assistance.shtml.

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Save money & stay safe while lighting your home at night
Daylight hours are shrinking and winter darkness is upon us again.
Ohioans are spending more money to light the areas around their homes at night. Some consumers do so for aesthetics, while others use outside lighting for safety. Many consumers use outside lighting for both reasons.

There are several types of outdoor lighting. Understanding the
differences can help you reduce the cost of lighting the outside area of your home at night. This article will show you how to calculate the cost and enjoy potential savings by changing the types of lighting used around your home.

Many consumers place lights around their doorways, on their porches, patios, walkways, driveways and other dark areas outside of their home.

 

Light fixtures can be operated manually, have motion or infrared
sensors, use solar cells or be timer-controlled.

Consumers can estimate the cost of lighting their home at night based on how long bulbs are lit, the amount of energy each bulb uses and the cost of electricity charged by their electric utility. For example, an American Electric Power (AEP) customer using four outdoor lights for 12 hours may pay around 44 cents each day ($14 monthly) as detailed in the accompanying chart:

http://www.pickocc.org/news/2012/newsletters/nov-images/chart-1.png

In order to calculate your home's night lighting costs, take these
three easy steps:

*Identify the wattage for each bulb. Divide this number by 1000. This number represents the amount ofkilowatts each bulb uses.

*Determine the kilowatt hour charge for your electric utility by
referencing the chart;

 

http://www.pickocc.org/news/2012/newsletters/nov-images/chart-2.png

*Multiply the number of kilowatts each bulb uses by your utility's
kilowatt hour charge by the number of hours the bulb is on. This figure will be the estimated cost of lighting your home each night. To estimate your monthly cost, multiply that number by how many days are in the month.

Night Lighting: Four Cost Saving Tips

OCC recommends several ways for consumers to save on the cost of lighting their homes at night, including:

*Shift to more energy efficient lighting

Traditional incandescent lighting is inefficient - 90 percent of the
energy used by an incandescent bulb produces heat, not light. Using more efficient types of lighting is a great way to cut back on your bills.

 

When purchasing efficient lighting, pay attention to the watts (how much energy the bulb uses) and the lumens (how bright the bulb is). The typical incandescent light bulb has a short life span and uses more energy than newer and more efficient technology. Halogen lights, which are often used to light a specific area, are slightly more efficient and last a bit longer than incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use much less energy than traditional bulbs and LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are even more energy efficient than CFLs. These bulbs each have a longer life-span and can save up to or above 75 percent of the energy used by incandescent bulbs.

Note: Most CFLs used outdoors need to be in enclosed fixtures to protect them from the weather.

*Conserve energy through the use of motion sensors

Motion sensors allow lights to remain off until they are activated by
movement in an area. Adding a motion sensor to outdoor lights can save consumers money by eliminating the need to leave lights on throughout the night. Motion sensors can be added to many outdoor lighting installations. The cost of motion sensors varies and they can be purchased at many hardware stores or online.

*Use Dawn-to-Dusk Sensors

Some Ohioans may prefer to have certain areas of their home lit
whenever it is dark. But, forgetting to turn off your outdoor lighting
during the day can add to your electric bills. To avoid the need to
manually turn on and off your outdoor lighting, consider using a
dawn-to-dusk sensor on your lights. This sensor is designed to switch off the light in daylight. Many retail home improvement stores sell inexpensive sensors that can be added to your current light fixtures.

*Use solar lighting

Light your walkway without adding to your utility bills with solar
powered lighting. Easy to install solar lights convert sunlight into
electricity. Typically these lights include a battery to store the
electricity during the day and power the bulbs at night. Many retail
stores sell a variety of solar lighting options.

For more information about saving energy and money, visit

http://www.pickocc.org/publications/energy_efficiency/Easy_Ways_to_Save.pdf.
The cost of outdoor lighting is relatively inexpensive and could be well worth the safety benefits. We hope you will use these tips to save money on your energy bills."

By Marty Berkowitz

MAPLE HEIGHTS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHO ARE RESIDENTS SHOULD BE THE LAST TO BE LAID OFF

If Maple Heights public employees (who are Maple Heights residents) are being laid off,  adding to the ranks of the unemployed, then Maple Heights leadership needs to go because that act  violates the "Ownership Money-Circulation Principle".   Rather than lay-off a resident public employee to save money, find another way to save money.

 

Maple Heights residents should not be made to suffer due to poor economic policies of Maple Heights leadership.