The Monongahela Valley Country Club hosted the April 14, 2010 monthly luncheon meeting of the Monongahela Area Chamber of Commerce, where Pennsylvania State Representative Peter Daley was the featured speaker.
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PA State Representative Peter Daley addressed a meeting of the Monongahela Area Chamber of Commerce.
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The first of Mr. Daley’s two subjects was community blight, which has unfortunately been typical of towns in his district. He announced that one of his committees in Harrisburg will soon be convening a hearing on blight, with the objective of providing state funding to demolish dilapidated buildings, and have them replaced by new structures that will contribute to the taxable property rolls.
Mr. Daley praised the revitalization work done in Monongahela, and characterized it as the poster child for the Mon Valley. He has hopes that New Eagle will be next to experience progress similar to Monongahela’s. Proposed House Bill 60 may provide a trust fund for such redevelopment throughout Pennsylvania.
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The audience listened intently to Mr. Daley's account of his grandparents' meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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The Representative’s second subject for the 42 attendees was economic development. He stated that Pennsylvania is now ranked 27
th in the nation for attracting small businesses to the state; 15 years ago, Pennsylvania was ranked 47
th. Although this is certainly a step in the right direction, the state needs to do more. One problem which requires legislation to fix is called the “Delaware tax loophole”, which is partially to blame that 94% of businesses in Pennsylvania to pay no corporate income tax; therefore, the tax burden falls mainly on individuals. Furthermore, not enough small business working capital is available in the state. A proposed Homestead Exemption would provide funding for the rehabilitation of a home, supplemented by several years of property-tax-free status.
Mr. Daley’s personal knowledge of small business issues stems from his past ownership of two Quizno’s franchises, and several other small businesses in his lifetime. In fact, his family heritage is one of entrepreneurship. He fondly recalled a story about his Italian immigrant grandparents who owned a hotel in Brownsville, until the Great Depression of the 1930’s forced the property into foreclosure. The grandparents then packed up a pick-up truck and drove to Washington, DC. They parked in front of The White House, and lived there for three days until they were granted a meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They asked the President if he would call their banker and plead their case to relent on the foreclosure. After a period of disbelief that he was in fact talking to the President, the banker did withdraw the foreclosure, which saved the hotel from closing. This was an early example of effective (but rather unorthodox) government assistance to a small business.
● The Monongahela Valley Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) is considering moving its’ office from Second Street in Monongahela to Main Street.
● A new website for the MVCC will be up in a few months, which will include links to members’ websites.
● Four committees have been designated within the MVCC to address specific subjects of interest to its members.
● Chaney’s Natural Massage, Nutrition, & Wellness store has moved from Charleroi to Main Street in Monongahela; a ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled for April 16.
●The next MVCC meeting will be on May 12.
