A letter to Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation that was spearheaded by the PA Chamber and signed by local chambers, including The Columbia Montour Chamber, and business groups this week has urged a resounding rejection of the Biden administration’s recently unveiled plans to impose anti-business tax hikes on the Commonwealth’s private sector.

Most notably contained in the massive $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill is a proposed increase in the federal corporate tax rate, from 21 percent to 26.5 percent. Combined with Pennsylvania’s already uncompetitive CNI rate of 9.99 percent (the second highest in the nation), this would put the rate paid by the Commonwealth’s employers at a staggering 36.49 percent – much higher than China’s rate of 25 percent and the average European Union rate of 21 percent.  As a matter of simple economics, this change would greatly harm Pennsylvania businesses’ ability to compete at home and abroad, and serves as a major deterrent for would-be investors when they’re considering where to locate and hire.

Other alarming components of the Biden administration’s tax reform proposal that the letter addresses as it pertains to Pennsylvania include:

• Changes to the Global Intangible Low-Tax income tax, which would lead to higher taxes for many PA-based companies and, when combined with the federal rate, would detract investment in the Commonwealth;
• A number of significant tax increases on the pass-through business sector, which when coupled with Pennsylvania’s income tax would lead to a more than 40 percent hike on taxable income for employers statewide;
• Raising the Capital Gains Tax to 25 percent, which would affect approximately two-thirds of capital investment in the U.S. and could dampen investments in Pennsylvania start-ups and hurt Pennsylvania families as they look to retire or buy a new home.

As expressed in the letter, there is widespread agreement among Pennsylvania’s broad-based business community that the measures contained in the reconciliation bill would hurt Pennsylvania businesses, employees, and consumers at the same time that communities statewide are struggling to emerge from the ongoing financial and workforce challenges imposed by the pandemic.

“Pennsylvania businesses are at a critical juncture as we attempt to survive and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the signatories wrote. “We ask that you move our economy in the right direction by opposing these job-killing tax hikes that threaten to derail our economic recovery.”

A U.S. Chamber column that considers the impact of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill on the nation’s private sector can be found here.

Candidates for Bloomsburg Town Council will share their views during an upcoming candidate forum being co-hosted by Downtown Bloomsburg Inc. and Bloomsburg University’s American Democracy Project. The five candidates that received the most votes in the primary are being invited to participate. The forum will be held Tuesday, October 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the McCormick Center for Human Services on the B.U. campus, room 1303.

Incumbents Bonnie Crawford (D) and James Garman (D) along with challengers Eric Bower (R), Nicholas McGaw (D), and Janine Penman (R) are vying for three seats. 

The Mayor’s seat will also be on the November ballot but Council member Justin Hummel received more votes on both the Republican and Democratic tickets in the primary than incumbent Mayor Bill Kreisher. Those two candidates participated in a forum in the Spring. Audio from that event is available at www.columbiamountourchamber.com/audio-video.

The format will be a modified debate. Each candidate will be presented with the same questions in rotating order with a set amount of time for each response. A limited number of questions from the in-person audience will also be presented. Candidates will also be given two minutes for closing remarks. 

The public is invited to attend the event, which will also be streamed on the Chamber of Commerce’s YouTube channel.  Parking will be available immediately behind the McCormick Center

The Chamber of Commerce’s printed Membership Directory is designed to be a resource for area businesspeople and residents, as well as visitors and people considering moving to the area. The publication provides contact information for hundreds of businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations, as well as statistics and amenities for Columbia and Montour counties. The 2021-22 edition of the Membership Directory is now available free of charge.

Copies can be picked up at The Chamber of Commerce office at 238 Market Street, Bloomsburg between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Any local organization that would like multiple copies for their staff and/or customers should call the Chamber at 570-784-2522. The publication is also mailed to individuals interested in the area.

Knoebels Receives Golden Ticket Award 

Knoebels Amusement Resort was honored with a AmusementTODAY’s Golden Ticket award. Knoebels was ranked as the 4th best park in the world; 1st for best food of 2021; and 2nd for best overall guest experience. Click here for more on the award.

McKonly & Asbury’s Own Named to Central Pa’s Forty Under 40

McKonly & Asbury is proud to announce that Principal, Charles Eisenhart has been named one of Central PA’s Forty Under 40 by the Central Penn Business Journal. The Forty Under 40 program recognizes forty professionals under the age of 40 based on professional accomplishments, community service and commitment to inspiring change. Click here for the full list.

Community Giving Foundation: Alex Wagner Football Fund

Alex Charles Wagner, 23, passed away suddenly at his home in August 2021. Alex was a graduate of Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, PA, where he loved serving as the equipment manager for the Blue Jay’s football team. . In his memory, family and friends have established the Alex Wagner’s Football Fund to provide charitable grants to the Central Columbia School District to support the football team with equipment and supplies that benefit player safety, learning, and experience. Contributions can be made to the Alex Wagner’s Football Fund online at csgiving.org (click Donate and search “Wagner”), or mail to the Community Giving Foundation, Attn: Alex Wagner’s Football Fund, 725 West Front Street, Berwick PA 18603. The designated fund will provide grants to Central Columbia to support the football team with equipment and supplies that benefit player safety, learning and experience.

SEDA-COG Welcomes Three New Staff Members

SEDA-COG recently welcomed three new staff members in the community development program. Aaron Crawford joined the Community Development staff as a program analyst. Susan Martin was hired as a program assistant and Nadine Simpson joined the community development program as a program assistant. SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania.  SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

Community Giving Foundation is administering the Nonprofit Relief Grantround in partnership with the Columbia County Commissioners. This grantround will provide qualifying nonprofit and government agencies a unique opportunity to assist in covering their organization’s operating, programmatic, and/or capital budgets impacted by COVID. Other COVID-related grant funding received will not be a determinant of eligibility for this grantround.

The Columbia County Commissioners ARP Nonprofit Relief Grantround has $500,000 available. The grantround will begin on October 1. Grant requests up to $25,000 are being accepted online until the application deadline of October 28. Additional funding may be considered on an individual basis. Upon review by the Community Giving Foundation Grants Committee and County Commissioners, grants will be awarded by November 30.

The grantround is designed as a flexible response to provide relief for a variety of unexpected costs. The Foundation is specifically interested in helping organizations maintain their operations and respond to increased demands.

Only 501(c)(3) nonprofit and government organizations are eligible to apply and the requested funding must be invested within Columbia County. Individuals are not eligible to apply. To discuss your organization’s eligibility, please contact the Foundation.

Grant applications must be completed and submitted through a web-based program. Interested applicants can access the grantround guidelines and applications by visiting www.csgiving.org. Grant requests must be submitted online by 11:45 pm on Thursday, October 28, 2021.

For grant-related questions, please contact Christine Orlando, Senior Program Officer, at 570-752-3930 ext. 2, or corlando@csgiving.org.

Bloomsburg Fair Returns September 24 through October 2

The 166th Annual Bloomsburg Fair is finally here, beginning this Friday on September 24. The highly anticipated week-long event will conclude on Saturday, October 2. The full schedule of events and ticket information are available at bloomsburgfair.com. Brochures are also available at The Chamber of Commerce, 238 Market Street, Bloomsburg, and the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, 121 Papermill Road, Bloomsburg. 

Talen Energy Hosting Town Hall Meeting to Discuss Data Center and Bitcoin Mining Developments

Hear more about the project and its impact from a panel of local experts, and participate in a Q&A session. Talen Energy will have its town hall meeting in the West Side Ballroom in Berwick on Thursday, October 14 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

McBride Memorial Library Hosts Scarecrows on Market Street

For the second consecutive year, the McBride Memorial Library is having its Scarecrows on Market Street event. The event is free and open to all family/friend groups, scouting groups, businesses, church organizations, etc… Build a scarecrow of your choice and design to place on their front lawn. The scarecrows will be proudly displayed for four weeks along with a sign advertising your business, organization, or family/friend group name. Scarecrows have to be ready to be placed on the lawn by October 1. Please call 570-752-2241 or send an email to hollis@mcbridelibrary.org to reserve your spot on their front lawn. 

As the 2022 open enrollment season is quickly approaching, many business owners are beginning to turn their attention to forecasting insurance premium adjustments for budgeting purposes.  Of course, the question mark this year is how much Although the severity and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in modern times, there are safeguards built into the structure of the insurance industry that are designed to maintain stability during significant loss events.  Two key elements provide protection against large financial loss for insurance companies and provide some stability in premiums:

Additionally, the severity of the virus has varied in different regions of the country.  As a result, insurance carriers will be affected differently based on the specific demographics of their insured populations.  Carriers with large numbers of insureds in some of the country’s hotspots will experience greater claim expenses than carriers insuring greater numbers of insureds in minimally impacted regions.

IMPACTS FROM EMPLOYER-RELATED EXPENSES:

Insurance carriers are also employers and as such, have experienced some of the same pandemic-related business costs as any other business.  Added cybersecurity costs, outlays for equipment and software to facilitate their employees alternative work arrangements, etc. will impact their financial bottom line during this event.  Even the downturn in equity markets will affect the expected level of return on their investment portfolio.

POSITIVE IMPACTS:

There is also the potential that some recent virus-related development will positively impact insurance costs, such as the more widespread use of tele-health services.  In addition to providing access to care with lower costs, on a long-term basis this development could allow healthcare providers to extend their reach to more remote or less affluent groups of people to expand access to care and improve overall population well-being.

Considering all of these pandemic influences, it is likely that future health insurance premiums will be affected, although the expected range of impact probably won’t be clear until later this year. 

By creating a differentiated, unique benefit package that addresses a specific employee need, employers benefit by boosting employee engagement, increasing productivity levels, and improving employee retention rates.

The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings.  For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Glynis Roberts at (800) 377-3539.

The Chamber helped celebrate the grand opening of Happy Mug Drive Thru on Friday, September 17th, with a ribbon-cutting. The new coffee establishment can be found at 1140 Mill Street in Danville. Happy Mug brings the same great coffee, service and fresh baked goods that customers are accustomed to finding at Bason Coffee’s downtown Danville shop. Located near Weis Market, the drive through entrance is located off of Center Street. Happy Mug is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

“Happy Mug is something that we started not only to serve coffee, but we want this place to be something where we can have personal interactions with our customers,” said owner Brad Bason. “Hopefully, we can make their day a little better and put a smile on their face.

Happy Mug will soon be offering online ordering for pick-up at the window or inside. Indoor walk-in counter ordering is also planned for the near future. For more information visit Happy Mug’s website or Facebook page.

Bloomsburg Fair Returns September 24 through October 2 

The Bloomsburg Fair Association’s Board of Directors previewed the return of the Fair at its annual media luncheon held September 8th. This year’s event runs September 24th through October 2nd. The full schedule of events and ticket information are available at bloomsburgfair.com. Brochures are also available at The Chamber of Commerce, 238 Market Street, Bloomsburg, and the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, 121 Papermill Road, Bloomsburg.

Boy Scouts Sponsoring Community Day this Saturday

The Columbia Montour Council BSA is sponsoring Columbia Montour Community Day this Saturday, September 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Airport. Meet first responders, pilots, and enjoy activities, games and great food. The event is free to attend.

Community Giving Foundation Breakfast Celebrates Giving Stories

The Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg held its annual grant breakfast on September 8th to celebrate the impact of grant recipients and share stories of community giving from Foundation board, staff, and donors. The breakfast, held at Monty’s at Bloomsburg University, was a wonderful time of reflection on the Foundation’s presence in the Bloomsburg community and the many dedicated individuals, families, and organizations that make this work possible.

During the event, Bloomsburg Board member Tom Kapelewski spoke on the giving spirit that is evident through Foundation stakeholders and the philanthropic commitment of donors to Bloomsburg funds. Holly Morrison, Foundation president/CEO, shared Bloomsburg’s journey to affiliate with the Foundation and the excitement behind last year’s re-branding at the Foundation. Karri Harter, Foundation program associate, celebrated the good work accomplished in the Bloomsburg community through the dedication of area nonprofit organizations. Grant recipients from Bloomsburg’s 2021 competitive grant round were also recognized. Becky Stender, case manager with Central Susquehanna Opportunities, shared her organization’s experience with the Foundation and the services provided across our region because of local grants and donor support. Representing the BHS Class of ’86 Scholarship Fund, Leslie Temple spoke on creating a fund with the Foundation as a philanthropic partner to benefit future BHS graduates.

Click here to watch a video from the grant recipients as they say “thank you” to the donors that make these grants possible.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced significant enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to support small business communities dealing with the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels. The SBA is ready to receive new applications immediately from small businesses looking to take advantage of these new policy changes.

Key changes being announced by the SBA include:

· Increasing the COVID EIDL Cap. The SBA has increased the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment, and paying debt.
· Implementation of a Deferred Payment Period. The SBA will ensure small business owners will not have to begin COVID EIDL repayment until two years after loan origination so that they can get through the pandemic.
· Establishment of a 30-Day Exclusivity Window. To ensure Main Street businesses have additional time to access these funds, the SBA will implement a 30-day exclusivity window of approving and disbursing funds for loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans over $500,000 will begin after the 30-day period.
· Expansion of Eligible Use of Funds. COVID EIDL funds will now be eligible to prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt.
· Simplification of affiliation requirements. To ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

How to apply

Eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and agricultural businesses in all U.S. states and territories can apply. Visit www.sba.gov/eidl to learn more about eligibility and application requirements. The last day that applications may be received is December 31, 2021. All applicants should file their applications as soon as possible.

For additional information on COVID EIDL and other recovery programs please visit www.sba.gov/relief. Small business owners may call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard of hearing) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for additional assistance. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Multilingual representatives are available.